Workloads on the cloud may be closer than they appear…

I am privileged to be able to talk to cloud industry professionals. Recently we were invited by VOICE - Bundesverband der IT-Anwender e.V. (Association of German IT users)?- and over 50 interested professionals attended. What an opportunity to exchange insights on cloud use and challenges with enterprises…

One of the conversations - lead by an automotive supplier - was around ‘customer-centric cloud deployments’. A great argument why a cloud agnostic multi-cloud approach matters to the manufacturing industry. So here are my thoughts.

Cloud proximity: the challenges of customer-centric cloud deployments

Manufacturing companies are no strangers to the complexity of their customers’ demands, which often extend to the realm of cloud-based manufacturing systems. As customers increasingly request the deployment in ‘proximity’ - on-prem, a private cloud in a datacenter close by or ‘close to their public cloud’, meaning the same hyperscaler - AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud - or local cloud service provider the customer is using - manufacturers must find agile and efficient solutions to accommodate these requests.?

Let’s have a look at the benefits for the customer:

Enhanced control

• By hosting the manufacturing systems on their private cloud, customers gain greater control over data, security, and performance, ensuring that sensitive production data remains in-house.

Data security and compliance

• When data is stored in proximity, the customer can adhere to industry-specific data security and compliance regulations more effectively, reducing risks associated with data breaches and regulatory penalties.

Reduced latency

• Hosting the manufacturing systems in proximity minimizes network latency, which is critical for real-time data processing and decision-making in automotive manufacturing.

Scalability

• Private clouds can be tailored to specific requirements, allowing customers to scale resources up or down based on production demands.

Cost efficiency

• While private clouds require initial investment, they can be more cost-efficient in the long run, particularly for large-scale operations, as they eliminate the need for ongoing public cloud expenses.

Challenges for the supplier

As benefits for one are challenges for others, the variation that comes with ‘in proximity’ can pose a significant challenge for manufacturing companies.

What are the challenges?

Cloud compatibility

• The manufacturing company must ensure that their cloud-based manufacturing systems are compatible with the customer's private cloud infrastructure, which can vary significantly.

Data privacy and security

• The company must align their data privacy and security standards with the customer's - local - requirements.
• Integration complexity Integrating manufacturing systems with the customer's existing infrastructure and applications can be intricate and time-consuming.

The emma platform: a catalyst for customer-centric cloud deployments

The emma multi-cloud management platform emerges as a valuable solution in this scenario. It enables manufacturing companies to navigate the complexities of deploying on diverse clouds seamlessly.?

How does the emma platform help?

Flexible

• The platform’s cloud-agnostic approach allows companies to seamlessly deploy and manage their manufacturing systems across various cloud infrastructures - on-prem, private, edge or public. This flexibility ensures compatibility with different customer(s) setups.

Centralized

• The company can easily integrate the customer-centric cloud into their existing virtual environment and monitor, optimize, and scale resources from a unified dashboard ensuring consistent performance.

Secure

• The emma platform offers robust security and compliance tools that can be customized to meet the stringent requirements of different cloud environments. This ensures that the supplier's systems align with the customer's overall and local security standards.

Conclusion

Manufacturing companies look with concern at deploying cloud-based manufacturing systems ‘in proximity’ of their customers because of the assumed complexities like cloud compatibility, security, integration, and others.?

But the path to successful customer-centric cloud deployments can be smoother and more accessible than it initially appears.

In this journey, the emma platform doesn't just reduce the distance; it brings the distant cloud deployment closer, makes it more manageable, and more adaptable, allowing suppliers to meet their customer's needs effectively.?

It's a reminder that with the right tools and strategies, we can harness the power of the cloud while keeping it within reach, ensuring that the future of cloud-based manufacturing is customer-centric, efficient, and secure.

Case:

Driving 80% Cloud Cost Reduction for Electric Vehicle Manufacturer

In this blog, we share an impressive customer story on how the company reduced their cloud bills by 80% using the ?#emma_platform while increasing their operational efficiency.

Read it here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/driving-80-cloud-cost-reduction-operational-efficiency-electric%3FtrackingId=xFc6RR51DceLZsp9%252FtU%252BiA%253D%253D/?trackingId=xFc6RR51DceLZsp9%2FtU%2BiA%3D%3D