The future for industry 4.0 in manufacturing

John Robinson, Strategic Client Advisor, Digital Supply Chain,  SAP provides his point of view on the future of industry 4.0 in manufacturing. The global supply chain has experienced a level of disruption that has never been seen before. Every manufacturer is impacted by the crisis in some way and for many of them it poses an existential threat.

Prior to 2020, Industry 4.0 was an area of great interest to many manufacturers. It was an exciting subject with huge potential benefits and was seen by many as a positive and future thinking topic.

For the past few months, many of us have been focussed on the here and now. Our health and the health of our family, friends and colleagues. The ability to access the food and supplies we need. Our job security. The financial impact on our employers, our clients and our partners. Beyond that we also have to consider the wider economic impact and the unknown amount of time it will take for things to return to some level of normality.