The manufacturing sector is entering a new age of the industrial revolution. We’ve come far from steam to semiconductors to empower mass production and economic growth. Now, we’re witnessing industrial revolution 4.0, where interconnected and autonomous processes are required to remain competitive and efficient. Big corporations have the resources for research and development in this area, while SMEs face numerous obstacles to stay in the race.
Industry 4.0 is about interconnected and smart factories. Since 2011, industrial verticals like automobile, aerospace, and manufacturing giants have established research and development facilities, engaged IT and software development companies, and developed technologies like sensors, robotics, AR/VR boxes, and things like that. The aim is to increase efficiency, reduce human interventions, and boost profitability.
However, the vast majority of companies are small and medium-sized. They face various challenges ranging from culture to finances to a lack of digital skills.
According to a recent study, the following are the typical barriers that industries have in achieving a digital transformation:
- Lack of digital skills among factory workers.
- IT issues like cyber security challenges, network misconfiguration, system failures.
- Leadership challenges involving business model alignment and change management with the digital transformation.
- Finances, especially the upfront cost of digital transformation.
Here, we’ll define all these problems and suggest solutions to resolve them.
Problem – A lack of skilled personnel to manage complex 4.0 elements. Workers often find it challenging to interact with digital tools through interfaces.
Solution – Test the digital prowess of a candidate before hiring someone. Analyze the reskilling requirements for your workers. Hire software development teams that can create enterprise solutions with intuitive and user-friendly designs, considering factory workers.
Problem – The need for increased online connectivity and cross-organizational data transfer will also increase the vulnerability of manufacturing companies against cyber threats. Additionally, IT network issues like misconfiguration, erroneous command, and software failure will also become constraints for industry 4.0.
Solution – The IT infrastructure must be capable of handling the additional connectivity necessary for your digital transformation. Companies should also analyze enterprise system vulnerabilities and machine-level operational failure risks and hire IT and data security solution providers to resolve these issues.
Problem – New business models are emerging due to the use of digital technology in manufacturing processes and other business operations, prompting business leaders to rethink their strategies. They also have a task to make a hesitant, reluctant, and digitally unskilled staff ready for the digital transformation.
Solution – The success of any digital initiative depends on preparing the workforce for the transformation and gaining their confidence. Also, adopt the change management principle. It is a discipline that provides a method, strategy, and structure for a changing company and its employees. Change management helps you foresee the possible consequences and risks of adopting a change and ways to deal with them.
Problem – Adoption of Industry 4.0 is pricey. Big companies have an upper hand due to their ability to invest in the research and development of custom digital solutions.
Solution – Transforming a business doesn’t always require investing a fortune. MSMEs can start small and keep one step at a time in their digital transformation journey. Here is a write-up on how to make the digital transformation successful.
Final Thoughts
Finding the proper path to digital transformation that meets your company’s goals is at the heart of Industry 4.0. It’s critical to hire the right people for the software solutions and IT services to drive this change and help you become more competitive and efficient.
Through software modernization, cloud migration, communication and data management products, AR/VR development, and AI-powered solutions, Advantal has helped sectors including automotive, oil and gas, manufacturing, and retail achieve momentum.