Smart factory: what are the bets a company must win to remain competitive in today’s scenarios? By horizontally and vertically integrating the supply chain, production paths can be triggered that integrate more information about the product and its distribution to the end customer. It is now possible to say that smart technologies are entering a second phase, thanks mainly to the upcoming introduction of 5G, with new tools further enhancing the union of IT and OT. Thus, the amount of information that can potentially “travel” with the product is constantly increasing. Companies are required to make new investments on the main areas of transformation: systems and training.
Therefore, new planning needs to be developed that invests every productive and relational context, starting with:
- Supplier relations-increasingly fast connections enable real-time information exchanges with third-party partners for day-to-day business activities. However, sharing and protecting this data is essential in light of a “corporate perimeter” that has now lost its physicality.
- Research and development-regardless of industry, research into innovative tools, technologies and materials is a priority in order to remain competitive in a market that, thanks to digital technology, can significantly and very quickly close the gap with its competitors. At the level of management systems, upgrading them makes it possible to optimize human and technical resources, significantly reducing their costs.
- Material traceability-supply, production and distribution require smart supply chains that can talk to the company’s internal systems. The unambiguous recognition of the product at each stage makes it possible to raise its quality level, drastically reducing errors in production and distribution to the final customer.
- Employee Training-Only continuous investment in upgrading and training can maintain high production standards. Similar discussion for the selection of new employees and external collaborators.
- New business models-the introduction of smart technologies within the products sold allows them to be updated and monitored even some time after purchase. This allows companies to maintain contact with customers and meet their needs in completely different ways than in the past.
Tecno Acciai: the path of innovation.
