These buzzwords and trends can make it difficult for manufacturers to grasp the concept of “Industry 4.0,” let alone, determine to adopt these cutting edge solutions. We’ve laid it out in this how-to guide for manufacturers, providing them with four (4) steps to modernize their organizations.
Manufacturers that are willing to embrace Industry 4.0 connectivity and modern automation opportunities stand to see significant improvements in productivity—not only on the shop floor, but also across the enterprise. According to a joint survey on smart factories from PwC and the Manufacturing Institute, productivity gains, reduced labor costs, and uncovering new revenue streams are among the top benefits for manufacturers that have deployed Industry 4.0 technologies.1
While many manufacturers are still in the research and pilot stages, the survey reports that 73% of them are planning to increase their technology investments over the next year. But, where exactly should manufacturers start investing? Read on for some key recommendations on steps to take and specific Infor® software solutions that can help manufactures get started with Industry 4.0.
1. Shop-floor optimization
Manufacturers can use Industry 4.0-ready technologies to help digitize shop floor processes that are still largely paper-based. Today, many manufacturers still use paper trails to monitor the progress of work orders, the location of parts, and sometimes even the assembly sequence and steps for a specific order.
Modern software provides ways to automate and streamline steps as new functionality anticipates the needs of the user, based on roles and custom-defined workflows. Modern software empowers faster decision-making with easy-to-read dashboards, workbenches, and consumable reporting.
Software shopping list:
- Industry-specific Infor® SyteLine ERP
- Infor Coleman® AI Platform
- Infor Birst® cloud business intelligence and analytics
Check back for our next post about the second step to quickly optimize manufacturing operations.
1 PwC and the Manufacturing Institute, Navigating the fourth industrial revolution to the bottom line, September 2019, p. 2.
