Success of ‘Industry 4.0’ requires four key technology uses

According to research firm McKinsey, 99% of data collected by businesses is discarded before management ever has a chance to analyze it.

According to Martin Rainer, vice president and general manager of Manufacturing Industry Segment in Northern Europe, Enterprise Services, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, there are four key technology areas that manufacturers need to focus on in order to improve their competitiveness now and in the years to come.

Following are Rainer’s four technology areas for “Industry 4.0.”

• Transformation: hybrid infrastructure enables the expansion of value chains, allows manufacturers to adapt quickly, and supports product innovation and growth through cloud-based digital prototyping.

• Protection: it’s no longer a question of if you get hacked but when; and how long it will take to detect a breach. Studies show that it takes a median 205 days to identify a breach – and even more alarmingly, 69% of breached companies learn of a breach from an outside entity.

• Data: a data-driven organization not only streamlines manufacturing operations through data sharing but also automates the processing of unstructured data so any impending issues can be identified, such as those affecting plant performance or customer satisfaction.

• Enablement: refers to integrating complex supply chains, production, people and processes to create a truly collaborative environment that increases production innovation.

“I believe growth and long-term prosperity for manufacturers lies in the hands of those who embrace digitization,” Rainer said. “The total integration of a digitised ecosystem is what we at HPE call Connected Manufacturing. It represents a new era of manufacturing where everything is connected – plants, processes, products, people, partners, customers and consumers.”