Industry 4.0 - Are You Ready?

Industry 4.0 promises – or threatens – to revolutionise the way we all do business. But is it really the Fright Night scenario many organisations seem to believe? Or is it an exciting opportunity to provide the ultimate added-value service to our customers, wherever they are in the supply chain?

Not new, just different

Industry 4.0 is not new technology. It’s simply a new business philosophy bringing together all the different processes in the manufacturing and supply chain, wherever they’re located, in a way that wasn’t possible before wireless technology. What makes the philosophy attractive is that many aspects are straightforward.

Integration and communication

SMC’s end-user customers are already asking about Industry 4.0 and how it can be used to better serve their accounts. They’re very aware that the added value it can provide is not limited to larger multi-nationals. This means businesses like ours have to be ready to show that our production systems can integrate and communicate with customers’ systems.

Three into 4.0

Serving customers at all points in the supply chain – from OEMs and distributors to end users – we’re perfectly placed for a holistic view of the opportunities Industry 4.0 brings. In particular, opportunities thrown up by its intelligent self-diagnostic systems.

It’s believed that there are three key market drivers industrial manufacturers need to consider:

1.       Identify the main benefits to your business

2.       Decide which of the Industry 4.0 basic technologies are the most appropriate for your business

3.       Manage your customers’ expectations of what Industry 4.0 can deliver

Analysis of these three key drivers against your own business needs will enable you to create a strategic plan that smoothly and successfully moves your business into the Industry 4.0 era.