The term industry of the future has become common in the industrial sector, but do you really know what it means? What does industrial digitalization consist of? What are the keys to a successful digital transformation? How do you succeed in your digitization process?
The relatively recent rise of new technologies has made it possible to engage the industrial world in an extraordinary dynamic. In fact, industrial digitalization is shaking up the industry, leading to a constantly accelerating win-win phenomenon, with one feeding off the other to develop.
As a result, new competitors are emerging, and customer requirements are evolving in parallel with this revolution. In a seemingly endless spiral, relying on these new possibilities that regularly challenge the field of options, manufacturers are constantly seeking to reinvent themselves to remain competitive and evolve towards the industry of the future, a guarantee of their sustainability.
However, contrary to what one might imagine, the digital transition is not reserved for large industrial groups, even if they necessarily have more resources. Many VSEs, SMEs, and mid-sized companies think that the digital change is too complicated to implement on their scale and decide not to take the plunge or postpone the deadline. Nevertheless, this is different. This transition concerns all industries, and everyone has reason to find interest in it in their way!
What does the transition to the industry of the future consist of?
The transition to the industry of the future includes several dimensions: energy, ecological, digital, organizational, and societal. A company that begins this transition does not just optimize existing solutions but integrates new ones.
To do this, it is necessary to approach industrial production as a system with multiple dimensions:
- Techniques
- Organizational
- Economical
- Human
- social
This process goes through several levels:
- Working methods
- The processes
- The tools used
- Product innovation
- Or the evolution of the relationship with customers.
Any transition to the industry of the future requires relying on a thoughtful digital policy characterized by the deployment, evolution, and use of digital technologies within the company. This will revitalize its activity and serve each part of this multidimensional revolution.
For a successful transition to the industry of the future, here are some steps that may be relevant to follow:
- Analyze the situation of the company and the context in which it operates.
- Define your more or less short-term objectives: where should you go in the future?
- Carry out a diagnosis of the company’s digital situation with the aim of identifying possible improvements.
- Adopt a strategy.
- Choose technologies: using your specifications, select the digital solutions to acquire or upgrade.
- Rethink processes while ensuring the optimal integration of digital tools with the aim of simplifying daily life in the factory and enabling greater work efficiency.
Also Read: Increase The Competitiveness Of Your Factory By Digitizing
The keys to a successful digital transformation
As for succeeding in the digital transition itself, it is essential to include reflection on specific subjects which might seem ancillary but which are nevertheless necessary to consider:
Innovate
To evolve, to take the full measure of what the factory of tomorrow, the profession of tomorrow, should be, it is necessary to innovate. Innovate in your tools, innovate in your methods, innovate in your products… The digital transition offers this chance to be able to support this innovation and to be nourished by it. How can we now ignore Artificial Intelligence? How can we not think about integrating IoT (Internet of Things) into our factories?
Mobilize employees
The involvement of the company’s employees is essential.
If the terms “human” and “industry of the future” seem contradictory, they are nevertheless very complementary. Industrial digitalization is only possible thanks to the most efficient handling of new tools possible by your teams. It certainly depends on the quality of the device in question but also on their involvement from the start of the project. Consequently, their training must be careful to promote the quickest increase in skills.
Improve customer experience
Customers are more and more demanding. It is, therefore, up to us to listen to them to ensure that the tools put in place are beneficial to them and to make them evolve regularly accordingly. Technologies and development processes make this possible more and more efficiently.
Gain in quality and traceability
Driven by the multiplication of regulations and pressure from customers and by customers themselves, companies are working to ensure the maximum quality and traceability of their products. However, although all industrial companies are affected, specific sectors are even more affected. They seek perfect quality and total traceability, as is the case, for example, for the pharmaceutical, aeronautics, or agri-food industries.
Develop the organization and processes
The implementation of digital tools or solutions is often an opportunity to rethink the organization and processes. It is necessary not to dissociate the digital and structural aspects within a project.
How do you succeed in your digitization process?
In order to succeed in your industrial development process, here are some essential points to take into account before even starting your digital transition.
- Write specifications: before even starting your project, create specifications to define your needs and expectations.
- Choosing the right actors: take the time to look for a service provider that suits you. Focus on the support offered by your service provider because the support and training of your teams is one of the keys to successfully carrying out your digital project. Don’t neglect it!
- Build your strategy through the prism of industrial performance: select the levers that will promote performance and value creation. Before implementing a digital solution, create a strategic plan to analyze your needs. To obtain an optimized approach, it is essential to establish a diagnosis of industrial and technological maturity.
- Set up the appropriate architecture by recovering data: recover and structure your data.
In summary, moving towards the factory of the future and adapting your industrial tools through digitalization requires energy and investment. It can be interesting to be supported on all or part of the spectrum if only to benefit from an outside perspective. This is what our teams are capable of doing at different levels. This may be an opportunity to discover our digital solutions.
Also Read: How Much AI Is Already In The Industry?