The buzzword for any industry is ‘digital transformation’ and business intelligence tools have become essential in decision-making across the operational spectrum. The manufacturing sector uses several processes that rely on the synergy between machines and humans. This collaboration can be fostered by implementing mobile technologies across assembly lines, on the shop-floor as well as procurement and servicing. As flexible working and remote operations become commonplace in the manufacturing sector, organisations are recognizing the importance of empowering employees. In this scenario, enterprise mobility and predictive analytics can place advanced capabilities at their employees’ fingertips and engage them to achieve better results.
Understanding Enterprise Mobility and Predictive Analytics
Enterprise mobility also known as business mobility is a popular trend that offers employees remote working options with the help of a variety of mobile devices and applications. The term also covers the mobility of enterprise data and of workers themselves. Another next-generation tool is predictive analytics that sifts through the company’s data and merges it with publicly available data to make predictions. Predictive analytics allows companies to think apart from traditional presumptions, reducing planning time and enhancing overall productivity. Enterprise mobility and predictive analytics work in tandem to help companies adopt faster processes and save costs involved in delayed processing methodologies.
Need for digital transformation
Digital transformation with enterprise mobility will not happen overnight and will require manufacturers to rethink their entire approach. It cannot be introduced on an ad hoc basis by putting together some random business apps. Companies must understand that employees need apps customized to suit their jobs in order to perform well. At the same time, different role-based apps within an organization must interact well for a seamless digital transformation. With enterprise mobility, it’s possible for manufacturing companies to integrate different employees across departments and enable improved efficiencies. This can help organizations cut app development costs by 60 percent and maintenance costs by 70 percent.
Predictive analytics is increasingly used in everyday manufacturing operations, making the workplace more efficient and safer due to the digitalization of assets. The predictive modeling software prevents efficiency loss in the manufacturing process and allowing transparency in operations. Predictive analytics also improves the inventory position because of the information garnered by the supply chain and operations. At the same time, future predictions also help logistics and transportation managers to reduce transportation costs.
Benefits
By integrating mobile technologies and predictive analytics in their day-to-day operations, manufacturers can enjoy several benefits.
• By enabling real- time responses and information integration, enterprise mobility helps in connecting manufacturing with other subsystems.
• Enterprise mobility also helps in implementing inventory management systems to facilitate inventory tracking in real time.
• Mobile technologies ensure better monitoring of performances and efficiencies of the production cycle. Dashboards empower employees to be in sync with the operations at all times.
• Using sensor- based techniques, alerts are sent to track the physical state of the machinery. Timely information sharing keeps the machinery in optimum condition and ensures that there is no negative effect on the production because of any malfunction or breakdown.
• Supervisors get a comprehensive view of the shop floor with the help of surveillance systems wired into the enterprise solutions. With real-time information access, there is better co-ordination with the workforce.
• By combining data with predictive analytics, manufacturing units can foresee production requirements and trends. Market surveys and customer feedback are factored in to take corrective actions and manufacture more efficiently with better quality.
Challenges
In the context of digitization and its impact on global trade, the manufacturing industry is undergoing many changes and faces some unique challenges:
• Competing in a global market: Manufacturers are constantly striving to establish their value in the face of global competition. Asian nations with a substantial labor force are posing a threat to established global players. The challenge is to keep costs low while ensuring high quality and customer satisfaction.
• Technological advances: Manufacturers are struggling to keep up with latest advances such as automation, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), cloud computing, and robotics. Even as these solutions are making the manufacturing process faster and more efficient, IT departments have to up the ante and choose the most appropriate solutions for their industry.
• Skilled labor: According to Deloitte the manufacturing sector will face a shortfall of 2 million to 3.5 million skilled laborers by 2025. As technology becomes more prevalent, the need for unskilled workforce is shrinking and manufacturers find themselves in need of employees with a different set of skills.
• Keeping products relevant: The market is brimming with a plethora of products of varying costs and quality. Product innovation is the order of the day as manufacturers vie to woo customers with new concepts and features.
Latest Trends
Use of AR & VR for training: Going forward, augmented reality and virtual reality will be widely used in the manufacturing industry for in-house training. Augmented reality apps can be an effective delivery tool for teams who are working remotely. They can be particularly useful in the construction industry where workers can identify and visualize concealed structural items such as ducts, wires or pipes.
Connected hardware: Enterprises are looking to simplify their processes with the help of connected hardware. In the logistics and transportation sector, connected hardware comes handy in improving service, locating shipments and enhancing the delivery mechanism. With enterprise mobility solutions, manufacturers can optimize connected things and provide better customer experience.
Interactive platforms: Enterprise mobility will pave the way for touch points for end consumers. These include chatbots that will respond to questions, answer them and create a connection between manufacturers and their customers. They will also facilitate interaction within the enterprise and tend to requests such as meetings, reminders, and information related to holidays.
Looking ahead
Enterprise mobility solutions and predictive analytics entail the most innovative usage of technology in the manufacturing sector. The coming years are likely to witness a 30 per cent increase in the deployment of mobility solutions. Increased growth in cloud-based solutions is also likely to make predictive analytics tools available to small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to better compete with larger corporations.
Empowering the manufacturing Industry with latest technologies is a boon for both the enterprise as well as its employees. These tools are likely to revolutionize the way people work, the way manufacturers interact with vendors, suppliers, distributors and also customers with assured improvements in productivity and efficiency.