VERTICAL ANALYSIS
MANUFACTURING TODAY IN THE FACTORY OF TOMORROW
Industry 4.0 is predicted to lead to the creation of “smart factories” that will self-manage processes and issues, modernizing conventional factories that previously used offline systems with little to no inter-connectivity. We explore the evolution of this vertical and the high growth areas of digital penetration. n W O R D S : A N U S H R E E D I X I T < A N U S H R E E @ G E C M E D I A G R O U P. C O M > n P H O T O : S H U T T E R S T O C K
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e it the factory floor or the manufacturing unit, the decision-making business boardroom or the logistics truck…… digital disruption has enhanced the end-to-end pre and post production segments of the manufacturing sector. Industry 4.0 have made manufacturers initiate and realize an overall transformation architecture across the factory process— as a report said, digital transformation that doesn’t remove the human brain or work ethic, but that maximises it according to modern day economic strains and market expectations.
FUELING TRANSFORMATION Industry 4.0 is predicted to lead to the creation of “smart factories” that will self-manage processes and issues, modernizing conventional factories that previously used offline systems with little to no inter-connectivity. Manufacturing execution
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MEA
systems (MES) were a common way to determine the running and functioning of factories. The concept will therefore have to evolve to avoid being left behind. Jake Callaway, Managing Director, MENA at 4C, “The driving force behind the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector is the need to enhance customer experiences and services. There are several technology areas that must be explored to achieve this, and among these is CRM. It can help keep track of any warranty, repair, or service issues and manage day-to- day questions, inquiries and service calls. Going beyond these capabilities, the right CRM solution can analyse data such as recurring orders and seasonal variations, to aid with forecasting and planning.” According to a 2016 PwC report, 62% of Middle East organisations expect to have advanced levels of digitisation and integration by 2021. While this indicates a strong appetite in the region for Industry 4.0, it is worth pointing out that the transition from initial pilot stage to
the large-scale roll-out of an Industry 4.0 and digital transformation project is no easy task. In its “Digital Manufacturing Global Expert Survey 2018”, McKinsey highlights how even successful pilot projects often fail to make it into everyday industrial life. Mansoor Sarwar, Regional Technical Director at Sage Middle East says, “The manufacturing industry worldwide has been forced to reinvent itself to compete in the fourth digital revolution, through a major overhaul of key business processes across the entire value chain. In a factory of the future, connected assets will have to be deployed to collect large swaths of data and seek further process improvements. By placing data in the center of all processes, a smart factory will have increased speed, agility efficiency, and room to innovate.”
INTEGRATION OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN Companies are reliant on their supply chain