Smart devices are what factories need– they’re portable, have long battery life, loads of storage, and allow users to address issues and find solutions quickly. Devices, such as tablets, have created a consumer revolution. Today, this technology is spreading to the manufacturing and engineering sector. The factory floor is no longer a wasteland of paper, clipboards, and confusion.
In the June 2015 edition of Quality Magazine, the article Smart Devices Help ‘Smartify’ Manufacturing Industry noted, “Manufacturers are harnessing the connectivity, portability, and computing power of smart devices to ‘smartify’ the engineering world and create a revolution of their own.”
The manufacturing industry and IT are connected, making manufacturing smarter and more efficient than ever. In the Industry Week article, 5 Manufacturing Trends that will Shape the Market in 2015, the role of IT focuses heavily on how technology is changing the industry. Some notable trends are listed below:
- According to an IDC white paper titled “The Future of Manufacturing,” social media is pushing manufacturers to become end-user focused. It’s a purchasing style that is changing brand-oriented value chains and transforming traditional B2B and B2C business models.
- SMAC (social, mobile, analytics, and cloud) is getting a second wind from the industry because it’s helping early users in the market increase efficiency and improve their processes.
- The focus on science and engineering education is having a major impact on the manufacturing workforce. New automated devices that are hooking up, using the “Internet of Things” (IoT) analogy, will change the way we do business in the future.
- “Next-shoring,” defined as moving operations closer to home, creates a technical labor force to manage supply chain operations instead of this process remaining overseas. This allows manufacturers to improve their replenishment processes.
If your company is in the manufacturing business, it wouldn’t hurt to subscribe to a blog or magazine that discusses technological trends. With production processes getting leaner and leaner, technology is only going to become more dominant in the field. Stay competitive by staying ahead of the technological curve.