Plex Systems research: Three out of four manufacturers lag in transitioning to smart manufacturing
Plex Systems has published its fifth annual State of Manufacturing Technology survey, which reveals that only 24 % of global manufacturers have truly adopted smart manufacturing. Another 22 % are at the stage of implementing a pilot project. Smart manufacturing is a part of Industry 4.0 technologies. This term refers to the interconnection of physical and digital systems, leading to the emergence of smart enterprises.
The introduction of smart factories helps manufacturers improve control and visibility across their operations. This allows for faster and more accurate adaptation to market conditions, including economic crises and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study found that major confectionery manufacturer Sanders and Morley Candy doubled its growth by adopting smart manufacturing technologies, new production lines, automation of packaging processes and the introduction of a cloud-based ERP system. The company gained visibility and control over its manufacturing operations. This boosted sales, accelerated testing and product development, and allowed the company to redeploy staff to perform more critical tasks across the organization.
The study also shows that:
• Manufacturers believe that future growth depends on lowering costs (37 % of respondents), increasing production capacity (24 %) and introducing new manufacturing initiatives (40 %).
• In the next 18 months, 44 % of manufacturers plan to fund the introduction of new production technologies in the following sectors: industrial automation, MOM (Manufacturing Operations Management), MES (Manufacturing Execution System) and EMI (Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence).
• The three most desirable technologies for manufacturers are 3D printing/additive manufacturing (28 %), machine learning (24 %), and blockchain technology (23 %).
