Data driven transformation in industry 4.0

The data-driven transformation within modern companies is gradually making Industry 4.0 a reality. It is an inevitable movement, inherent to digital transformation , which is increasingly present in business routines, promoting various optimizations.

But do you know what data driven transformation and industry 4.0 are about ?

To better understand what these two concepts are, what technologies they encompass and how to prepare your company, check out this content until the end!

What is data driven transformation?

Data driven transformation happens when data is used to solve traditional problems.

In other words, before, problems such as drops in performance, productivity or agility were treated instinctively and based on our experiences (guessing!).

Now, with new technologies and the ease of accessing and storing data , there can be a much more accurate analysis of what is causing problems and, mainly, how to solve them. Some of these technologies are:

• big data
• data driven
• internet of things
• virtual and augmented reality
• artificial intelligence
• machine learning
• business intelligence
• marketing automation and others

With this in mind, it is clear that data driven transformation is not such a future concept. After all, these technologies are gradually being inserted and becoming an essential part of all processes within organizations.

What is industry 4.0?

Industry 4.0 , or fourth industrial revolution , is a concept adopted by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab to represent the transformations resulting from new technologies for automation and data exchange .

As you may know, three industrial revolutions have already taken place in the world, all with the same objective: to optimize the production process , making it more economical , agile and autonomous .

In each of them, significant changes occurred in the economy and society, and all companies, in their time, were impacted , having to master new technologies .

With industry 4.0 it would be no different!

In fact, the tendency is for the fourth industrial revolution to have an even deeper and more exponential impact , since its premise is something much bigger: the fusion of the physical, digital and biological world .

In other words, the industry 4.0 movement is transforming the way   machines communicate and use information so that there is greater integration between them and humans .

And how does this work in practice?

Industry 4.0 is based on the principle that, by connecting machines, systems and people , intelligent networks are created throughout the production chain . This makes it possible, for example, to predict and avoid failures, adapt more quickly to contingencies and acquire greater autonomy .

It's a complete data driven transformation , did you understand?

What are the benefits of industry 4.0?

Now that you've seen what industry 4.0 is and how it requires a major digital transformation in your company, understand why you should get involved.

Well, data driven transformation is the foundation for companies that want to succeed in industry 4.0 . It's a change that creates new levels of visibility and insight from information that was previously isolated.

The company that reaches this level achieves technological maturity , which generates several benefits , such as:

• more automation
• better predictive maintenance
• greater productivity
• improved quality
• reduction of manufacturing errors
• greater savings in time and money
• immediate error detection

And how will this be possible? What are the technologies that Industry 4.0 is bringing?

Continue reading to find out!

What are the main technologies of Industry 4.0?

There are many technologies that make up industry 4.0 and that can achieve the benefits mentioned above.

This is because, for example, many advantages can already be gained by “simple” replacing a manual inspection with visual insights powered by artificial intelligence . Or with machine learning algorithms , allowing manufacturers to detect errors immediately and not at later stages when repair work is more expensive.

There are five main technologies in Industry 4.0 that enable the merging of the physical, digital and biological worlds . Let's go to them!

3D

3D technology can also be called additive manufacturing and is a process that uses several tools , such as printing technologies that allow you to create objects from scratch using digital models . One model of additive manufacturing is 3D printing , which prints objects through the progressive overlapping of a material.

AI

Artificial intelligence is a segment of computing that seeks to simulate the human ability to reason, make decisions and solve problems by programming software and robots to have the ability to automate processes.

IoT

The internet of things is the technology in which physical objects connected to the internet perform a certain action in a coordinated way.

An example is autonomous cars that communicate with each other and define the best time (speed and route, for example) to cross urban roads.

SynBio

Synthetic biology consists of the union of technologies from the areas of chemistry, biology, computer science and engineering .

This technology aims to design modular biological circuits , allowing the design and construction of new biological parts, such as enzymes, cells, genetic circuits and the redesign of existing biological systems with the aim of reprogramming , maximizing functioning or even creating new living beings .

CPS

Cyber-physical systems , in industry 4.0, interconnect machines and software in order to automate processes. They consist of the combination of a software component with mechanical or electronic parts, synthesizing the fusion between the physical and digital world .

Within this concept, the entire physical object (be it a machine or a production line) and its physical processes are digitalized . In other words, every object and process in the factory has a digital twin.

It is with these technologies that industry 4.0 has materialized within modern companies and contributed to their advancement .

How important is data in Industry 4.0?

With so much data available, let's understand its importance in industry 4.0 .

Firstly, it is important to highlight that, since the first industrial revolution, everything related to the industrial universe works, in some way, with the collection and analysis of key data .

The difference is that, now, when investing in intelligent technologies for the development of industry 4.0, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that more data is generated in more formats and at an ever-increasing pace .

With the right technologies, a factory can, for example, collect data on all machines, robots, operators and commercial transactions, and transform it into valuable information .

Data science , IoT and similar technologies allow you to manipulate data from various elements of the industrial line and visualize it in banks, spreadsheets, dashboards, cloud systems, management software and in business intelligence and analytics solutions .

This enables a detailed analysis of the entire production chain of an industry and has a direct impact on company management, decision-making and the full functioning of the sector, which optimizes production and the quality of services and products provided.

These are some of the reasons that make data one of the most important and relevant attributes for companies in Industry 4.0.

How can companies prepare for Industry 4.0?

In practice, there is no single path to industry 4.0 consolidation. But we are sure of one thing: the first step is to gain more knowledge on the subject.

Here at Indicium we have a specialized team to understand your business needs.

Click here to speak to us.