Article | April 16, 2020
We get a lot of questions from manufacturers around the difference between the edge and the cloud. Edge and cloud computing are often misunderstood to be mutually exclusive but, while they may function in different ways, leveraging one does not preclude the use of the other. In fact, they actually complement one another quite well. For manufacturing, the goal of edge computing is to process and analyze data near a machine that needs to quickly act on that data in a time-sensitive manner. It needs to make a decision right now with no delay.
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Manufacturing Technology
Article | April 29, 2022
Manufacturing sales occur when a manufacturer sells their finished goods, which are produced from raw materials or components. At the very least, that was an apt definition before industry 4.0, digitization, and consumerization.
Manufacturing sales nowadays must accomplish a great deal more. Smart manufacturing technologies accelerate innovation across all verticals, and manufacturers are making every effort to meet B2C expectations.
In this article, we'll look at five great ways to enhance manufacturing sales, so that manufacturers may get back on track with stalled sales deals.
5 Tips to Boost Your Manufacturing Sales
Develop an ‘inbound' Sales Mindset
Most salespeople have a reputation for being pushy. How frequently have you felt compelled to acquire something that wasn't appealing to you? If you answered yes, you've probably dealt with an outbound salesperson who was pushy, interruptive, and purely focused on selling. This happens when a manufacturer suffers from 'product-focused selling syndrome.'
In this case, the salesman places a stronger emphasis on the products than on the customer. Additionally, you risk showing the wrong product to the customer without knowing anything about the buyer.
If you do so, you are following an outdated method that needs to be replaced.
Here comes the truly unique concept of inbound manufacturing marketing. Inbound marketing outperforms outbound sales methods in terms of lead generation and has the potential to generate more productive leads.
Select a Customer Relationship Management Solution
Spreadsheets are backdated, and the world has gone digital. It would be best you adapt as time changes. It is possible to understand one's business requirements and choose the best CRM system that will help streamline processes and deliver results faster.
Regardless of your business size, the ideal CRM software may help you maintain a competitive edge by helping you to:
Track all customer interactions
Maintain control over sales and marketing activities
Ensure that existing clients have a positive experience
Increase product and service sales
Streamline communication between the sales and marketing departments
Acquire and retain new customers
Align Your Sales and Marketing Teams
According to a Forrester study, 43% of CEOs said that misalignment cost them revenue.
To increase sales, your marketing and sales teams must work in unison and collaboratively. Spend time developing interactions between these teams; it will ensure that your marketing team's efforts are actually assisting your sales team in closing business. Additionally, ensure that face-to-face time between teams is facilitated, and consider adding solutions that will assist your workers in working together and communicating more effectively.
The purpose of integrating your marketing and sales teams is to foster complete transparency and a shared knowledge of their respective goals and objectives. One team cannot function effectively without the other, and keeping this in mind would help everyone to grow the business.
Boost Your PR with Social Media
Manufacturers should invest in PR to build brand awareness and communicate stories. Social media can help broaden your PR reach. It's best to post press releases on your company's website and then share them on Twitter and Facebook. This will help your SEO and encourage others to share your material. Make sure your website page has a “share this” option for easy syndication.
Also, many manufacturing companies are not utilizing their company websites to their full potential. Using websites has a competitive advantage as it helps to enhance consumer loyalty and sales.
Make an Online Interactive Product Catalog
Having a PDF download of your product catalog is insufficient in today's digital age. Businesses want a catalog of products that customers can search for, explore, and analyze online.
Products should not be merely posted on a page, but should be integrated into a true product database, allowing for the electronic distribution of particular product listings to prospective buyers via a link or social media. This shortens the sales cycle and provides better support for your sales team as they present products. Demonstrations of products via video would be an extra bonus for any business transaction.
Final Word
Manufacturing sales are influenced and shaped by market conditions, industry-specific variables, manufacturing type, and distribution mix. Manufacturers may respond to these problems and develop agile and sustainable sales strategies for the future by leveraging digital sales solutions and industry 4.0 technologies.
Manufacturers can retain margins, increase customer happiness, and most crucially, grow revenue through digital manufacturing sales. A customer-centric approach prepares producers for the future of a commercialized B2B market.
FAQ
What are manufacturing sales?
Manufacturing sales are intended to provide raw materials that can be turned into finished products to meet market demand.
What are direct sales?
Direct sales do not involve any intermediaries. Manufacturers or producers sell directly to B2B customers. It's a good cost-cutting strategy because the producer retains complete control over marketing, sales, and shipping.
What are indirect sales?
Indirect sales allow manufacturers to quickly expand their sales networks, increase brand recognition, outsource sales operations costs, and reach new consumer groups or market sectors.
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Industrial 4.0
Article | February 11, 2022
Industry 4.0 technologies, ranging from simulation to big data, have advanced significantly during the past few years. It is critical to gaining access to real-time outcomes and data that will propel the sector to new heights of lean success. Growing industry expertise and technological applications are making all cutting-edge technologies commercially available.
