Industrial Trends That Are Changing the Industrial Landscape
Despite continuous disruptions to supply chain processes, volatility in commodities markets and rising operating costs, manufacturing companies continue to see growth.
Many manufacturers are enhancing their resilience to cope with high demand from the public, pandemic-related labour, materials, and shortages of components. They are investing in automation, increased inventories, reshoring, and other sustainable methods of operation.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), a digital infrastructure that allows manufacturers to increase efficiency and productivity it is referred to as the Industrial Internet of Things. It also enables new business models, such as products as a service.
Manufacturers can utilize IIoT to monitor energy consumption patterns, using sensors and machines that can detect anomalies or wasteful behavior. That information can be used to optimize manufacturing processes or to create predictive maintenance schedules.
Wearable technology, like industrial smart glasses, are used by companies to ensure the safety of workers in the field. This can reduce the chance of errors and avoid injuries. They can also make use of asset management systems to track the supply chain of their goods and send alerts when they are damaged, missing, or in danger of being stolen.
In addition, IIoT enables improved customer service. It allows businesses to communicate in real-time with customers, delivering more personalized experiences and including feedback from customers in the creation of new products. This leads to higher retention of customers, a higher lifetime value, and improved design of products.
Resilience in the context of a Post Pandemic Economy
Business leaders must be able to endure and adapt to disruptions. When organizations have the ability to adjust to unexpected events, they are better positioned to minimize risks and gain an edge over their competition.
The rapid pace of climate changes has increased the risk of natural disasters especially in the US and other countries where large areas have been affected by severe hurricanes, wildfires and flooding. This has increased the need for resilience planning, which is increasingly being incorporated into business continuity planning.
Resilience thinking involves identifying a desired system configuration and implementing strategies to achieve that goal. It is also about understanding the potential effects of societal changes that build long-term resilience.
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is a constant process of using technology to improve existing business processes as well as create new ones. It gives businesses a competitive advantage by responding to customers’ changing needs and expectations, as well as creating new services and processes.
In the industrial sphere manufacturers are trying to make use of digital solutions to improve efficiency as well as speed up production and cut costs. IoT, edge computing and data lakes are digital technologies that can be used to automate manufacturing processes and provide valuable information to help grow the business in the future.
One example is the XaaS model (Everything as a Service) that allows companies to access applications whenever they are needed and scale their supply chains. It also assists them in improving customer satisfaction and speed up delivery times.
Nearly every industry has been affected by the digital transformation. It has changed the way that services are delivered by making it easier to access customer records using computers and making it easier for employees to respond quickly and accurately when customers call them.
Robotics
Robotics is an important trend that is transforming the industrial landscape. They can help businesses increase productivity, reduce costs, and boost efficiency in their operations.
Robotics offers many advantages which include increased output, higher quality, and faster cycle times. This is due to the fact that robots can complete repetitive tasks with little variation and are more reliable than humans.
They don’t have to take breaks and work all day. This is a huge benefit for manufacturers who need their production to be efficient.
Another important trend is the emergence of collaborative robots. These robots are commonly called cobots. They can be integrated into the workforce without the need for safety fencing.