- AI and analytics has come a long way in manufacturing industry through the evolution of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. AI algorithms are now used not only for forecasting but also for automated decision making. Video analytics solutions are used for surveillance and quality management use-cases.
- As smart manufacturing facilitates data exchange from thousands of sensors placed in an operations shopfloor and integrates different manufacturing systems like PLM, MES, ERP, so cybersecurity is of paramount importance for the manufacturers both from IT and OT point of view. In 2017, Renault-Nissan was attacked by WannaCry ransomware, resulting temporary production halt. Another example includes the Ryuk ransomware attack on Steelcase. This cyber attack forced Steelcase to shut down global operations for two weeks. This depicts the importance of a holistic cybersecurity practice for the manufacturers.
- Manufacturers also need to address the existing technical debt aspects to implement the tenets of smart manufacturing. As a result, process management is a key focus area for both from system efficiency and technology modernization point of view. Focus on process management and process mining helps in better planning, resource distribution, and asset management among others.
- One of the common blockchain use-case is track and trace model in supply chain. Other prominent blockchain use cases are “Design As A Service” i.e. authenticating product design that can be leveraged for the aftermarket usage, device authentication.
- IoT is the fundamental block for data management in smart manufacturing. Connected device/system/processes generate real-time data that enables data-based decision making. Also, this data is used for asset health monitoring, process monitoring, and workforce management among others.
The Bottom Line: Manufacturers should focus on the people aspect for the adoption of AI use-cases and cybersecurity best practices. Organizational culture plays a critical role to follow the best principles. Thus, they should create a right governance model for cyberattack preparedness and advanced technology-enabled use-case adoption. Overall, these technologies enable “Shopfloor to Topfloor” transition through end-to-end visibility and actionable insights.
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