cameras and other data collection devices are being deployed en masse to record and track a wide range of operational processes—from tracking temperatures to inspecting parts with greater speed and accuracy to equipment productivity. The installed base for Internet-connected devices already exceeded 14 billion in early 2015 and is forecast to balloon to nearly 50 billion by 2020 according to one estimate from Cisco. Adoption of connected devices on the manufacturing floor is expected to continue to accelerate for a number of reasons, including lower costs for smart devices, reduced connectivity costs as providers are charging less for data connections, more efficient wireless communications, better security and expanded cellular networks, leading to higher bandwidth. In addition, now there is easy-to-use software available that can take all that collected data, and provide insightful and actionable analytics on a regular basis. How is this connectivity being applied to a factory of the future? Imagine installing sensors and controllers to your manufacturing equipment and throughout your facility. They can inform you of equipment’s needs for maintenance before something malfunctions, preventing production delays and shutdowns. Questionable parts can be viewed remotely with cameras or optical sensors, then followed digitally through their production run and the supply chain. All the while, sensors continue to collect data on the performance of those parts and equipment during production runs. Building out the infrastructure to create this smart connected enterprise may be critical for manufacturers if they hope to keep up with competition. By 2025, the number of connected devices
used in manufacturing facilities or for manufacturing processes is expected to represent 75 percent of all connected devices, according to IHS, a data and analytics firm.
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To gain any true value out of all this data being generated with connected devices on the manufacturing floor, you need a scalable infrastructure that lets you store, organize, integrate and
SDCExec.com | December 2015 | SUPPLY & DEMAND CHAIN EXECUTIVE
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