You really can’t underestimate the importance of manufacturing in the rise of the American economy. It was the manufacturing industry that became the backbone of the American war during WWII. Without the planes, the tanks, and artillery of all sorts, how would America help its British Allies in winning that war? But even today, manufacturing is a force we can’t do without when fighting the virus. Without manufacturing, we’d be running out of face masks, ventilators, and the majority of the essential things we need to keep the virus at bay.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s cloud computing. With the cloud, all sorts of possibilities became possible. For instance, smart technology happens all thanks to the cloud. With access to the internet, we can control our smart home devices even from afar. We know what’s happening as we speak even when we’re not physically there.
Truth be told, that kind of tech can have powerful effects when applied in the manufacturing industry. Imagine how much easier monitoring and fine-tuning your manufacturing processes can be with cloud computing at your beck and call.
Well, to some degree, all that can sound confusing. The good news is there is more than one single way cloud computing can help address your manufacturing woes. Reviewing all that should show you that utilizing the benefits of the cloud for your industrial plant is wise. That’s assuming you want to be the leader in the pack. Listed below are some of these major benefits.
Great Opportunities to Upskill
It’s but natural that workers, especially in the manufacturing industry, fear cloud computing and AI. After all, new technology is viewed as a threat that could offset workers out of their jobs. But instead of working against technology, workers would be much better off to work with it.
Improving their skills to be able to work hand in hand with AI and cloud computing would be wise. You could help your team by training them to work with this new technology, instead of against it. Take note that making the most of emerging tech drives your bottom line forward. By training your people, you boost morale while at the same time boost their skills.
Cloud computing frees up a lot of time for your workers. Instead of spending a lot of time on manual processes, you can deploy them on higher-value tasks that inject greater impact on your business.
Maximize Efficiency
Cloud computing changes the picture. It brings in comprehensive changes that you should make the most of. For one, it’s not just about connecting your programmable controllers (PLCs) along with various techs on your shop floor. Rather, it’s about connecting the shop floor to the whole business.
When you have one traceable real-time record of your manufacturing system on hand, everyone you work with can look into accurate information when they need it. That can drive greater efficiency when dealing with your customers.
A good example here is the time-to-market variable. As data is available when it’s needed in real-time, implementation is easier saving both money and time.
More Effective Energy Management
Additionally, you get to see the bigger picture of your manufacturing processes with the cloud. Without the right tools, knowing energy consumption levels during the operation of your plant is impossible. It’s the reason why energy data management systems or EDMS make sense for manufacturers.
But EDMS without real-time input is not as proactive. A good way to go about this is to move it to the cloud. With a cloud-based EDMS, business-wide analysis and collation of energy data materialize. This allows you to adjust your processes as uncalled-for spikes and questionable energy patterns come up.
A good example here is the energy use of an industrial-grade compressor. For countless years, industrial compressors have helped manufacturers in many industrial applications (welding equipment, blowing molded gas). With cloud computing, you can monitor energy compressor data in real-time without having to check visually the compressor. Everything can be seen via the internet from anywhere.
Thus, you can predict a possible malfunction of the industrial air compressor by looking at the data trends in real-time. That way, you facilitate predictive maintenance and prolong the life of the unit.
On-Demand Delivery
On-demand delivery necessitates a clear view of the demand. But with the right software, you can go through the cloud data history to be able to predict a forecast. Such a forecast can serve as the basis for capacity and demand planning. And as such data can be easily available to all the departments of your company via the cloud, additional input can be inputted without a hitch.
Minimize Costs
With the cloud, you can minimize the cost of software and your IT infrastructure. This applies not only to your operation but also to procurement. By doing so, you free up capital and create a bigger budget for other essential areas of your manufacturing business. In short, it’s a win-win scenario, however, you loo
