Discrete manufacturers across the globe are experiencing a data-driven digital shift in the way they operate. This digital manufacturing challenge is affecting the overall business relationships, collaboration, expectations and behavior. Therefore, the manufacturers are needed to educate themselves on how to streamline the digital shock-wave in the production and ongoing product use.
Digital transformation solutions in discrete manufacturing unit face 4 major challenges:
1. Trust and compliance-
Does the current security protocol integrate well with the new digital wave?
2. Business reinvention-
It’s about understanding the current state of business in the industry and also how well can you change yourself?
3. Operational excellence-
How well can your operational excellence and agility adhere to the new data driven intelligence?
4. Customer experience-
How well will the customers accept the top end digital revolution?
To thrive, discrete manufacturers need to adapt themselves to multiple changes. These changes may include making a shift from selling products to selling smart services, developing new business models and developing end-to-end digital capabilities.
Now, it’s time to unveil the 5 digital solutions that are sure to shape the future of the digital manufacturing unit. Let’s explore 10 key technologies that are to revamp the discrete manufacturing players over the next 5 years.
List of 5 digital solutions that every discrete manufacturing unit should possess in 2021
1. Adopt the holistic approach in optimizing the value chain
Digital manufacturing companies are at the leverage of incorporating digital solutions at any point in their value chain with ease. These units can incorporate digitalization in manufacturing during the stage of production engineering, product design and planning, production execution and more.
On adopting the holistic approach, the manufacturing units which make use of cloud based software tools are easy to operate. They can easily evaluate real time results and databases to provide the same output to the entire value chain. As a result, the manufacturers can analyze the real time performance of their machine and also add new concepts as and when needed.
Also Read : How IoT Technology in Asset Management Reduces Operational Costs
2. The comprehensive digital twin
Digital twin is the virtual tool to comprehend the realities of the software driven products during digitization. It gives the manufacturers an insight on what happens to the physical products or services during digital disruptions. On having a holistic approach towards digital twins, the benefits enjoyed by discrete manufacturers are:
- One can substantially minimize the number of prototypes needed
- Predict the future performance of the product and the production unit
- Refine the assumption through predictive analysis
- Easily manage the complexities within the system
The comprehensive concept of the digital twin comprises:
- digital twin of the product
- The digital twin of production
- The digital twin of product and production performance
3. A complete digital enterprise suite
The digital enterprise suite is an integrated set of industrial software and automation for the discrete digital manufacturing industry. As a result, the manufacturers can:
- Easily integrate the product and production process throughout the value chain.
- Speed up the digital transformation and innovation via visualization.
- Integrate the product design, strategy and technology with automation .
- Gain competitive advantage.
With an extensive set of digital transformation solutions, it becomes easy for the discrete manufacturers to become a digital enterprise. The products of such entities are holistic and productive. The virtual commissioning aspect of the digital enterprise suite reduces the risk of delays and increased costs. And finally, the digital transformation system provides the competitive edge to the players.
4. Automation of the shop floor for improved productivity
In any discrete manufacturing unit, the shop floor is the core of all the floor operations to execute the production process effectively. The automation of the shop floor helps the manufacturers to supervise the production. The activities on a real time to improve the overall efficiency. On implementation of the lot sensors and devices on the manufacturing machinery, the production data gets integrated on a real time basis and ensures 100% accuracy. Here are the benefits of this solution are:
- Real-time data sharing
- Reduction in cost
- Improved resource planning
- Better transparency & visibility
- Fewer production costs
- Error-free data
- Sustainable process improvement
- Better quality output with less scrap and waste
5. Field sales automation solution
In the distribution part of the discrete manufacturing unit, the operator faces a mammoth challenge in distribution and tracking of products routinely. Piles of sales data are to be maintained regularly and even a minimal delay can cause the company’s loss.
Therefore, the digital manufacturing units opt for digitization in the form of force management applications to help identify and track the sales team operations. The distribution field automation thus helps the manufacturers to:
- Scan the field work
- Identify the market trends
- Avoid any loss of information between reps and owner
- Get real-time data
- Generate more sales through analytics
- Save on time
- Grab all the opportunities
Conclusion
The challenges in the discrete manufacturing industries are growing at a fast pace. This demands the manufacturers to engage with business partners and customers creatively for digital value creation. Technologies like additive manufacturing, augmented and virtual reality, etc. are delivering substantial productivity tools to manufacturing.
We, at Rejig Digital, offer a customized solution for discrete manufacturing industries. We assist digital transformation in manufacturing to make the most of advancements of emerging technologies including AR and IoT. Our feature-ready solutions are designed to take your discrete manufacturing industry to a new level.
