Trend
Manufacturers confused over which technologies to prioritise in factories
By Patrick Dalez, Product Business Line Director, Qt Group I
ndustrial automation manufacturers are divided on technology investments that will deliver advantages. Although they are investing in technologies, there’s isn’t a clear winner, reveals a new study from Qt Group. When asked which factors have most affected product
development, 39% of respondents cite connectivity, 31% interoperability and 33% artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Whilst factories and processing plants have gradually adopted more automation to improve production efficiency and quality, these technologies are now seen as “old school”. Historically the sector has hesitated in initiating major changes
that take a long time to permeate the industry, which might explain the scattered focus on technologies. Equally, the effect of tech trends on industrial automation is relatively low compared
and their digital twin counterparts, has significantly impacted the demands for connectivity.
Varied focus on product development According to the survey, technology preferences for product development vary. Interestingly, AR/VR trail significantly behind (6%), reflecting the massive slowdown of global shipments of AR/VR headsets in 2023, compared to the pandemic-driven highs. Survey respondents also say that enhancing their devices’
user interfaces (UI) and user experience (UX) is a key priority. The primary drivers include financial gains (29%), advancement in technology capabilities (29%), increasing market share (27%) and innovation from competitors (19%). However, there are signs of some OEMs struggling to keep up with improving device UI and UX. About 35% of respondents say they will spend at least half their budget on improving UI/UX in embedded devices in the next year – down from the 38% who spent the same amount in the last 12 months. Global economic conditions
have also taken their toll on manufacturers: all OEMs have reported effects on product development caused by the economy. The biggest impacts cited include increased product prices (47%), lower profit margins (47%) and increased time-to-market (41%). In response, over 40% say they are adopting cross- platform development tools
to the significant influence they have on other industries like automotive. Advances related to technologies like over-the-air updates and
connectivity are still extremely divisive. For many factories, the machines are huge upfront investments and are typically expected to run for decades. As part of industry evolution, in more and more manufacturing
environments components are added to SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) with companion apps and devices, which allows visualising data from remote devices and sites. Tis monitoring and interaction between factory machines and devices,
04 October 2023
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
and acquiring new talent, whilst 36% are extending deadlines for delivery and 37% are streamlining product lines and rewriting software. The current economic situation is reshaping how
organisations approach product development. Although industrial automation OEMs know they must innovate their UI/UX devices, it would be hard to do so when many companies lack UI/UX developers and skills and must work within short timeframes. However, the right software development framework can mitigate some of these challenges.
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