Partnerships hold the key to Industry 4.0

Apart from technology being able to meet the expectation there is the inevitable apprehension.  Though the internet is nothing new, there is still nervousness about using Ethernet (Internet Protocol Suite) technologies and questions raised regarding the robustness and resilience of networks, not to mention cyber security. Companies need reassurance to bridge the gap and navigate this brave new world of digitalisation.

So what does Industry 4.0 really mean?  Well, it means that the world of manufacturing production as we know it will become more and more networked and integrated, until virtually no individual system, process or even work piece is working in isolation. This also means that to a business, the potential complexity of production and its supplier networks will become a daunting prospect – no longer limited to one factory but multiple facilities and geographical locations. But with so much legacy equipment still in use in the manufacturing industry today, where does a business start in knowing what equipment to keep, what to replace and where to start to digitalise its systems ready for the next stage of the industrial revolution?

The answer lies in forming partnerships.  The manufacturing industry needs support and guidance to navigate its way towards this brave new world and help is at hand. Experts exist who can partner with companies to help audit their processes and systems, with a view to developing a phased and strategic migration path for them. They can make the complex simple by adding or enhancing operational and business software systems, as well as ensure network infrastructures are future proof to provide them with the basis to enable them to move to, eventually, a fully integrated and digitalised plant in the future. It’s not a case of ‘rip out and start again’, the key is enabling change – and the good news is manufacturers don’t have to do this alone.

Businesses need to look to the experts to form partnerships today, to tackle the difficult times which lie ahead tomorrow. Industry 4.0 won’t disappear, but the reality is some of our valued manufacturers in the UK may do, if we don’t champion the industry to move forward together. The support and advice UK businesses need is there for the taking – companies just need to embrace it before it’s too late.