However, the notion of Industry 4.0 is not straightforward. It comprises a wide range of technologies and is applied across a variety of circumstances. This article will explore some of the key components of Industry 4.0 and their application scenarios. All of them are critical components for industry to work smoothly, accurately, and effortlessly. Each individual component plays a unique role in the overall efficacy of Industry 4.0 technologies.
Industry 4.0 Components
Big Data and Analytics & Use Case
Big data analytics is one of the core components of Industry 4.0. With big data analytics, businesses may identify important correlations, patterns, trends, and preferences to help them make better decisions. In Industry 4.0, big data analytics is used in smart factories to forecast when maintenance and repair procedures are required. Manufacturers benefit from increased production efficiency, real-time data analysis, predictive maintenance optimization, and production management automation.
“Data is the new science. Big data holds the answers.”
– Pat Gelsinger, CEO at VMware
The IoT and current production systems create a lot of data that must be acted upon. That's why big data organizes data and develops insights that help businesses enhance their operations.
Big Data Use Cases
Optimizing Warehouse Operations: Businesses may increase operational efficiency by identifying human mistakes, running quality checks, and displaying ideal production or assembly routes using sensors and portable devices.
Eliminating Bottlenecks: Big data helps identify variables that may slow the operation’s performance and diagnose the issue at an early stage and eliminate bottlenecks.
Predicting Demand: More accurate and relevant forecasts are made possible by visualizing activities beyond historical data through internal analysis (consumer preferences) and external analysis (trends and external events). This enables the business to predict demand, adjust and optimize its product portfolio.
Proactive Upkeep: By recognizing breakdowns in patterns, data-fed sensors indicate potential problems in the operation of machinery before they become breakdowns. The system notifies the equipment in order for it to react appropriately. These are only a few of the applications of big data analysis in manufacturing systems; there are several others, including enhanced security, load optimization, supply chain meanagemnt, and non-conformity analysis.
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) & Use Case
The next component in the industry 4.0 components list is IIoT. By virtue of its unique characteristics, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is creating massive changes in industrial applications. It greatly improves the operational efficiency and workflow of factories by monitoring assets and processes in real time. The IIoT presents several opportunities for entrepreneurs to improve their industry exponentially.
“The Internet of Things is the game-changer for an overall business ecosystem transformation.”
– Joerg Grafe, Senior Market Analyst, IBM
IIOT Use Cases
Predictive Maintenance: Maintenance schedules are established for machines and assets that run continually. Unplanned maintenance and failures often cost over $88 million a year. Predictive maintenance can help control these overhead costs.
Sensor and device data allows predictive analytics systems to swiftly analyze current conditions, identify danger indications, send alerts, and initiate maintenance activities. For example, a pumping station motor in an ideal IoT facility may schedule maintenance if it detects irregularities in sensor data. This method saves money on routine and frequent maintenance.
Asset Tracking: Asset tracking is designed to find and track valuable assets. Industries can track assets to improve logistics, maintain inventory, and identify inefficiencies or theft.
Real-time asset tracking is vital in manufacturing. It may be used in warehouse and inventory management to keep track of the goods. This helps in finding the lost or misplaced goods in the warehouse. Industries with scattered assets may use IoT to track, monitor, and control them.
Workplace analytics: More IIoT devices mean more workflow data for organizations. Data scientists can use analytics engines to find inefficiencies and offer improved operations. Location data analysis might also reveal warehouse inefficiencies.
Remote quality monitoring: Sensors give faster and more cost-effective information about products or processes, leading to faster and more effective actions. Industry 4.0-enabled quality monitoring systems can also be obtained from the IIoT.
Manufacturing factories can utilize IoT devices to remotely check material or product quality. It increases efficiency by allowing staff to verify many processes quickly. Similarly, real-time alarms make it easier for people to respond quickly, which lowers the risk of a failed product if left unchecked.
Because remote quality monitoring is a novel concept, there aren't any ready-made solutions or services. Developing customized IoT technology to measure certain metrics can be costly and difficult.
Cyber security & Use Case
Industrial manufacturing has one of the highest data breach costs of any sector. The Ponemon Institute's 2019 Cost of a Data Breach Report estimates the average industrial breach at $5.2 million. In May 2017, the WannaCry ransomware assault crippled several manufacturing companies, forcing some to shut down plants for days. Overall losses were in the billions.
“Cyber-Security is much more than a matter of IT.”
― Stephane Nappo
Cyber security is vital for a safer digital zone on your factory floor or in your manufacturing business. It is one of the crucial 4.0 industry components. It's essential to be mindful of the weaknesses while modernizing manufacturing. The largest risk in an open factory environment with widely distributed partners and operations is an incident that disrupts operations. No manufacturing company, or any organization, for that matter, should pursue digital transformation without including cyber security in every step and decision.
