End-to-end manufacturing transformation

As industrial environments grew more complex, OMRON recognised that delivering solutions using automation hardware and advanced application was no longer enough. Manufacturers were telling the same story: consultants deliver reports but not results; IT integrators understand data pipelines but not production floors; automation specialists optimise machines but can't connect to enterprise systems. 

The name i-BELT encodes the service's DNA: the 'i' stands for OMRON's three innovative automation principles – integrated, intelligent, and interactive; while 'BELT' draws directly from Lean Six Sigma, where belt certification represents mastery in driving waste elimination and process improvement. i-BELT combines deep manufacturing expertise with digital capability, and maps a structured, continuous improvement path toward digital smart manufacturing. 

At the heart of i-BELT are two inseparable pillars: Digital Lean Transformation, which targets measurable improvements in productivity, quality, energy consumption and lead time using lean principles and targeted digital enablement; and IT-OT Convergence, which builds the real-time, scalable data infrastructure to make those improvements sustainable and enterprise-wide.

Where other providers typically excel in one discipline or the other, OMRON, through its Advanced Solutions Division and in partnership with Cognizant and a broad ecosystem of technology partners, brings all three capabilities together: deep manufacturing process know-how, OT automation expertise, and enterprise IT integration.

Karthigeyan Vadivel, regional manager of advanced solutions division at OMRON EMEA explains: "What we consistently hear from operations managers and plant managers is that they are stuck in the middle. They have digital ambitions but no single partner capable to take responsibility for the full journey. i-BELT exists to change that. We go on-site, we understand the process, we identify the gaps, and we stay until the results are real."

The i-BELT service provides a turnkey project, that puts an end to the cycle of failed pilots. The process begins with an in-depth shop floor assessment, including interviewing teams, analysing KPIs, and mapping process flows. For most manufacturers, assembling the right mix of manufacturing consultants, IT-OT architects and solution engineers, data scientists, and project managers is not practical. OMRON's joint delivery team fills that gap, providing specialised expertise that is increasingly difficult to hire and acts as an extension of the customer's own engineering team. Rather than handing over a report, OMRON takes ownership of the entire transformation cycle, walking customers through implementation, iteration, and continuous improvement.

Demonstrated results include OEE improvements often in the range of 5 to 30%, alongside reductions in cycle time, scrap rates and energy consumption. This ownership model sets i-BELT apart from other automation vendors, who may offer isolated consulting or proprietary technology stacks, but rarely coordinate the full project end-to-end.

Whether modernising an existing facility or building from the ground up, i-BELT is designed to meet manufacturers where they are. Technology-agnostic and compatible with any existing MES, ERP, or automation infrastructure regardless of manufacturer, i-BELT identifies the missing pieces and integrates selectively. It protects existing assets and eliminating the need for costly rip-and-replace strategies, building toward a connected, data-driven smart factory.

Alexander Myagkov, senior general manager, advanced solutions division at OMRON industrial automation business concludes: "European manufacturers have already started their digital journey. They don't need to start over. Our role is to find what's missing, integrate it cleanly, and make the whole system work together. That openness is fundamental to how we operate."

OMRON's global manufacturing expertise, combined with its local EMEA delivery teams and ecosystem of technology and service partners, ensures both the depth of knowledge and the on-the-ground presence that transformation programs require.

industrial.omron.eu/en/services-support/services/i-belt-data-services