Can smart manufacturing, connectivity, and IoT reduce the tradeoffs of serving customers well? In this blog post, Julie Fraser explains both the importance of moving to smart manufacturing and how connectivity and IIoT support each other in moving a company forward. No company can afford to stay behind – moving to digital approaches is a foundation for success.
To get manufacturers on the road, this blog starts with unpacking the MESA definition of Smart Manufacturing. Fraser then explains the specific roles that industrial IoT (IIoT) and connectivity play, separately and together.
IIoT is a means to capture new data from equipment and processes. An IIoT platform can also put that data into context with other production data, enriching it to then visualize it and turn it into actionable information. This is a complex set of functions, each of which is crucial – but not easy to set up piecemeal.
Connectivity is what allows that data and information to flow where it’s needed, when it’s needed and to the people who need it to make decisions. What is special about industrial connectivity is that much of the data is not in a traditional database or structured format. Sensor data from IoT devices, time-series data from historians, and more can all be part of the data flows.
These two elements come together to enable smart manufacturing. Some of the benefits include agility, cost savings, efficiency, better customer experience, remote troubleshooting, less downtime, and higher product quality. Manufacturers must improve all of these at once.
Having the data you need, easily available and in context is what IIoT and connectivity together can deliver. Smart manufacturing that leverages IIoT and industrial connectivity is a clear path to the future.
Read the full blog post to understand the impact of smart manufacturing connectivity and IoT. Thank you to PTC for the opportunity to express our views here.