There have been significant shifts in the manufacturing sector in recent years. More and more manufacturers are going digital with their operations and production processes. This is because analytics, sensors, AI, cloud computing, and IIoT technology are becoming cheaper and easier to implement.
Digital transformation facilitates the development of innovative business procedures, boosts the value of conventional practices, prompts creative thinking, and provides enhanced opportunities for interaction with customers.
What is digital transformation
The term “Digital Transformation” (DT) is used to describe the practice of introducing digital tools and methods into more traditional operations. There is no end to the ways in which DT can be used to improve manufacturing processes. Some examples of cutting-edge digital technology now dominating the industry are:
- Digital Twins
- Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
- Augmented and Virtual Reality
- Manufacturing Analytics
- Autonomous systems
- Robotics, and many
In spite of these cutting-edge resources, digital transformation is not a technological endeavor. The ultimate objective of DT is to boost productivity, effectiveness, and quality across the board. If business owners can make progress in these areas, it will have a big impact on their bottom line.
Even though technology can be used as a means to these ends, digitalization involves more than simply upgrades to hardware; it also involves a shift in how businesses operate. It paves the way for a never-ending cycle of operational enhancement. In today’s highly competitive manufacturing sector, adopting a digital transformation strategy can help organizations stay ahead of the curve.
The advantages of digital transformation in manufacturing
- Enhanced Productivity
Having access to high-quality equipment helps workers do more with less effort. There is a lot of unnecessary waste that can be eliminated from a business by switching from a manual and repetitive process to a digitally enabled system.
Picture a facility that constantly collects and analyzes data in order to optimize its operations. DT can help a facility save time and money by making it more efficient in three different ways: how it uses resources, how it prevents mistakes, and how it keeps people safe.
- Creating Consistencies in Procedures
Even while many procedures in production now include machines, many are still performed by hand. Workflow optimization, inspection, and servicing would all fall under this category. Adopting a digital solution allows companies to streamline their existing practices.
For instance, the priority of work orders and the completion of critical activities can be automated and tracked using a mobile device. With the help of DT, specialized software can be developed to streamline servicing processes.
- Data visibility
Even though traditional computers can store a lot of data, their physical limitations make it hard to share. By going digital, more information can be shared because the cloud can store almost any amount of information.
Having access to data may not seem like a huge deal, but it can help business owners eliminate unnecessary work, ensure that their numbers are correct, and zero in on the areas where they can have the biggest impact on their bottom line.
In Conclusion
The impact of the digital revolution can be seen across all sectors at this point. Companies that have fully virtualized their production processes have a huge head start over their competitors that have been slower to adopt the technology. Adoption or not, digitalization is here to stay, and if businesses want to survive in this dynamic environment, they will need to undergo a thorough digital transformation and fully embrace the digital revolution.
About the Author
Karthik Sundaram is an expert in SAP solutions and has been working with SAP since 1997. Karthik has implemented many global SAP S/4 HANA transformation projects working with SAP America as a Platinum Architect. Karthik has multiple SAP certifications and has executed successful projects in North America, Australia, Asia Pacific, the UK, and the Middle East.
Karthik has worked in domains like A&D, Metals and Mining, Oil & Gas, Specialty Tools, Chemicals, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Telecom, and Utility. Karthik has published scholarly articles in journals. Karthik got his Bachelor’s in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, India, and his MBA from Boise State University with Summa Cum Laude.
