What’s driving smarter factories? It’s a long list that includes drivers for specific business and “for the greater good” benefits, like better managing/addressing energy and materials consumption, carbon intensity, environmental sustainability, climate change, and public safety. But, in most cases, the economic benefit is the one that trumps all others. The ability for manufacturers to compete—to discover new revenue and market share opportunities while reducing costs and addressing regulation without adding cost—is king, and this is propelling manufacturers’ desire to pursue digital transformation.
Dr. Satish Bukkapatnam, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Director of the TEES Institute for Manufacturing Systems at Texas A&M University, says companies should upskill their workforces by leveraging recent investments towards workforce development. “The governments at the regional, state, and national levels are investing heavily into this effort,” Bukkapatnam says. “Within no time, digital paradigm (will) become a norm as opposed to an exception, and the industry should be prepared to thrive in this new era.”
Read full story: https://connectedworld.com/making-factories-smarter-a-crash-course-in-digital-transformation/