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MiMfg Magazine
January 2020
How to Take Advantage of Industry 4.0
By Bill Artzberger • Lean Learning Center
Industry 4.0 is considered the fourth manufacturing
revolution since the late 1700s. Essentially, Industry
4.0 (or I4) has taken the digital revolution one step
further by automating manufacturing technologies
and enabling them to have insight into the entire
production line. These automated processes can then
make independent decisions, increasing productivity
and eliminating waste.
The Internet of Things
Connecting I4 technologies to others like it via
the internet allows companies the ability to access
big data on this technology. The data can then provide
information on the productivity and the activity within
the technology or process. It will then communicate
key information to previously identified members of
the work environment when something goes awry.
Outcome information from The Internet of Things
can be essential to small businesses looking to break
into bigger markets. Information such as market costs,
product quality, and customer satisfaction can help
small businesses make big decisions about their foray
into the market.
The ‘How To’
Contrary to a few years ago, I4 technologies are
relatively easy to access and don’t always break the
bank. Still, there are a few things you can do to
bring Industry 4.0 standards to your company:
• Take a closer look at your logistics and supply
chain procedures. What would be helpful to
know about these processes? If every area in the
supply chain is connected to the internet, they
can provide individualized data to the rest of the
areas, helping optimize the potential of the
supply chain itself.
• There is no shortage of options for implementing
I4 or Internet of Things technologies into any
workflow. What do some of these opportunities
look like in your organization? Analyzing current
systems from this perspective will help identify any
patterns in the way mistakes are made and provide
real-time feedback for how to address them.
• Depending on the budget, it may be worth it to
invest in autonomous equipment, vehicles, and
even robots. These technologies can augment the
productivity of the organization, streamline
processes, and cut excess tasks where possible.
Benefits
• Adaptability: Automated systems free up the time
of traditional workers, allowing them to focus on
more human-centered tasks and needs.
• Market Trends: Organizations can view and
manage trends in the market very easily, helping
the organization save money by predicting
potential market values.
• Productivity: Recent research suggests that I4
technologies, like Augmented Reality (AR), can
increase productivity by more than 30 percent.
• Trainer Time: Companies that invest in the I4
model will often encourage their trainers to film
their sessions and build online training applications.
Once this happens, trainers no longer have to
teach repetitive sessions, freeing them up to
participate in other aspects of the organization.
For small manufacturing companies looking to
grow, investing in I4 technologies may be the best
way to get started.
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Bill Artzberger PMP, LSSBB, is a partner at the Lean
Learning Center. He may be reached at 248-906-8605
or [email protected].