Typically, manufacturing applications have been locally-hosted, on-premise deployments mostly developed from scratch to be extremely specific to the user needs and business cases they cater to. Manufacturers have frowned upon cloud-based application deployment due to perceived availability, latency, and security issues. However, that perception is changing and changing fast. Software as a service–or SaaS, as it is popularly referred to–is bringing all Industry 4.0 technologies to the forefront for manufacturers. Everything from edge computing to AI and IIoT to augmented reality is being enabled through cloud-based deployment, which is faster, better, cheaper, and more secure than any on-premise deployment could ever be.

Understanding the Role of Technology, Talent, and Innovation in Manufacturing Transformation!

Gartner recently posted that 36% of manufacturing enterprises realize above-average business value from reasonable IT spending when compared to their peers. This statement reveals not only the value of approaching digital transformation in the right manner but also the underlying truth that companies generating higher value from IT are leveraging modern technology better through effective innovation and dedication to transformation.

Data has always been critical to process improvement and quality control in manufacturing. It is also the main driver of research and development. Manufacturers use data on the performance of their existing products to embed more features, update technology, and introduce new upgrades or novel products that perform better and thereby deliver greater value to their customers and their companies.