INDUSTRY 4.0/SMART FACTORIES
go for a mix-and-match approach. This is driven by suppliers increasingly integrating software and cloud services as part of the product offering. One area where services are often required is security, says Barnes who points out Molex is “looking to address concerns regarding security” with its industrial automation solutions.
No matter which approach customers use, manufacturers recognise that the end result should be a solution for specific needs rather than simply chasing industry fashions. “Over the past five years there’s been a shift towards more of a solution sale where we focus on what customers are really trying to accomplish. For example, customers don’t want to measure the temperature of their oven, they just want to make the best pizza, so the mindset changed. We’re in the process of narrowing down some of the scope of our offerings to focus more on what the customer is trying to accomplish and the job that needs to be done,” says Thomas Dale, engineering manager of Omega.
SHOWING YOU THE PATH
Schneider’s EcoStruxure architecture and product line provides an example of how these more complex systems are now being supplemented by relevant online resources and services so customers can see how to put them into action and realise the benefits of digitalisation. Walder adds: “What we tend to do is try and break the digital transformation down into manageable bits and show people practical examples of how to deploy the technology, highlighting the benefits of the investment in terms of performance. We allow clients to move at their own pace, incrementally gaining confidence and building to bigger projects over time unlike some of our competition who have a big bang approach.”
Distributors can play a major role in helping connect customers to
relevant resources and technical support. Farnell provides free access to online resources, data sheets, application notes, videos and webinars. To supplement its work in this field, Farnell has launched an Industrial IoT Hub to provide a direct route for customers to access valuable online resources offered by suppliers. The Industrial IoT Hub features an online storefront for the world’s leading industrial automation and process control brands including Schneider Electric, Omron, Mitsubishi Electric, Festo, Siemens, Omega, Control Techniques and more. It also curates external resources, news and product information so customers can research the latest industrial technologies in one place. The IoT Hub and Embedded Hub on Farnell’s website also feature technical articles on topics such as the Industrial IoT and Artificial Intelligence, as well as exclusive tools such as the IoT battery calculator and AI Configurator to help engineers tackle early stage design challenges.
As it is not always possible to know the best path to take from reading and watching videos, suppliers are also addressing the knowledge gap by building physical demonstrators that use Industry 4.0 technologies. Schneider Electric, for example, gives customers tours of manufacturing plants where they can see these technologies in action. “We took five senior people from one of the UK food companies to our Normandy facility and they were completely bowled over and now can start understanding what they have to do,” says Walder.
Clearly, the move to Industry 4.0 is leading to a realignment between suppliers and customers, with the two sides working together closely. As a leading distributor and with a stock of almost a million products in its global catalogue, Farnell has the depth and breadth of products together with the strong supplier relationships to bring the sides together.
Farnell
www.farnell.com
The leading online directory for industrial manufacturers, distributors and more to source the suppliers and products you need to help improve the efficiency of your factory, production facility or warehouse.
factoryandhandlingsolutions.co.uk/directory FA FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS ORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 21 ANUARY 2021 37
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