Cyber Security Use Cases
Analyzing network traffic to detect patterns indicative of a possible attack
Detect harmful activities or insider risks
Response to incidents and forensics
Manage the risk associated with third- and fourth-party vendors
Identify data intrusions and compromised accounts
Risk management, governance, and compliance
Threat hunting is a technique for identifying signs of attack
Additive Manufacturing & Use Case
Additive manufacturing is a set of manufacturing processes that create a final product by layering material. Additive manufacturing reduces production and supply chain costs by enabling the rapid creation of large quantities of parts. It eliminates stock and the requirement for molds. Initially, 3D printing was utilized for prototyping and is still the rule. However, 3D printing technology has advanced; it is now more inventive than ever before.
“3D printing is going to be way bigger than what the 3D printing companies are saying.”
– Credit Suisse
Additive Manufacturing Use Cases
Parts for New Products: Porsche is 3D printing aluminum pistons for the Porsche 911 G2 RS engine. The improved product was made feasible using generative design software, aluminum powder, and 3D printer improvements. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has teamed up with GE Additive to print a NACA inlet. The component is made via laser powder bed fusion.
Parts for the Aftermarket: Aftermarket components are defined as non-OEM (original equipment manufacturer) replacement parts. Thyssenkrupp and Wilhelmsen Marine Products have teamed up to offer 3D printed replacement components. With aged ships, the maritime sector frequently needs hard-to-find, costly, and time-consuming spare components. 3D printing spare parts near to the source reduces lead times and shipping costs.
Jigs, Fixtures, Molds and Tools: Jigs, fixtures, molds, and tools are essential in manufacturing. When one of these fails, a plant's downtime is prolonged. Jabil, a manufacturing services firm, has adopted 3D printing. They no longer have to wait weeks for tools or components. They can now produce tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing aids in-house in days, speeding up new product launches and increasing customer satisfaction.
Simulation and Virtualization & Use Case
Simulation in manufacturing systems is the process of using software to create computer models of production systems for the purpose of analyzing them and obtaining valuable information. According to syndicated research, it is the second-most popular management discipline among industrial managers.
“Simulation is the situation created by any system of signs when it becomes sophisticated enough, autonomous enough, to abolish its own referent and to replace it with itself.”
- Jean Baudrillard
Simulator software lets businesses try out new technologies and principles in a risk-free, virtual setting so they can make sure they're making the right investments.
Simulation Use Cases
Interoperability: The simulation showed how downstream work stations may use extra location data to more efficiently choose and organize work batches to satisfy client demand.
Information Transparency: Using sensor data, we may construct a virtual replica of the physical world, such as a manufacturing plant or contact center. This technology allows an operator to visually evaluate and certify products.
Technical Assistance: Simulating the use of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to accelerate traditional production and manufacturing processes. Additionally to substitute physically hard jobs such as stock moving is becoming increasingly popular.
Due to simulation's ability to capture the process time variation, it is an effective tool for validating critical design parameters. For example, the number of AGVs to purchase, the overall benefits to throughput, maintenance planning, and track layout.
Decentralized Decisions: In a high-mix, high-volume production plant, a simulation is performed to examine the feasibility of increasing a palletizer's storage capacity in order to 'rack-up' a series of basic tasks for overnight processing while reserving more complex processes for staff hours.
The simulation lets you try out a large number of test scenarios, including worst-case scenarios in which the machine becomes stuck near the start of its overnight operation.
Final Word
Industry 4.0 is a solution bundle for manufacturers to improve their manufacturing, inventory, and supply chain management. The key components mentioned above are only a few from an extensive list. There are more industry 4.0 technologies to include in the list, including digital twins, cloud, virtualization, robots, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and more. Many of these technologies are now accessible to make future forward smart factories a reality today. Know about the uses of each component and learn how to integrate it into your digital manufacturing.
FAQ
What is industry 4.0 also called?
Industry 4.0 is also known as IIoT or smart manufacturing. It combines physical manufacturing and operations with smart digital technologies such as machine learning, and big data to create a more holistic and linked environment for manufacturing and supply chain businesses.
Why is Industry 4.0 needed?
Industry 4.0 technologies help you control and optimize your production and supply chain operations. It provides real-time data and insights to help you make better business decisions, eventually increasing the productivity and profitability of your company.
What are the four core components of industry 4.0?
In an attempt to define Industry 4.0 concept, German researchers developed a list of industry-defining components. They are: cyber-physical systems, IoT, Internet of Things, and smart factories.
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Article | August 20, 2020
There is a saying that “the only constant in life is change.” While change for some industries can be intimidating and unwanted, it is safe to say that the digital landscape for manufacturers is constantly changing, and it is no longer an option to ignore the disruption. The impetus for manufacturing companies to digitally transform seems to be increasing at a rapid pace. Research from IDC cites global spending on digital transformation technologies and services is forecasted to grow 10.4 percent in 2020, to $1.3 trillion. In 2020, the disruption of COVID-19 has expedited change for a lot of organizations, as many were under prepared for the massive workforce shift.
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