SAFETY & COMPLIANCE SOFTWARE


tHe big manufacturing cHallenges in 2022: How digitisation can Help?


supply chain disruptions, staff shortages, energy price rises and new regulations are just some of the factors that manufacturers have had to deal with in 2021. industrial enterprises have responded by taking the time to re-asses their needs, with some rapidly deploying new tools. Here intoware’s ceo, Keith tilley outlines what is next for manufacturers and how digitisation will aid recovery.


years to come. Businesses, irrespective of size or sector were rushing to digitise in 2021, however from now on, they will be focusing on driving growth through digital projects to help negate financial pressures. So, given this economic climate, what are the


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big trends impacting manufacturers in 2022? Digitisation was well underway prior to the pandemic, but when COVID-19 hit, it really spotlighted the benefits of connected technology. Processes were overhauled and employees quickly shifted to working from home, with just skeleton staffing on the factory floor.


1. Data overloaD


Many manufacturers deployed new processes and digital ‘tools’ in response. This meant that data became much more easily accessible, but for some, it was increasingly becoming out of control. With different applications running across different teams, departments and enterprise systems, it is no surprise that manufacturers are becoming overloaded with data. When there is no structure to the flow of


data, teams are unable to see the complete picture. This can lead to the creation of data silos that impact productivity and accuracy as the data is not integrated. Often manual data entry is needed which wastes times and risks creating more errors. If data is scattered in silos, it means it is


difficult to access and pass freely between systems preventing the possibility of better, collaborative working. This means that if a change in material specification is needed for example, then it is difficult to implement, preventing the plant from being fully optimised. When manufacturers find a ‘single source of


truth’ for their data, teams can work much more effectively. Often, adding digital ‘tools’ to a process acts more like a plaster to a problem, rather than a proper fix. This has been a problem in 2021, when some businesses have rapidly deployed digital tools without sufficient preparation to ensure success. This means some digital projects are in


ccording to the Office of National Statistics, the UK economy is still 2.1 per cent below its pre-pandemic peak and the damage inflicted to the economy is likely to be left for


danger of being shelved. To prevent this, operational processes themselves need to be overhauled, if workflows are fundamentally floored then digitisation is not going to solve them. Start by identifying the key business problems to apply digitisation to otherwise you may risk wasting their time, effort and money.


2. SkilleD worker ShortageS


The on-going challenge of unfilled jobs is likely to limit productivity and growth in manufacturing in 2022. To help attract and retain talent, manufacturers should look at reskilling and adopting new ‘tools’ that are more attractive to new recruits to help bridge the skills gap. As technology is evolving and Millenials and


Generation Z’s are being born into this technology – it is the way forward. Manufacturers need to listen, think and innovate so they can evolve with them. Businesses are increasingly moving towards more engaging interactive, video-based learning - they do not want to learn with physical manuals or clipboards. Assisted reality devices integrated with digital


workflow software are attached to safety helmets enabling hands-free, voice-controlled access for trainees who are learning on the job. By keeping field of view completely unobscured, these devices provide a safer environment in which workers can easily use voice commands to watch short training videos, access manuals or look up spare parts, all critical for training.


3. remaking Supply chainS


Supply chain challenges remain acute and are still unfolding in 2022. Manufacturers face near-continuous disruptions globally that adds costs and test the abilities to adapt, exasperated by high demand, rising raw materials costs and slow freight. Having an effective digital strategy in place can mitigate these disruptions is key. Those manufacturers that have a distributed workforce, digital ‘tools’ will allow frontline factory workers to connect and share updates in ‘real-time’, across different locations so they can react quickly to material shortages or changes in demand.


4. reDucing Downtime with ai


More manufacturers are making progress and seeing results from connected, reliable and predictive processes. Predictive maintenance


14 January/february 2022 | industrial compliance


directly tracks an asset’s health, status and performance in ‘real-time’, to reduce costly and unexpected breakdowns and offers manufacturers the opportunity to plan maintenance around their own production schedule. When combined with AI, it often results in the


use of digital twins, virtual representations of physical factories or systems created to gather data from the Internet of Things and digital processes – when combined they enhance operations for more profitable and safer processes and automate assets monitoring tasks - the opportunities for this are only now being explored. Prior to the pandemic, Intoware designed


WorkfloPlus, to turn existing paper-based procedures into smart digital work- instructions that are followed by frontline factory workers using smartphones, tablets or wearable devices. In doing so it ensures that each process is executed correctly, audited and provides the necessary data analytics to ensure compliance. The value manufacturers receive from data


analytics it provides, means that reporting is far more detailed and very specific to each individual step, action, location, time-span or job, building up to a higher view to create trends, insights, analysis that could only be achieved previously via manual data entry – for one Intoware customer this realised a massive 200 per cent increase in productivity gains. WorkfloPlus is also built with Open API’s


that connect the platform with third-party systems such as ERP, PLM, CRM and asset management. As it is unlikely that WorkfloPlus will be the only digital ‘tool’ within industrial businesses, as work being carried out may require information held in existing systems which means they need to connect so data flows seamlessly, preventing data silos.


concluSion


With the vaccine rollout increasing in pace, new questions about living with the pandemic are on the horizon, which means that the only certainty is how to live with change? To remain profitable and drive future growth during this uncertain time, manufacturers must unlock the data in their assets and processes to support better decision making, or they may risk being left behind.


intoware www.intoware.com


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