4.0
Author: Future Manager Research Center Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, has taken root in all respects, for this reason industries need to aim for digitalization if they want to remain competitive, agile and efficient. Industry 4.0 takes the emphasis on digital technology from recent decades to a whole new level with the help of interconnectivity through the Internet of Things (IoT), a concept that refers to connections between physical objects like sensors or machines and the Internet. But not only that, the new digital approach also affects access real-time data, and the introduction of cyber-physical systems, all to lead to a fully automated and interconnected industrial production. The new digital technologies have a profound impact in terms of data use, computing power and connectivity, and are expressed in big data, open data, machine-to-machine and cloud computing. Once the data have been collected, however, it is necessary to derive value: today only 1% of the data collected is used by companies, which could instead obtain advantages starting from “machine learning”, that is, from machines that improve their performance by “learning” from data gradually collected and analyzed. It is a challenge that is also cultural, to which the entrepreneurial fabric of small and medium-sized enterprises together with public and private subjects is called transversally. The attitude and requirements that are required of 4.0 professionals are also changing: they are called upon to handle these recent technologies and, at the same time, to transform themselves into analysts to develop innovative formulas capable of benefiting from the mass of big data which will constitute the “collective memory”. The knowledge and skills required to face these challenges are increasingly high and engineers must face scenarios of increasing complexity: it is their task to guide and accompany entrepreneurs in the process of growth and change. Drawing hasty conclusions on how much this new revolution will benefit is perhaps premature, but one certain fact is within everyone’s reach: during the COVID19 pandemic, the new industry and the technologies connected to it proved to be fundamental to counter the crisis. Being 4.0 in times of pandemics is no longer optional, in fact investments in digital technology have guaranteed industrial continuity even in the presence of a health emergency. Companies that have implemented technologies for the digitalization of the process have had a sort of competitive advantage, an acceleration towards a new normal in terms of productivity and competitiveness. In light of this analysis, one thing is certain: the ideal company of today combines the excellence of industrial engineering with technological innovation. The most attractive candidate is the one who has mastered the computer applications that govern the machines and automatic systems intended for the most diverse types of production of the companies involved in the innovation of Industry 4.0.
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Author: Future Manager Research Center The fourth industrial revolution is coming. This is an intelligent era. The background of the trade war is nothing more than a war of technological intelligence. Since the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008, the economies of the most powerful countries have been severely damaged, prompting them to re-recognize the importance of manufacturing. They have proposed revitalization plans. The United States’ trade war was not a whim. As early as June 2011, the Obama administration launched the American Advanced Manufacturing Program (AMP), to ensure US advanced manufacturing leadership. The establishment of the National Manufacturing Innovation Network (NNMI) also means to accelerate the application of scientific research results to the industry. Germany proposed “Industry 4.0” in 2011, and its core system CPS (Cyber-Physical System) depicts to us a future where the virtual digital world and the physical world merge. In the “Made in China 2025” proposed by China in 2012, intelligent manufacturing, mobile communications, IoT, and cloud computing are listed as strategic industries. In 2015, China announced the implementation of “Made in China 2025” and strived to become a manufacturing mainstay by 2025. 5G is the newest generation of wireless technology, so what does 5G mean for Industry 4.0 manufacturing? First of all, this high-performance wireless network connects the massive sensors, robots, and information systems in the factory. The massive and high-quality data generated by the connection are constantly been used by AI. Then Analysis and decisions are sent back to the factory. At the same time, the 5G IoT network has global coverage, connecting widely distributers, cross-regional goods, customers and suppliers, etc. 5G helps to maintain full connection throughout the product life cycle and achieve integrations within and outside the plant. Artificial intelligence will influence manufacturing productivity. Artificial intelligence can increase the level of intelligence in the manufacturing industry and extend the working time in the factories. Using intelligent robots means that factories can achieve longer working hours. Enterprises can decrease extra overtime costs to enable the factory to operate 24 hours a day. There have been non-stop operation factories called “Unmanned Factory” in the United States, Japan, Germany and other countries. The second is that artificial intelligence can promote the matching of production and demand to improve the flexibility of production lines. Artificial intelligence predicts market trends and scientifically arranges production plans across the entire industrial chain, so the supply chain can maintain the minimum inventory, or even “zero inventory”. At the same time, artificial intelligence can improve the quality inspection level and increase the product yield. AI comprehensively monitors all aspects of the production line in real time. Compared with traditional methods, AI’s monitoring of the production process can greatly improve the company’s ability to supervise and control product quality, reduce product failure rates, and increase production efficiency. There are some companies using AI to carry out a quality inspection of the production process, which helped them to increase hundreds of millions in profits every year. What are your observations about industry 4.0 in manufacturing?
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Author: Future Manager Research Center The term Management 4.0 indicates the new style of leadership that is arising from the 4.0 Industrial Revolution. The 4.0 industry requires the integration and connection between machines, people and information systems, to create agile work environments where the workforce is able to respond fast with their predictions and decisions across the business. This new environment will require a new type of manager: the 4.0 Manager. These leaders will be surrounded by a digital environment that will shape their leading skills in a way that many organizations haven’t seen before combining technology and the human factor, whilst nurturing further innovation. The 4.0 manager will give great importance to the soft skills, as he must be communicative, fostering collaboration and team spirit, endowing emotional intelligence that puts the employee at the center. Moreover, he must have good coaching skills, helping to reveal the potential of his team. The most important features are: • Critical thinking: the ability to understand and anticipate the market’s direction comprehending the context and linking different information and concepts. The analysis of situations and experiences will help to recognize the factors that influence the market’s development. • Awareness: self-analysis and ability to accept errors and mistakes as a continuous process which is a fundamental trait when exploring new paths. • Empathy and emotional intelligence: knowing how to listen, paying attention to the human sphere of employees. In general, making a context pervaded by technology still human. • Co-operative orientation: the company’s functions are interconnected, creating a community where communication is not only vertical and everybody can contribute for the company’s goal. • Communication: stable relationships no longer focused on control and a rigid hierarchical scale, but on the principle of respect, trust, responsibility and autonomy. These managers will take the responsibility of the people-side of this massive change, managing a transparent, creative and flexible environment that can transform as change and situations dictate and teams will be formed based on the skills required for that specific cross-functional project. This will be challenging for those who are used to closed and rigid project management within traditional manufacturing environments. The leader will be in charge to organize and delegate tasks according to competence rather than pre-fixed roles and titles and leave collaborators a large degree of freedom for an autonomous management of the work. The 4.0 leader is characterized by its great interaction with the employees, welcoming their opinions and actively listening to them because innovation and progress can arise from anyone in the organization. Employees will be encouraged to develop their skills to become cross-functional in the way they work for their own personal needs and the common goal of the organization.
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