Smart factories: the future of industry is digital and intelligent

Smart factories are increasingly emerging as a key future solution for Industry 4.0. According to a study conducted by Deloitte and MAPI, 86% of manufacturers believe that the ability to transform the traditional production plant model into a smart factory will be essential to maintain competitiveness over the next five years. But what are the real benefits of a connected factory? How does this innovative model work and what technologies does it require? What are the challenges of smart manufacturing? Here we decrypt the ins and outs of smart manufacturing.  

What is a smart factory and how does it work?

A smart factory, or a connected factory, is a self-managed, digitalised and networked production environment that uses innovative technologies to collect and share data continuously. This data is used to make decisions, improve processes and solve problems. The Factory 4.0 uses connected installations, machines and logistics systems that communicate with each other and manage production processes almost autonomously. Human intervention is almost no longer necessary. Supply, production, transport, management and marketing systems are connected and digitalised, making it possible to optimise all supply chain processes. Technologies used in such a manufacturing plant include artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Big Data, IoT (Internet of Things), cloud computing, digital twins and autonomous machines. Smart sensors are also placed on machines and equipment to monitor real-time production quality across the site and machine maintenance needs.  

What are the benefits of smart factories for companies?

Compared to the traditional supply chain model, the smart factory – the factory of the future – offers a number of advantages for companies, such as :

• Better productivity: the different stations in the manufacturing plant interact with each other and adapt production orders in a flexible and agile way. Efficiency is therefore increased tenfold, downtime due to lack of inventory is greatly reduced, and resources are perfectly optimised.
• Higher quality: smart manufacturing is also very beneficial to improve product quality and to meet customer needs in an optimal way. The smart factory is also very useful for more easily detecting sources of errors and potential flaws. With faster manufacturing and delivery times, it also improves customer satisfaction.
• Better agility: in a smart factory, sales, supplier management and logistics systems are interconnected, making it possible to anticipate the slightest change in demand, inventory and delivery and to adapt quickly. It also anticipates maintenance needs and limits possible malfunctions and disruptions during production.
• Time savings: thanks to digital engineering and the performance of connected tools, production times are greatly reduced, and yields are higher.
• Cost reduction: although a smart factory can be costly to set up, it offers an excellent ROI (return on investment). In fact, it offers a much more profitable, fast and efficient solution than a traditional system. It also requires far fewer human resources: employees are in charge of supervising and monitoring processes, only.

 

What are the issues for smart factories?

The transition to a smart factory is a major change process, which requires taking into account a number of specific issues and challenges. First of all, you should be aware that setting up a smart factory involves processing a large amount of data. This means putting in place a solid Big Data strategy and taking into account cybersecurity issues. The risks of cyberattacks are much higher, which implies strengthening the protection of data and IT systems. Moreover, such a transformation implies rather high initial costs, as you will have to invest in the various digital technologies. In order to maintain their company's competitive edge, industry players need to start activating their redesign process towards a connected factory today. To guarantee the success of such a profound transformation, it can be highly beneficial to hire an interim manager specialised in the industrial sector. This high-flying professional with 15 to 25 years of professional experience in strategic positions will be an invaluable asset in the success of this transformation. At WAYDEN, we offer a pool of 8,000 interim leaders and managers. These seasoned leaders have the know-how and interpersonal skills needed to make the transition to the industry of the future a success.