The software provides an overview of the entire production process. Companies must ensure that they make sensible use of the high volume of data in order to be able to make well-founded business decisions even faster.

1. higher quality and productivity

Quality management and continuous improvement programs have limited effectiveness if the underlying information is limited or not available in real time.

Manufacturers use integrated machine or device intelligence to monitor almost every product characteristic in real time with regard to customer or regulatory requirements. In addition, they use this information to react immediately to product defects and deviations as soon as they occur. In this way, they ensure the quality of the products.

2. more informed decision-making

In a connected enterprise, informed decision-making starts with the integration of all available data. However, many manufacturers are still working with older systems that first need to be upgraded for next-generation productivity. To do this, they need to integrate the various operational data sources into their existing IT system, retrieve the right data from smart manufacturing technologies and then convert it into meaningful information.

Manufacturers who have already taken the steps to improve information provision are using this data to optimize their resources, improve their responsiveness to dynamic customer demands, refine workflows and minimize inventory. They also gain new, strategically valuable insights that give them a deeper understanding of their business:

• Identifying operational weaknesses and strengths
• Analyzing processes and planning optimization measures
• Developing and implementing better production systems
• Develop targeted training programs
• Setting up a performance management system

3. establishment of safe and reliable operation

Safe and reliable operation is a constant concern for every manufacturer. Smart manufacturing offers new approaches to some of these classic challenges. First of all, redundant and isolated automation systems need to be replaced. Their lifespan has usually long since expired and they are difficult to network or are no longer supported by their suppliers. However, manufacturers should also define new requirements based on previous experience, for example with regard to accidents at work, machine breakdowns and work interruptions.

Prepared against the appropriate background, the data can be used to provide role-based analyses in problem areas such as quality, safety, conformity, energy consumption or downtimes.

Based on this, the processes and devices to be redesigned can be prioritized. They should include the use of integrated intelligence to collect real-time data. Prepared against the appropriate background, the data can be used to provide role-based analysis in problem areas such as quality, safety, compliance, energy consumption or downtime. The various work areas can in turn use this to optimize machine performance, manufacturing processes, compliance and the like.

4. securing the infrastructure

Increased information availability and connectivity can also increase the risk of internal and external threats in a manufacturing environment. Cyberattacks are no longer just targeting corporate servers, but also operational technologies. Factory-level devices and controls, sometimes decades old, are much more vulnerable to malicious attacks and unintentional employee actions. With such complex threats, a single security technology or method is not enough. Instead, a comprehensive security strategy needs to be created and implemented with protective measures that defend against threats at multiple levels.

A stable and secure network infrastructure should be based on standardized and unmodified Ethernet, which is already the preferred choice for security applications in the industry. It must also ensure that technicians can securely manage software installations, patches and updates for years to come. In addition, it must have strong security policies and procedures that take into account both machine operation and employees' own devices.

Implementation of the Connected Enterprise

Smart manufacturing offers almost unlimited possibilities. The first step is to build a connected enterprise, which serves as the basis for better networking and the extended exchange of information.

The extent to which intelligent manufacturing can help to continuously optimize processes depends on the individual goals of the manufacturer. To begin with, these are certainly fields such as key performance indicators, product quality, downtimes, reject rates, occupational safety and energy consumption.

For which business processes the transformation will bring a competitive advantage and to what extent intelligent manufacturing can help is a question of coordination and needs-based action. Both can be supported by company-wide networking. Device intelligence allows a previously reactive maintenance approach to be designed with foresight, which increases uptime. Compared to manual processes, automated data collection and reporting also saves time.

An absolutely essential organizational change for the establishment of smart manufacturing and a connected enterprise is the combination of production and information technology as well as closer collaboration between personnel. IT and production workers have typically worked separately. Manufacturers need to bring these two departments together while teaching them how to use industrial network technologies.

Measuring and checking the benefits

The data used to monitor production also provides corresponding key figures for evaluation. With the help of available dashboards, the data can be monitored over fixed periods of time, for example to track an increase in key performance indicators, quality improvements, a decrease in waste or staff utilization. The standardization of data collection and reporting within the Connected Enterprise also makes it possible to compare the performance of multiple plants.

The implementation of a connected enterprise begins with a thorough assessment. This should consider the network infrastructure, manufacturing environment, data collection and reporting capabilities and security policies - always with the manufacturer's current and future situation in mind. This will help determine what can be upgraded and what needs to be replaced. Manufacturers that address these issues in advance of their strategic planning and follow the basic points for building a connected enterprise will realize greater long-term value from smart manufacturing. am

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