Running for Manufacturing 4.0 Gold Needs to Start Now

// August 26, 2016 //

I just read a great article about a new report that just came out about Manufacturing 4.0. “The bottom line”, says the PWC report, “is that manufacturers must make smart, strategic investments in M4.0 capabilities now or face a competitive disadvantage. And, the report says, those that fail to do so may find themselves unable to catch up later.”

Yikes! This should really start sounding some alarms for many manufacturing companies. This sounds akin to the Olympic marathon runner who is suddenly realizing that if she doesn’t step up her training program, she will be surpassed by her competitors. Manufacturing 4.0 is not just a pie in the sky idea to explore someday when you may have a spare moment. The time is NOW! You may not have time to catch up later and the gold medal will go to another company. Heck, you might not even make the Olympic (Manufacturing 4.0) team!

It is also important to realize that, like the distance runner, a manufacturing company needs to prepare. They need to transition away from an antiquated paper-based shop floor to a digital production management system and consider their business and production needs while matching those needs to an appropriate solution.

Paper-Less suggests taking the following steps to achieve Manufacturing 4.0 via an appropriate digital manufacturing production management system or manufacturing execution system (MES) solution:

1. Consider the various people and departments who will be impacted by the new production management system and get those people involved in the planning and selection process. Form a team of people to help prepare and consider a list of the business and shop floor needs. Paper-Less Xtend services is able to do an assessment of your current shop floor management processes and can help your company through the process of appropriately achieving your business and production goals.
2. Consider an appropriate digital production management solution based on manufacturing execution system (MES) technology. Paper-Less MV2 MES is an award winning MES solution that is tried and true in a large number of different types of manufacturing environments. We have many happy customers who have realized tremendous results. IDC recently recognized Paper-Less as a major player in the MES market. Paper-Less MV2 is available as on-premise production management software licensed in traditional initial license and annual license fees or by subscription.
3. Prepare an implementation plan or seek out outside help to prepare an appropriate plan. Paper-Less Xtend Services is able to help do an assessment to help with developing an appropriate digital production management system implementation plan.   It will generally take between 2 – 6 months to get up and running depending on your specific implementation plan and requirements. You may also find our ROI worksheet helpful as part of your planning process.
4. Recognize that a successful implementation is not only about the technology, it is about the people. It is important for the business, technology and manufacturing professionals to come together and support the implementation across all of the various departments for realizing the full potential of the MES production management system. The greatest Manufacturing 4.0 technology solutions in the world will not make a bit of difference for a company if they are not accepted or used as intended by the people who work with them on a day to day basis. The technology will only be helpful if it is able to work its magic in intuitive ways that make production workers and managers lives easier.

Don’t get left behind manufacturers!   You are capable of achieving gold medal level Manufacturing 4.0 results, but if you haven’t started the preparation for what is needed to get to the finish line first, then there is no time to waste. Contact Paper-Less to get started today.