The evolution of connected systems of intelligence has heralded a fourth industrial revolution and these changes are affecting every industry at an unprecedented pace, according to Microsoft’s UK Manufacturing Team.
Manufacturing is facing several challenges and opportunities going into 2018. Analysts believe that the fourth revolution will fundamentally change customer expectations. With fast turnaround times, customers have come to expect instant gratification and systems of intelligence are also becoming more common.
Through using the Cloud, manufacturers can understand customers through data, connect machinery through the Internet of Things and increase productivity. Microsoft suggests five steps towards achieving success in the Cloud:
Get Cloud ready: by 2019, advanced manufacturing technologies will be worth more than $85 billion globally. Manufacturers can achieve secure growth by updating their on-premises data and application platforms which will allow them to make better informed decisions anytime, anywhere. When scaling, it’s vital to enhance security.
Build hybrid capabilities: Once Cloud ready, it’s time to figure out how best to use it. Manufacturers can build a hybrid capability through public and private Cloud storage which provides the optimum blend of flexibility and control.
“This is where we see hybrid Cloud models working for us,” says Warwick Hutton, chief information officer, Australia, at Coca-Cola Amatil. Using Microsoft’s Cloud service, Azure, it created an effective hybrid model, using the public Cloud for standardised workloads like email and office productivity applications, and for niche, customised or applications that require testing, the private Cloud was used.
Experiment and scale: by having an effective Cloud infrastructure, a world of possibilities become available. Consumers now require instant gratification, which has a knock-on effect throughout the supply chain. Manufacturers need to keep up with this trend and using the Cloud, they can build and deploy applications allowing employees to work effectively on the go.
For example, 3M wanted a better way to track assets in one of its business divisions. It created and deployed a tracking app, synced to the Cloud that ran on multiple mobile devices. The app was created using Microsoft Azure Mobile Services, Microsoft Visual Studio and Xamarin.
Understand through data: when manufacturers achieve business growth with the Cloud, there is an excess of data, but being data rich and information poor can stall growth. Data analytics can reveal operational glitches, improve customer relationships and employee productivity. Even the smallest of manufacturers can benefit.
Embrace the Intelligence of Things: there will be 26 billion internet-connected things by 2020, according to analysts at Gartner. The Internet of Things has increased manufacturing efficiency and customer satisfaction while reducing product defects.
Using the Cloud can also improve resource utilisation, overcome language barriers and perform predictive maintenance. Connecting all these ‘things’ creates systems of intelligence. Finding ways to leverage these systems opens up big opportunities for advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Microsoft Azure https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/atwork/domorewithazure/
