Manufacturers
must invest
in the latest
communications
technology, says
Comms365’s
Nick Sacke
Pugun & Photo Studio /stock.adobe.com
“Normally the customer would
send a representative to come
and watch over the checks, but
with COVID they couldn’t do
that, so we held up high-res
cameras on iPads for them to
watch along over Microsoft
Teams. It’s obviously not as
good as doing it in-person,
but it’s all we can do in the
circumstances. We’re now
looking at taking it to the next
phase, with AR goggles to
give a very realistic feeling for
customers. All of this, though,
needs very robust, low delay
connectivity.”
The trouble is, he continues,
many manufacturers that
Vilicom work with do not
understand the importance of
reliable infrastructure. “We have
two types of customer. One is
a company with a chief digital
officer or similar, who’ll say that
they need to be flexible in the
future and understand that they
need build a comms network as
the foundation and then build
from there. The Hornsea project
has been like that. The second
type is someone who looks
for applications first and then
decides they need connectivity
afterwards. We find that when
it’s put in for one application
then suddenly all sorts of other
opportunities open up.”
Agreeing with this sentiment
is Nick Sacke, head of IoT
and products at telecoms
provider, Comms365. “The
latest technology, software and
hosted applications – essential
for the industry to innovate
and keep up with demand
– function better with highspeed
and reliable internet
network connectivity. However,
it remains a fundamental
COVER STORY OCTOBER 2020
developed an entirely hands-free communications
system that allows teams to talk to each other
independently and automatically from any
infrastructure. The technology originated in the
motorcycle industry, with riders able to talk to
each other safely. This, says Harari, enables it
to be integrated into everyday equipment, such
as PPE, to make communication even safer for
remote workers.
“We’ve seen companies very interested in our
technology to bring innovation and wearable
technology into their operations, not just to
keep their staff safe, but to collect information
about wearer behaviour that will help increase
productivity, enhance safety and bring some
insight that the company and the industry can
learn from,” he says. “It’s not just about having,
for instance, ear defenders to protect someone’s
hearing; those ear defenders can be turned into
a hub of data. You can check that people are
following the correct routes, or you can monitor
noise levels, for example.”
A secure connection
The benefits of investing in communications are
clear. The problem, however, is that too many
manufacturers are neglecting to invest in the
infrastructure behind it. According to 2018 figures
from the ONS, just over half (54%) of companies
have access to high-speed internet, something
that, for the remaining 46%, will hamper their
push to a more connected workplace.
Sean Keating, CEO of communications
specialists, Vilicom – whose projects have
included installing a mobile network at
Hornsea Two, the world’s largest offshore wind
farm – warns that, for too
many manufacturers, poor
connectivity is hampering
their operations.
“If you have no connectivity
at all, you can deal with
that; and if you have perfect
connectivity, that’s obviously
ideal,” he says. “If you have
something in between, which is
what most companies have, it
can be very frustrating. A halfsecond
delay in communication
can be really irritating and
disrupts productivity.”
It can be expensive too: “We
work with a company where if
the production line stops, for
whatever reason, whatever is
on the line has to be binned,
at a cost of a million pounds,”
continues Keating. “If the
connectivity we provide doesn’t
communicate properly with one
machine, they lose a million
quid while they reboot it. It’s
high stakes and we can’t afford
to get it wrong.”
For Vilicom, it has led to a
rethink in the way it interacts
with customers – something
that many others will have
experienced. “We were building
a system for a customer and
testing it before it got sent
to site,” Keating explains.
Communications and automation – critical partners
Most manufacturers’ first taste of the potential of communications technology will come when
trying to implement an automation project – something that will become increasingly important in
the future.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that business practices that were well established over
decades will no longer hold,” says Damien Stephens, associate vice president for mobility and IoT at
Tata Communications. “Nowhere is this truer than in the manufacturing industry, which requires a
workforce that is physically present on the factory floor and office. Factories may have to face lower
staffing levels, primarily due to the social distancing norms. The experience and knowledge of these
workers, which they have gained by working on the same machines and processes for several years,
cannot be transferred to recruits easily.
“The answer to this challenge is automation. In the era of social distancing, manufacturers
will have to embrace digital technologies to ensure their employees’ safety. From smart ID cards
that can warn employees when they are too close to each other to
carefully scheduled breaks and lunchtimes, every aspect of the shop
floor worker’s day will be transformed and managed by technology and
telecommunications.
“Businesses that want to be future-ready are adopting digital
solutions, deploying AI and machine learning, and leveraging the power
of IIoT. The focus on digital infrastructure and the innovation it can drive
will deliver solutions with flexibility at scale and allow the industry to
come out of this crisis stronger than it went into it.”
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