The beauty of smart manufacturing , where data is at its center and productivity is its result , is that it doesn ’ t require lots of investment . In previous revolutions , organizations have had to completely rearrange their operations , purchasing entirely new equipment , installing new utilities and sometimes tearing down factory buildings in favor of something much bigger . But with Industry 4.0 , it ’ s all about smartening up existing factories , step by step , and augmenting them with digital manufacturing tools and solutions to help reach their desired goals more efficiently and effectively .

This level of efficiency is going to be critical when it comes to ongoing success . Currently , the manufacturing industry is , like many others , experiencing a drastic talent shortage which is seeing it ’ s productivity dip . Recent research from Nineteen Group found that 78 percent of UK industrial companies are struggling to find the employees with the skills they need to assist in their productivity .

Failure to fill these roles is ultimately going to lead to downfall , but if manufacturers can find ways of identifying where automated technologies can assist in certain parts of the chain and redistribute resources elsewhere .

Bringing in autonomous operations

Automated manufacturing is nothing new . In fact , we ’ ve been using smart , robotic devices that feed on data for far longer than we think we have , whether it ’ s conveyor belt systems or automated packaging . Having robotics running the show is , in fact , saving manufacturers vast amounts of time and money . More often than not , the repetitive tasks which are now being completed by automated machinery occur in conjunction with other machines and humans in an environment such as an assembly line . Automation is essential in delivering the speed , accuracy and productivity needed for large scale and effective manufacturing .

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