The global manufacturing industry is no exception when it comes to applying digital platforms and applications in this new era. Our world is increasingly becoming more digitalized as organizations and industries are recreating themselves within this new trend. Survival depends upon leveraging digital platforms and embracing technologies such as the cloud, AI, app-tech, blockchains, and a slew of internet connected things.
One of the most critical demands towards the basic digital infrastructure around the world is the fiber-optic cable to deliver high-speed internet. Most of the world is ready to see the 5g network spring into action in 2020; until then, companies can upgrade their existing connections by using NBN plans to facilitate their competitiveness
Although 2020 seems to be right around the corner, the global manufacturing industry is continuing to shape around the digital trends that exist right now. Today, we will go further into the top predictions for the global manufacturing industry this 2018.
Four Global Manufacturing Industry Trends for 2018
1.Data-Intensive Production and Supply Chain Processes Will Shift to Cloud-Based Executions
The manufacturing process hasn’t been affected by cloud-based applications as other sectors that are more dependent on business domains. This is slowly changing though as cloud infrastructure is creating new opportunities with raw-data from the machine level to manufacturing ordering and fulfillment processes.
Currently, manufacturers are on the fence about this data process as they want guaranteed reliability, and cloud-based solutions provide this. This process is slow, but easy-to-deploy solutions and collaboration of data are slowly moving forward.
2. Manufacturers will Collaborate Directly with Customers
Within the manufacturing industry, failure rates can vary and be high at times. This is based largely on the fact that manufacturers don’t take the time to understand consumers鈥� needs, instead, they presume what the market wants. With the growth of social media platforms, manufacturers can collaborate with consumers, and use tools that are now available to modernize their approach when it comes to product development.
3. High-Speed Internet Expansion Will Continue to Affect the Internet of Things
Intel has shown us that the Internet of Things (IoT) is here to stay and making headway in manufacturing thanks to “Smart Manufacturing.” The industrial applications Intel are providing help provide high-performance reliable solutions in human and machine interfaces. This process within the IoT helps manufacturers design products faster, provide cost-optimization, and offer scalability.
The infrastructure of the 5G network that is expected to be completed by 2020 and is slowly being developed through a series of steps. This will affect processes worldwide with the economic transformation programme (ETP) in mind from bio-based economies, energies, production processes, and transportation.
4. Manufacturers Will Start to Integrate Blockchains and AI to Automate Large-Scale Processes
AI (Artificial Intelligence) has already had huge applications in a variety of sectors, including the global manufacturing industry. AI will effectively help to automate the process when it comes to speed and execution of specific processes in which the IoT could be used to enhance analytics, while blockchain technology will maintain the integrity of data and decision making. It is expected that blockchain will ensure the use of data to authenticate high-quality goods while increasing product and service quality during the data processing for orders and future contracts.
Every day we step further into the realm where old systems are being replaced by new systems and AI is embedding into processes like 3D printing, cloud and machine learning, robotics, and augmented reality and virtual reality. It’s only a matter of time before the manufacturing industry along with virtually all other sectors is fully submerged in technology.
Final Thoughts
We are at the beginning of 2018, and the future looks bright. The global manufacturing industry is evolving with technology in order to change with the times and provide a hands-on approach to what consumers want. Through AI and other smart technology, manufacturing process and supply chain will seemingly get easier and result in greater profits with less loss in the future; Businesses around the world are highly advised to prepare themselves with up-to-date strategies and solutions towards these upcoming trends.
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