FEATURE PROCESS AUTOMATION INDUSTRY 4.0 – A MANUFACTURER’S PERSPECTIVE
Darren Duke, business analyst at foam product manufacturer Zotefoams, explains how manufacturers can harness data to create actionable business insights
D
igital transformation has arrived in manufacturing and the potential
shows no signs of abating. European Commission research estimates Industry 4.0 will boost manufacturing production by 20 per cent by 2020, thanks in part to a 50 per cent decrease in downtime. There is no ‘silver bullet’ technology to guarantee growth for manufacturers, but there is a winning attitude. Businesses that keep an open mind to all possible technology options and take the time to review them will stand a better chance of making the right investment – one that will power the business ahead of its competitors. For that, you need an open enterprise strategy that enables you to maintain that sort of open mind.
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Investing in good analytic and reporting software can help you spot trends or outliers early – allowing you to respond in an agile way. Used correctly, this sort of software will help you react faster to market and customer needs. To prepare for market fluctuations,
manufacturers should run a regular portfolio management exercise and see how changes in the next year could move products around. A tool such as the Boston Matrix analyses businesses based on their growth and market share. Manufacturers can then consider what opportunities or problems will arise and prepare for them accordingly. To successfully ride the wave of digital
disruption, manufacturers must embrace fast data analysis, interaction through social networks and a move towards a light, app-based suite of systems.
Zotefoams will use AI to pick up machine
problems based on real- time monitoring before the business reports any issues with plant equipment
At Zotefoams we are always looking to
gather information from real-time or near-real-time automated analysis using artificial intelligence (AI) to highlight trends that a human may miss. That means that AI can help us be more
Darren Duke is a business analyst and IT consultant at Zotefoams plc, a leading global manufacturer of lightweight, high- performance foam products based in London
proactive in quality, product and customer service areas. We also really like the way the technology is changing to allow us to pick up social media trends and industry conversations – revealing market insights such as untapped customer needs. We all know that younger business system users are used to an app-based ecosystem. Systems we use such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 are particularly valuable in delivering this, as they allow businesses to design their own, tailored apps to increase productivity and streamline business processes. Moving closer to the customer adds
In its recent industry report, Columbus has identified the emerging technologies that are allowing manufacturers to develop customer- centric strategies and, for the first time, put the customer at the heart of all business operations
market direction and financial understanding. Manufacturers must ensure they can identify the real value drivers for customers, and the internal measures used to maintain this value. Valuable input comes from our technology partner Columbus who recently published a major industry report that explores how manufacturers can effectively prepare for 2020 and beyond. Drawing on academia, technical experts and industry leaders, they identified the emerging technologies that are allowing manufacturers to
develop customer-centric strategies and, for the first time, put the customer at the heart of all business operations. Traditionally, the manufacturer has been
far-removed from the customer. Transforming to get insights into market direction or financial movements will move manufacturers closer to their customers and their needs. This will accelerate the movement from risk averse, capital intensive industries to a smarter, faster, analytical and results-driven business with predictive process controls and improvements. At Zotefoams, we are looking at new technology around sensors and predictive product quality as well as the more established predictive maintenance areas. Using AI, we will look to pick up machine
problems based on real-time monitoring before the business reports any issues with plant equipment. The aim is to have large screens in maintenance workshops so each morning the team can review what’s going on, identify any likely problems and provide mitigating actions prior to a machine stop. Our goal is for this proactive approach to keep the machines running without failure, increasing overall equipment effectiveness.
BETTER DECISION-MAKING These technologies are truly helping manufacturers to respond faster to changes in the market, as well as helping us understand the value of products from a customer or end user perspective. They are also allowing businesses to reduce the time spent gathering data from a range of ad hoc systems and spend more time on the decision-making process. With a careful, measured approach to technology selection and deployment, the promise of digitised manufacturing operations is within reach of businesses of all sizes.
Zotefoams
www.zotefoams.com Columbus
www.columbusglobal.com 16 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019 | PROCESS & CONTROL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
