The IIoT, or Industrial Internet of Things, is helping more and more manufacturing businesses hit increasingly advanced targets. As consumer demands increase, so does the pressure on physical manufacturing. We are rapidly moving towards the age of ‘Industry 4.0’, where more and more of our physical processes will be digitised, and handled by smart technology.
But just how many manufacturing businesses are actively embracing Industry 4.0? In their whitepaper Manufacturers and Digital Transformation: The Enabling Force in a Disruptive World, Prism Solutions reports that up to 66% of global manufacturing bodies are yet to embrace digitisation of their service.
This, in addition to a worrying 90% of manufacturers yet to offer any kind of multichannel experience to their customers, clearly indicates that manufacturing has a long way to go. However, as Prism Solutions states, now is the time for manufacturing businesses to embrace the incredible technology at their fingertips.
“Part of what we explore in our whitepaper is the fact that much of the manufacturing world is – at least – aware that a digital revolution is underway,” a spokesperson for Prism explains. “However, few of these businesses, and their owners, are actively adopting IIoT. That widespread awareness is, eventually, going to change into widespread adoption – and even some of the biggest players in manufacturing are at risk of getting swept behind.”
“Smart automation isn’t anything particularly new. It is always improving, and evolving, and we now have systems in place which can actively monitor other systems. Rather than waste human hours and money on employing someone to closely monitor monotonous processes, manufacturing businesses could – in effect – set IIoT tech to manage and analyse and report on other devices.”
“This, of course, is just a simple example. The fact is – and we explore this in our whitepaper – by connecting devices together, and to increase efficiency, manufacturers are able to satisfy customers’ growing need for immediate support and short term supply.”
Prism identifies, through their whitepaper, the need for deeper digital relationships with customers and end users in the modern age. The whitepaper explains that businesses adopting IIoT, alongside a more ‘local’ approach to manufacturing and direct consumer supply, could witness lucrative growth. In light of COVID-19, too, Prism Solutions believes it makes sense for manufacturers to look for smoother ways to run their operations – no matter what it takes.
“The data we’ve analysed in the whitepaper is rather strange,” Prism’s spokesperson explores. “Surely, any business – manufacturing or otherwise – would be likely to want to increase their efficiency and productivity in the name of corporate growth at all costs.”
“In the coming years, manufacturers really need to tap into this perceived fear of adjusting to Industry 4.0. There are likely to be plenty of reasons why companies are yet to leap in feet-first. However, in the age of social distancing, there are now more than a few counter-points businesses need to consider even further.”
Prism Solutions explains that, in a world mid-pandemic, global manufacturing could use IIoT as a pivot towards healthier, safer working environments. Their whitepaper, for example, establishes that something as simple as digital signage – clearly communicating with other systems in place – could help to reduce the risk of spreading harmful diseases in the workplace.
“It is not just crucial for manufacturing businesses to provide PPE to their workforce,” they confirm. “Digitisation of specific processes will reduce the need for people to work together, physically, on assembly lines and otherwise.”
“At this point in time, it’s clear that COVID-19 is going to be with us for some time to come. It’s not a safe assumption that social distancing will become irrelevant in the short term.”
“Time is running out for manufacturers to leap into IIoT and to embrace Industry 4.0. Of course, the in-roads will always be there. However, we are in a critical period where businesses must take advantage now to reap benefits over their competition.”
“Our whitepaper clearly identifies the over-arching benefits of digitisation for manufacturing – and we strongly believe it’s time business owners, and their teams, started taking more notice of emerging technology. Now is the time.”
