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PROCESS AUTOMATION WHAT’S TRENDING IN MANUFACTURING?


John Kitchingman, managing director, EuroNorth, Dassault Systèmes, outlines the five key trends affecting the manufacturing industry


restructuring of their supply chains. With this flux comes a greater need for digital capabilities to help manufacturers manage this transition. According to Deloitte, if manufacturers do


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not embrace digitisation, as many as 35% of today’s industrial companies could be out of business or significantly changed within the next 10 years. This is a huge change in a short time span,


but this won’t stop anytime soon – it will just be exposed in different forms. As we see it, there are five key trends which will usher in a wave of innovation within the industry. Trend #1 – Making automation accessible For some companies, automation hasn’t


been an option for manufacturing products due to financial constraints. However, because of technological advances, these costs are decreasing, allowing more manufacturing companies to take advantage of automation in terms of precision,


n the last few years, we’ve seen manufacturers respond to unprecedented challenges with new product lines and


repeatability, efficiency, and productivity. It’s clear that companies need to make


more data-driven decisions and find out what to automate based on their priorities and the value to be created. Trend #2 – AI and Advanced Analytics AI capabilities are promising for aiding


increased customisation and personalisation. AI will soon be used even more widely for this, especially with consumers who choose to share their preferences. Alongside AI, the internet of things (IoT) and


industrial internet of things (IIoT) is supporting manufacturers for real-time monitoring of manufacturing operations, predictive maintenance, and inventory checking. The data generated from these systems is key to making decisions and improvements. Trend #3 – Supply Chain Nearshoring Supply chain disruption was at its peak late


last year, and this unearthed several challenges for the industry. Many manufacturers used local suppliers to address some of these challenges. While this may increase the costs of products, it should be


seen as an opportunity to increase agility, flexibility, and quality that will result in increased customer satisfaction. The onshoring method will continue to be part of a ‘globalisation to localisation’ strategy. This trend will accelerate the concept of distributed manufacturing or local manufacturing which can meet ever- increasing customer expectations. Also, nearshoring, distributed supply chain


and logistics will eliminate single sourcing dependency and improve resiliency and reliability that is specifically required in sudden changes and instabilities. Manufacturing companies should revisit their existing business models and look for solutions to reduce cost, quality, and delivery time. Trend #4 – Robots As the need to increase precision and


productivity in the industry continues, manufacturers will utilise increasingly emerging types of robots such as collaborative robots (Cobots) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to increase agility, flexibility, and built-in quality. These robots not only work with humans, but also allow people to focus on more creative and innovative tasks for a competitive edge. Trend #5 – Digital Transformation At its core, digital transformation is about


modernising traditional systems, retrofitting legacy equipment, and leveraging the power of digital technologies to improve quality, efficiency, and productivity, all of which are now essential to remaining competitive. A combination of IoT, IIoT, data analytics, AI,


and virtual twin technology can increase real- time visibility and achieve peak performance and optimisation. These digital tools are needed to fuel better real-time decision making. Manufacturers should consider embracing the digital transformation trend as a high priority to remain competitive


Dassault Systèmes www.3ds.com


22 APRIL 2022 | PROCESS & CONTROL


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