Preparing for Industry 4.0 and Success through Collaboration
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
The fourth industrial revolution is underway. Commonly referred to as Industry 4.0, this paradigm shift represents the most significant industrial change in recent memory and whilst it brings many opportunities, such change also poses sizable practical challenges to manufacturers across the globe.
On Thursday June 22nd, Marcus Evans Webinars will be partnering with Advantech to explore the challenges that manufacturers face as they look to adapt to Industry 4.0 and put in place a strategy to develop their own Smart Factories. Speaking in this exclusive webinar will be industry specialists from Advantech, Intel and Continental Automotive. With unique insights grounded in real-world experience at the senior level, each speaker brings qualified value that can be taken away and applied to your own strategic discussions on the greatest upheaval to the manufacturing sector in almost 50 years.
The Road to the Smart Factory
The ultimate goal of a manufacturer looking to capitalise on Industry 4.0 is to oversee creation of their very own ‘Smart Factory’, a production facility where the Industrial Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems come together to improve efficiency, safety and productivity. Yet arriving at this destination is not simple. The road to the Smart Factory is long and winding and most companies will not be able to walk it alone, indeed Industry 4.0 is casting aside the single-provider model and replacing it with a collaborative one, where partnerships with third party technology providers become an inherent component of Industry 4.0.
There are two fundamental aspects of change that must be carefully navigated in order to make a success of the fourth industrial revolution: technological change and human change. Neither challenge has a simple solution, thus both will require meaningful collaborations in order to ensure a successful transition to Smart Factory status.
Technological Change
Technological change is the core driver of Industry 4.0. Cyber-physical systems (where physical machinery is able to fully communicate with one another over digital networks) will become the backbone of production within the Smart Factory.
The emerging technological trends that will come to define Industry 4.0 in practice include, in addition to cyber-physical systems, the Industrial Internet of Things, big data analytics, advanced sensor technology, sophisticated AI and more. As things stand, there are currently very few companies that can boast proprietary ownership within each one of these spheres and therefore to keep pace with Industry 4.0 manufacturers will need to look to third party technology vendors when building the infrastructure that will form the foundations of their Smart Factories.
Human Change
Industry 4.0 requires a whole new perspective when it comes to approaching manufacturing as a whole. As such, massive changes to the role of human capital within the smart factory will inevitably take place and strategies will need to be drawn up to ensure that those changes are managed effectively.
Measures that can be implemented to do so include establishing a dedicated team that is focused on creating a culture within the business that is open to change and embraces experimentation. People’s roles within the company will change as a result of the move towards the Smart Factory, ensuring that they are included in the change process and equipping them with the tools to embrace change will help ensure a smooth transition through Industry 4.0.
The Road Ahead
“…only 30 percent of technology suppliers and 16 percent of manufacturers have an overall Industry 4.0 strategy in place, and just 24 percent have assigned clear responsibilities to implement it.” (McKinsey & Company, 2016)
The multitude of challenges and technological trends that require significant behavioral change in the manufacturing industry are complex, as such the road to the Smart Factory is one that demands a strong vision and the determination to see it through to its endpoint.
It is the opinion of our three webinar speakers that the key to successfully navigating this road lies in widespread industry collaboration, as the scale of change is simply too much for one organisation to realistically expect to tackle alone.
The Agenda
Our webinar will therefore discuss why it is vital that the industry be encouraged to collaborate in far deeper and more meaningful ways than we have yet seen, ranging from technological partnerships to industry-wide knowledge sharing to ensure best practice as we enter the next industrial age together.
Also on the agenda:
· Identifying the needs of manufacturers heading in to Industry 4.0
· Discussion of emerging trends and technologies that can meet those needs
· Practical advice on best managing the technological and human transition to Industry 4.0
· Answering your questions on the Smart Factory and more
To register your interest for this exclusive webinar, follow the link below where you can quickly secure your spot. Attendees will be able to submit questions for our panel ahead of the live event, as well as participate in a live Q&A with the panelists.
A full recording will be made available via download to those unable to make the live event.
http://events.marcusevans-events.com/industry-4-0-and-the-smart-factory/
Thomas Bannister
Digital Marketing Assistant
Marcus Evans
101 Finsbury Pavement
London, EC2A 1RS
