The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) is set to combine technologies and techniques that will change the way products and services are produced. The recent government review on industrial digitalisation suggests that should the UK take full advantage of Industry 4.0 it will be in a position to create 175,000 new manufacturing jobs and an extra £455bn.
What does Industry 4.0 look like in real terms? Well it isn’t a new distinct system or process, it is a process of bringing together a number of existing digital industrial technologies to create smart manufacturing including: The Internet of Things, Blockchain, autonomous/smart robots, driverless vehicles, autonomous drones, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data analytics, Gene editing, 3D/4D printing, synthetic biology, augmented reality and system integration.
Industry 4.0 will bring a number of benefits to the manufacturing industry via smarter production, smart factory and smarter products. Merging information technology (IT) with operational technology (OT) provides the potential for automation that could facilitate massive process improvements and productivity. With this type of innovation, radical new business models will evolve which in turn will result in alternative sources of revenue for the sector allowing manufacturing to not only be more productive, but more flexible too.
Manufacturing is already using many of the components that make up the Industry 4.0 building blocks, but at present these building blocks still require human intervention between the various stages. Industry 4.0 brings these blocks together and potentially removes the human element and the need to always build orders in batches. If set-up and changeover times could be greatly reduced or indeed removed, orders could effectively be manufactured on demand or in smaller quantities.
A manufacturers journey into Industry 4.0 should start with optimising existing business processes. Manufacturers need to prioritise smarter supply chains and embedding smarter production processes into all areas of their business. Blockchain technology will enable manufacturers to securely and transparently track all types of transactions. Every time a product changes hands, the transaction is documented, creating a permanent history of a product, from manufacture to sale. This could dramatically reduce time delays, costs and human error that many company's face today.
In implementing the building blocks that make up Industry 4.0, factories will be smaller, more agile and relocated into our home markets. Flexibility will become key. Factories will be operating on a multi-product, made-to-order basis. In the world of scale customisation, consumer proximity will become the new norm.
Industry 4.0 is set to be a global shift, which offers opportunities for UK manufacturers as global supply chains become joined up more effectively. But this global shift also presents a risk if UK manufacturers fail to keep pace. Manufacturers currently feel UK industry isn’t geared up for the change. Some businesses will need to completely rethink their manufacturing processes and possibly their target markets.
The introduction of these new advancements bring with it the demand for a new kind of employee; Employee 4.0. Alchemist Consultants pride ourselves on working in partnership with our clients to help prepare their staff for the changes Industry 4.0 is bringing.
We establish a symbiotic relationship with our clients to share our knowledge, expertise and resources to implement skills development programmes that produce the next generation of manufacturing employees.
Our Managing Director Michael is currently undertaking his Doctorate research project on Smarter Manufacturing. Michael's project will focus on understanding how companies in UK manufacturing and logistics are currently using the technologies that make up Industry 4.0 as he explores the steps a manufacturer will need to take to prepare their business to ensure any transition towards Industry 4.0 is a success.
Get in touch to find out more about our corporate training initiatives and apprenticeship programmes and let us help you to ensure your staff are in a position to quickly develop those essential critical skills. You can also download our Employee 4.0 PDF at the link below:
