NOV/DEC 2019 IT IN FOCUS
INTO THE
UNKNOWN
As the rapidly evolving economic, political, and
Stepping into the world of Industry 4.0 can be daunting, but,
as SSG Insight explains, the disruption is vital to moving forwards
CONTRIBUTOR SSG INSIGHT
SPONSORED BY SSG INSIGHT
technological landscape impacts business, it raises
a set of questions for the manufacturing industry.
Which different directions could these uncertainties
take? What could be the implications for our
organisations, regions and the world? These are
complex questions that have led to huge disruption for
global business.
Amongst the uncertainty, technological advances
have paved the way for manufacturers to boost
productivity, operate more efficiently, reduce
waste and costs, and respond more effectively to
consumer demand.
The adoption of technologies such as AI, robotics,
automation and 3D printing, as well as innovative
data management, will ensure manufacturers can reap
the benefits of Industry 4.0. But the need for manufacturers
to embrace new and important technologies in order to
compete has meant that they must not only get to grips with
the explosion of innovation, but they must also ensure that
their workforces are sufficiently trained with a plethora of new
opportunities in order to maximise the potential that currently
presents itself.
New technologies in data analytics, AI and machine
learning, and the Internet of Things have received deserved
attention from manufacturers. Investing in digital technologies
will help businesses to better understand the value of
their products, respond faster to changes and make better
decisions. According to the research, around a third of
manufacturing is expected to be automated in the next three
years. But only 12% of manufacturers expect to automate up to
50% of their business.
Research suggests that support functions such as sales and
marketing, distribution and customer service are less likely to be
automated. It is evident that through Industry 4.0, automation
and robotics have found new momentum within the
manufacturing industry. They are reshaping the everchanging
landscape of manufacturing processes for improved efficiency,
lower costs and increased productivity.
The outdated manufacturing processes will be redefined by
new kinds of automated systems, which will allow companies
to remove employees from automated areas of their
operations. As an example, with their intelligent
peripheries, collaborative robots (cobots)
are able to handle new kinds of applications
and tasks which haven’t been automated
before and have the capability to transform
manufacturing even further – perhaps into
Industry 5.0, which has been claimed by
many as already being on the horizon.
Manufacturers have undeniably
faced tough economic times in the
past, but they are now at a critical
juncture. The political and trade
landscape presents opportunities as
well as threats, and companies must
consider their future routes to market
and lines of communication. The world is
entering a new era and, whilst a question mark
hangs over tariff rates and regulatory barriers,
there are now new market opportunities and
supply networks worldwide. A confidence
is emerging from the uncertainty, and the
research has found that many manufacturers
are actively forging new relationships with Rest
of the World territories.
This ambiguity is having an unsettling
impact on manufacturers, but it could also
be the catalyst for businesses to transform
in a positive way. The rapid acceleration of
technology is seen as the biggest challenge
disrupting the manufacturing industry today,
but it also presents the greatest opportunity.
Technological advances have paved the
way for manufacturers to boost productivity,
operate more efficiently, reduce waste
and costs, and respond more effectively to
consumer demand.
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