September 10, 2024 The Promise of Industry 4.0

Realizing the promise of Industry 4.0 through efficiency, effectiveness and economics.

By David Isaacson, Vice President, Product Marketing, ETQ

From assembly and welding to inspection and packaging, robotics are handling repetitive tasks with increasing levels of speed and accuracy and performing increasingly complex tasks with less human intervention. Likewise, artificial intelligence (AI) is empowering teams with data-driven insights that can lead to better business decisions, and ultimately quality products, less product recalls and safer plants. 

There is clearly a major shift underway in how products are manufactured thanks to automation, analytics and AI. As the pace of technology accelerates, manufacturers have also seen a significant improvement in time-to-market, efficiency and productivity. One area that has yet to be fully realized, however, is the integration of those new technologies to provide more strategic insights that can be leveraged across the enterprise. To realize the full potential of these advancements, there is still work to be done in the integration of disparate systems and data, and in ensuring that all employees, suppliers and processes are empowered and optimized for competitive advantage.

To enhance quality while supporting the essential, strategic balance of the three E’s – efficiency, effectiveness and economics, consider the following strategic initiatives:

Embrace Disruptive Technologies

The increased use of automation, analytics and software is enabling manufacturers to maximize quality, improve enterprise visibility and scalability and accelerate decision velocity for more informed and impactful business decisions.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly taking a more essential role across the enterprise to optimize operations, as well as to analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and make predictions. This can mean improving quality control by detecting defects in real-time or optimizing supply chain logistics to reduce costs and delays.  In fact, the recent ETQ Pulse of Quality in Manufacturing survey, revealed overwhelming plans for AI adoption among manufacturers across the U.S., U.K. and Germany, with 47 percent of respondents planning to use AI in the next two years, and 33 percent already using it.

Advanced quality management systems (QMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) that leverage prescriptive and predictive information are enabling manufacturers to gain enterprise-wide visibility, automate standard operating procedures and meet changing regulatory and customer requirements at scale. They also help build stronger, more resilient supply chains through clear oversight, objectives and metrics to boost efficiency, quality and innovation while reducing the risk of safety issues and costly product recalls. 

Additionally, the Internet of things is connecting more physical devices to the internet, allowing them to communicate and share data and monitor equipment in real-time. Sensors embedded in machinery are tracking performance metrics such as temperature, vibration and operational status, all in an attempt to reduce downtime, boost productivity and prevent equipment failures.

Create an Empowered Workforce

Today’s new technologies and solutions are not the sole domain of management and business leaders, but are most effective when used across the enterprise, embracing frontline workers on the plant floor.  According to results from the ETQ Pulse of Quality in Manufacturing survey, a wide majority (85%) of respondents said that “most” or “all” plant floor workers have access to electronic devices; and 80 percent said “most” or “all” functions have access to relevant quality data. This means that the critical data is accessible enterprise-wide, empowering employees to take a data-driven approach to their work. The massive amounts of data contained within enterprise and plant floor systems, sensors and equipment are ensuring safe and seamless operations. Training data is helping workers follow safe operating procedures and giving them the ability to share data that can impact safety, and data is powering AI on the assembly line to identify product quality issues before they reach end users.

Companies need to create more collaborative work environments, where cross-functional teams and a variety of expertise is leveraged to manage complex systems. Engineers, data scientists, IT professionals, quality professionals, as well as frontline workers and business managers must work together to break down the silos and collaborate – not only across internal teams, but with external partners and technology providers as well.

Leverage Quality Management Processes

Shifting customer demands and regulatory requirements are leading to new ways of working, reinvigorating workflows and standard operating procedures and helping them adapt to accommodate a workforce now supported by automation. Pivotal to this new automation-driven era is the integration of new technologies into a seamless network, creating smart factories, highly efficient production systems and enterprises with integrated quality and operational data and processes, accessible to all roles in the organization.

Quality management solutions (QMS) can help with this enterprise-wide integration by providing a single source of truth across all roles.  They also provide a way to automate activities, such as document control, Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) plans, as well as manage employee training, track audits and inspection schedules and ensure adherence to regulatory compliance. Additionally, the visibility afforded by a QMS can significantly improve collaboration and communication, and improve supplier management, ultimately optimizing operational efficiency across your organization as well as the entire supply chain. This is critical since the ETQ Pulse of Quality in Manufacturing report also found that 61 percent of respondents claim that up to one-half of product recalls can be attributed to supplier issues.

Gaining a competitive advantage in manufacturing and fully realizing the promise of Industry 4.0 requires a strategic, enterprise-wide commitment to the three E’s: efficiency, effectiveness and economics, which is achieved through integrated technologies, empowered teams, collaborative supplier partnerships and optimized operational processes. It’s the true formula to fully realize quality excellence and competitive advantage.

This article is sponsored by ETQ.

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