Modernize manufacturing operations

The traditional industrial supply chain was not built to serve a diverse range of services beyond hardware. The sector has made significant progress in terms of agility, particularly in terms of production and key operations. Legacy systems and siloed teams, on the other hand, make it difficult for manufacturers to bring successful new service lines to market rapidly. To be successful, manufacturers can’t just expand on their current service offerings. Instead, businesses must engage in agile development processes and organisational structures in order to join the growing number of industries that provide value to their customers through servitization.

The coronavirus outbreak has wreaked havoc on manufacturers across the board. Almost every manufacturer has had to deal with supply chain disruptions at some point. Manufacturers are increasingly conscious that, even if the pandemic ends, it will leave fundamental changes in its aftermath.

The overall instability in global, economic, and policy decisions is changing the state of manufacturing. Rather than using several traditional one-product manufacturers, merchants and brands can now engage a single on-demand manufacturer to produce a wide range of items in the era of digital transformation. Manufacturers can streamline and consolidate the supply chain thanks to automation and a cloud-based platform

Now is an exciting time for the manufacturing industry, as new digital technologies emerge. Companies can take steps toward more flexibility, sustainability, and productivity as a result of the surge of new technology. Industry 4.0 also enables new ways for humans and robots to collaborate, allowing firms to gain more insights and lower the risk of human mistakes.

5 ways to modernize manufacturing and contribute to Industry 4.0 :

• Be proactive Forward-thinking firms are increasingly developing proactive solutions to fulfil client needs, rather than relying on a reactive paradigm.More manufacturers can construct smoother operations using digital technologies that give real-time replies, predictive maintenance, and self-service portals that are available everywhere. Manufacturers may use digital processes to connect key stakeholders in their value chain, from suppliers to field personnel, so that service teams can respond to consumer complaints promptly and efficiently. Every investment in technology should increase the advantages to end customers, whether through improved experiences, higher product quality, or cost-cutting and value-adding operational efficiencies. Manufacturers should be able to demonstrate measurable gains in important parameters including customer retention, user experience, sales, productivity, and recruitment. In an agile sandbox environment, functional specialists from IT, strategy, R&D, customer engagement, and operations can collaborate to design improvements around a set of coordinated standards. Manufacturers can thus integrate cutting-edge knowledge of new technology with deep, day-to-day awareness of the desired outcomes at this early stage, and throughout the campaign.
• Gain valuable process data Automated systems generate a lot of important data, but without manufacturers capturing it, they won’t be able to use it to run at maximum efficiency. All of this information may be used to identify production bottlenecks, which stations will require maintenance in the future, and which indicators forecast faults or scrap. Manufacturers should capture it all and help to make use of it to improve quality and fix potential problems before they hurt productivity.
• Quality Control In smart factories, customer-centric production frequently concentrates on speciality products with shorter lead times, leaving less room for mistakes. Quality control is important in all manufacturing processes, but it is extremely important in Industry 4.0. Manufacturing staff can conduct a visual quality check by layering augmented reality (AR) photographs of the ideal against a test sample from the production batch using a portable mobile device. When mobile tablets are devoted to specific machines, they can store films and processes that staff can access and train on, boosting the likelihood of a high-quality end product.
• Deliver quality field service Ineffective tools, erroneous data, and out-of-date inventory records. These field service issues have substantial financial ramifications, especially with today’s focus on customer pleasure. Manufacturing companies’ brand reputation is jeopardised by ineffective field service. Furthermore, field service issues are not only irritating for customers, but they are also costly. Large industrial machines can experience downtime that costs thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Real-time up-to-date records with data analytics allow them the ability to track case progress and select self-service options based on the scenario. Reduce equipment downtime using predictive maintenance and software updates to achieve a faster mean time to recovery. It is critical to have a quick recovery period if an outage or a stoppage occurs. Every second and minute that production is lost results in waste and excessive expenditure.
• Achieve visibility across your value chain Manufacturing has always been a difficult business. A single plant’s success is dependent on a variety of departments, equipment, data, technology, and staff. Large manufacturers confront even more challenges, managing various suppliers and distributors while operating across regions and time zones. This building obstructs the view. Manufacturers can’t get a holistic perspective of their value chain with segregated operations. Even with IoT, many suppliers lack the information they require to satisfy demands, delaying the process considerably. In addition, a lack of visibility may prevent new service lines from establishing viable income streams. Manufacturers can thus have a solution that responds rapidly to production data while also being efficient and lucrative. Manufacturers can unify data and procedures from across their operations into a single location with genuinely connected operations. From there, end-to-end processes can be used to manage efforts.

How does it help?

• Streamlined and automated data Manufacturers can make better decisions with the help of smart technologies that automate data collecting and give superior production analytics. Manufacturers can attach their operations technology to business systems in a smart operating environment to measure key performance indicators versus business goals.

• Predictive maintenance Manufacturers can predict and handle maintenance issues before they cause downtime or product quality issues with increased visibility. Sensors attached to machines or equipment, for example, might convey condition-monitoring or repair data in real-time, allowing manufacturers to discover problems more quickly.

• Significant cost reductions When operations and business systems are linked, manufacturers can uncover waste and improve prediction accuracy. They have a better understanding of supply chain challenges such as inventory levels, delivery status, and demand cycles. They can use this knowledge to cut expenses associated with excess inventory or unexpected production volume.

• Reduce workforce challenges It allows manufacturers to start and finish projects with fewer employees. Workers can focus on their main responsibilities when they have real-time access to data across numerous platforms. This helps producers to innovate more quickly without having to spend more money.

• Enhanced productivity Factory throughput can be improved with the use of smart, connected systems. Manufacturers have seamless visibility into bottlenecks, machine performance, and other operational inefficiencies in a linked enterprise. Manufacturers can use this information to make adjustments to boost yields, improve quality, and reduce waste

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With tremendous technological developments led by the Internet of Things, such as open software platforms, open communications, open data models, and powerful embedded processors, the Industry 4.0 vision is becoming a reality. Industry 4.0 is expected to take hold across the manufacturing ecosystem in the long run. Manufacturers will only be able to stay on the cutting edge of this new digital era if they understand and utilise the technologies that are driving Industry 4.0.

ServiceNow and DxSherpa Technologies provide a single unified platform that helps manufacturers realize the importance of smart manufacturing. Our mission is to find ways to automate operations and increase manufacturing performance through data analytics with ServiceNow for Manufacturing solutions.