INDUSTRY 4.0
Data in Action through Manufacturing Intelligence
Each major transition in economic productivity throughout history is marked as its own “industrial revolution.” First there were advancements in machines to enhance agricultural productivity through water and steam power. The second was marked by the transition to electrification for mass production. In the third, digital information began transforming how we produce and connect, enabling automation of historically “human” tasks. Now in the fourth industrial revolution, disparate technologies are being unified across systems, enabling increases in efficiency and productivity never-before-seen. This so-called “Industry 4.0” relies on connected systems autonomously communicating with both the digital and physical worlds to minimize human interaction and maximize productivity.
How to securely join data agglomeration from historically disconnected systems?
While interconnected systems provide ample productivity improvement opportunities, they also require substantial design, testing, and training in order to properly use them. Paramount in the manufacturing industry is how to connect many disparate systems that, historically, have no way to be tied together in an economical manner.
Of equal importance to connectivity is establishing a clear purpose and value behind connecting systems together – information is meaningless without action whether it be increasing profitability and safety or reducing waste and inefficiency.
Can we use data to take action that encourages profitability?
How do we ensure continued security of our physical and digital infrastructure?
Finally, systems that are built need to be effectively secured and extensively tested in order to ensure that these interconnected devices are performing as expected without added risk of failure or preference or bias to users or customers. The more centralized information becomes, the greater the risk to the users and dependents of those tools that are built.