The manufacturing industry has entered an era of radical transformation. Promising levels of agility, flexibility and actionable knowledge through the convergence of operational technologies and new information technologies (IT) are raising the expectations – and doubts – of global manufacturing leaders. Although the root of polarizing conversations, most agree Manufacturing 4.0 can deliver a host of benefits and have a positive impact on business. Nonetheless, this agreement does not change the reality that manufacturing organizations need assistance understanding and navigating the most critical issues in manufacturing transformation today.
The recent whitepaper from Frost & Sullivan in association with NTT DATA Services, Manufacturing 4.0: A Playbook for Navigating the Journey to IT Modernization & Transformation, examines the vital role technology and sustained innovation will play in the factories of the future and ultimately next-generation manufacturing.
As companies develop, manufacturing networks often become extremely complex and difficult to manage. Many organizations in the manufacturing industry are saddled with aging systems housing proprietary algorithms that prevent seamless integration with other systems. This creates a strategic need for a modernized scalable, reusable, extensible and reliable IT solution. In time, manufacturing architectures will have to integrate homogeneously with multiple manufacturing sites, thus creating a model of the future. In addition, manufacturers must achieve a streamlined IT environment for easy interoperability between various systems and facilitate responsive enterprises of the future.
“In the era of technology convergence driving disruption, IT is seen more as a profit-enabler than a cost-center,” said Frost & Sullivan Consulting Manager, Muthuraman “Ram” Ramasamy. Customers are leveraging IT to weave a digital tapestry across their operations and business landscapes to become responsive enterprises of the future.”
As the need for IT modernization and transformation is evident, manufacturers will need to partner with trusted solution providers, to enable the transformation.
The future of manufacturing will be challenging, but with the right strategy, technology solutions sets and an able partner, organizations will be able to structure smarter faster and simpler manufacturing operations.
