Unpacking Pandora’s Box of IIoT/Industry 4.0

IIoT or Industry 4.0 can’t be avoided today, but what does it mean and why is it important to be having these conversations? This series of short articles will attempt to take a look at the 4th Industrial Revolution in a simplified and easy-to-digest manner while trying to avoid the use of buzz words. So without further delay, grab your favorite cup of coffee and let’s open Pandora’s Box and see if we can make sense of the 4th industrial revolution.

When looking at Industry 4.0, we need to look at it in a holistic, large-scale deployment to be able to start to grasp the effects that it can and will have. Today we are more connected to information and to each other than we have ever been. In a matter of seconds, we can access information on any topic, or we can be on a video conference with a colleague or loved one on the other side of the world in seconds flat, no matter where we are. If you want to start your car from your phone, no problem; monitor the temperature of your house while on vacation in another country, no problem; know when a package gets delivered; or when your kids come home while you’re at work, you can do that too. These advances have already changed the way we live and work, and now these changes are coming to the manufacturing industry.

This industrial change will connect us with employees and customers in ways that were not possible in the past. This will not lead to the elimination of jobs as some fear but to a change and improvement in the work experience, which will in turn improve the quality, level of satisfaction, and engagement that employees feel towards their jobs and their employers.

All these changes come down to a few simple things that should be looked at when planning your company’s journey: the reduction of waste and the improvement of the customer experience.

We will think of this journey as a family trip that is driven by data that lets companies make decisions in real time and deploy responses at scale and in a timely way that we have never seen before.

So what does this transformation look like? It is an open and transparent collaboration between industry partners, including the manufacturer, material suppliers, system integrators, machine builders, technology partners, and the customer. When you are able to get all these stakeholders to collaborate on a common vision, you are now starting to tap into the potential of this industrial revolution.

Be aware, as there are a few things to watch for when selecting your partners on this journey. As the solution gets deployed and you start putting the data to work to implement the changes, you need partners that are invested in helping you achieve this vision and are in it for the long haul. Take caution when people tell you they are "experts” in this field. This industry transformation is still in its infancy, and there may not be any true experts out there yet, but there are definitely industry leaders who are on the verge of becoming authorities in this field. Because technology is constantly evolving and applications are only limited by our imagination, be wary of anyone claiming to be a specialist, as you may be boxing yourself in on what this could mean and do for your organization.

Join us for the next article as we continue to unpack Pandora’s box. Where we will start to dive into what is meant by tying your vision to the reduction of waste and improved customer experience.