Industry 4.0: Are You Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
Industry 4.0 is not just one of these trending buzz words. It will change the way manufacturing companies run and will dramatically affect the global business environment. This is the future of manufacturing as we know it. In 20 years, it will be the norm for conducting business and creating value for our customers. Each of us will have to learn a different skill set to succeed in this changing world of employment (click here to learn what impact will industry 4.0 have on YOUR Job)
So how Industry 4.0 will look like?
# Shift from Mass-production to Mass-customization
Chances are that everything you purchased lately made in large quantities, using assembly lines, automated robotic machines, and human labor (ie “mass-production”). With the technology and capabilities we currently have, it is much cheaper to produce large batches of a standardized product. Personalized products by individual consumers requirements, usually made in low volume and cost much more. This means that your influence on the features of the final products is negligible, if at all. We are all used to this mode of consumption, so it’s hard to imagine any other way. But, Industry 4.0 will use “smart” technologies like 3D printing (by then it will be much cheaper and quicker from today), robots and Artificial Intelligence — this will drive costs down and enable quick setup and customization. Hence, factories will be able to produce tailored-made products which made upon order(!) with the same cost associated with today mass production — truly a revolution! Unlike today, everything you buy will be personalized to your needs. Meaning, you’ll influence almost every feature of the products you buy.
#Automation is Going to Replace Certain Types of Jobs
Automation technologies such as machine learning and robotics will lead to an entirely new look on the shop floor. According to CNN, some of the world’s biggest companies are investing billions to build robots intended to replace human workers. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article discussing utilization of artificial intelligence to automate workforce management tasks, enabling one person to manage many more workers than before. The potential for automation differs dramatically across sectors and activities, however, jobs that are repetitive and low-skill like predictable physical work, data collection and data processing are the ones with the highest potential (>60%) for automation.
People will be present in few numbers, with a larger presence of mechanical engineers and IT teams. The corporate ladder will end to exist as we know it and will be replaced by a grid-like environment. From one hand, the workplace will allow people more freedom in decision making. On the other hand, it’ll become easier for employers to monitor their teams and know at each given moment where they are, what they do and even how they feel (%$!). We will be required to deploy unique human skills, the kind of behavior that machines unable to replicate (yet) like creativity, complex communications, etc.
# Big Data and Analytics
The Common IT strategy is few separate SW’s that, in the best case scenario, partially interface with each other. At a minimum, we can count ERP (materials), MES (manufacturing), PDM (document control) and CRM (customer mgmt) systems. Most importantly, we have people working with looooooooong excel sheet, conducting manual data mining and complex analyses.
Industry 4.0 strategy will look completely different. The boundaries between ERP, MES, PDM and CRM systems will disappear. All elements of manufacturing, including product lines, services, and basically the entire environment are connected. Each product will have RFID [radio-frequency identification] chip embedded into it for full mapping and traceability of the product as it moves along the production line. Smart, artificial intelligence will make Excel no longer needed — as the unified system will control all business activities and find opportunities for improvement — even see things we didn’t see before. Eventually, you will be able to use your mobile device as the primary interface of this system.
Final thoughts,
No doubts that industry 4.0 is truly revolutionary. In some way, it has already started — especially in the automotive industry. But even 50 years from now the world will still be busy with implementing Industry 4.0 in certain regions and industries. My best advice to you is to prepare yourself for career4.0. How exactly? in my next article.
-You can follow me on Linkedin Carmit Berdugo Cohen, for more thought-provoking posts and articles to reflect on -