Modernize manufacturing operations

Modernizing Manufacturing for Industry 4.0

The traditional industrial supply chain was not built to serve a diverse range of services beyond hardware. While the sector has made progress in agility—especially in production and operations—legacy systems and siloed teams hinder the rapid development of new service lines. To be successful, manufacturers must embrace agile processes and structures to provide value through servitization.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted manufacturers, exposing weaknesses that persist even as recovery begins. Global instability is reshaping manufacturing, with digital transformation allowing businesses to consolidate and streamline supply chains using automation and cloud platforms.

New digital technologies offer opportunities for flexibility, sustainability, and productivity. Industry 4.0 enables deeper human-robot collaboration and reduces the risk of human error.

5 Ways to Modernize Manufacturing and Contribute to Industry 4.0

1. Be Proactive: Manufacturers should use digital tools for real-time responses, predictive maintenance, and self-service portals. Collaboration among IT, R&D, customer engagement, and operations in agile environments leads to better outcomes in customer experience, retention, and productivity.
2. Gain Valuable Process Data: Automated systems produce data that, if properly captured and analyzed, can help identify production bottlenecks, maintenance needs, and defect patterns—allowing for preventive action before productivity suffers.
3. Quality Control: Smart factories focus on custom, quick-turnaround products. Quality control is critical. Using augmented reality (AR), workers can compare ideal models to samples. Mobile devices aid training and help maintain consistency.
4. Deliver Quality Field Service: Downtime due to outdated tools and poor data costs manufacturers heavily. Real-time analytics and predictive maintenance improve case resolution and reduce equipment downtime, boosting both efficiency and customer satisfaction.
5. Achieve Visibility Across the Value Chain: Manufacturers must unify systems and eliminate silos to gain end-to-end operational insights. A single platform enables them to manage production data and respond quickly to changing demands, unlocking viable new service revenue streams.

How Does It Help?

• Streamlined and Automated Data: Smart technologies automate data collection and analytics, enabling better decision-making. Linking OT (operations technology) with business systems allows manufacturers to track KPIs against goals.
• Predictive Maintenance: Sensor-driven condition monitoring provides real-time alerts and data for quick resolution of maintenance issues—avoiding downtime and quality issues.
• Significant Cost Reductions: Unified systems reduce waste and improve forecasting, enabling better control over inventory and demand cycles, and lowering operating costs.
• Reduce Workforce Challenges: Real-time data access allows leaner teams to work efficiently, enabling faster innovation and streamlined project execution without increasing headcount.
• Enhanced Productivity: Factory throughput can be improved with the use of smart, connected systems. Manufacturers have seamless visibility into bottlenecks, machine performance, and other operational inefficiencies in a linked enterprise. Manufacturers can use this information to make adjustments to boost yields, improve quality, and reduce waste.

With tremendous technological developments led by the Internet of Things, such as open software platforms, open communications, open data models, and powerful embedded processors, the Industry 4.0 vision is becoming a reality. Industry 4.0 is expected to take hold across the manufacturing ecosystem in the long run. Manufacturers will only be able to stay on the cutting edge of this new digital era if they understand and utilise the technologies that are driving Industry 4.0.

ServiceNow and Emergys provide a single unified platform that helps manufacturers realize the importance of smart manufacturing. Our mission is to find ways to automate operations and increase manufacturing performance through data analytics with ServiceNow for Manufacturing solutions.