The future of manufacturing
Blog // Festo AX
Megatrends: Opportunities, not curses.
Following Roland Berger's study "Next Generation Manufacturing gets ready to roll" there are several trends driving the change of manufacturing – such as sustainability and digitalisation. Older strategies, e. g. cost-cutting, are not sufficient anymore. Companies need to (re-)develop again to remain competitive.
In this short blogpost you will get to know the latest manufacturing trends as well as how to successfully use them to your advantage. If companies acknowledge and implement these trends properly, they are huge opportunities, not curses.
Before we look at three selected trends closely, keep the following in mind. The impact of each trend each differs from market to market. No need to focus on all, rather prioritise! For example, you can focus on digitising your processes while also maximising the sustainability of your supply chain. The result: a boosted efficiency and a competitive advantage.
How companies successfully transition to new manufacturing
Trend 1: Digitalisation
More and more processes, even in the daily life, are being (fully) digitized. The digitalisation trend is not brand new but has a lasting impact on further processes and trends.
For companies, digitalisation offers the opportunity to optimise old processes and establish new methods. Manufacturers can, for example, rely on autonomous robots or artificial intelligence (AI). Some digital technologies, such as the usage of AI in manufacturing, are business ready. Through the real-time analysis of the plant data, the AI can:
👉 Proactively avoid machine downtime (Predictive Maintenance)
👉 Optimise the energy consumption (Predictive Energy)
👉 Ensure product quality (Predictive Quality)
Trend 2: Sustainability
Sustainability is increasingly important for society and companies. Companies need to take responsibility for their actions, therefore trying to reduce their environmental impact. For example, saving resources or reducing waste. At the same time, they need to act economically whilst complying with new government sustainability regulations.
Some sustainable solutions are not easily scalable. But some, such as AI, are. Manufacturers can implement AI algorithms on each plant individually. Example: Predictive Energy algorithms measure energy flows in real time and detect abnormal increases and decreases instantly. In doing so, load peaks can be avoided and energy wastage prevented.
Trend 3: Disruptive technologies
Sometimes, small changes are not enough to stay competitive. Disruptive technologies are innovations that (completely) replace existing services and goods, making the past process obsolete. Companies need to take bigger actions than optimising a step of a running process. They need to exchange them occasionally with new technologies or expand the current process. Introducing disruptive technologies can have significant impact not on the company alone, but on the whole industry.
For example, manufacturers such as OEMs need to rethink their business model. They can expand their offering and enhance their relationship with customers. Currently OEMs manufacture their products (e. g. plant) and sell them to their customers. If they want to disrupt the industry, they can even integrate AI-based algorithms into their plants. Selling them as a new, digital plant with added business value.
Trend 4: There is even more?
Uncover all trends of the study and learn how to benefit of them at Roland Berger. (source)
Outlook: The future of manufacturing in practice
Every trend faces a wide variety of challenges. Before the trends, e. g. the digitalisation of processes, can be started, they must be well prepared.
Want to learn more about production optimisation with AI? We not only provide you with the software, but also know how to integrate it into your production. Download our white paper now or request a free demo!