JULY 2016MANUFACTURINGTECHNOLOGYINSIGHTS.COM8Scope of Analytics in Manufacturing SpaceWith increased data volumes as well as regulatory and competitive pressures, global manufacturing supply chains are facing new levels of complexity that require greater traceability and faster reactions to changing conditions. Manufacturers that have a handle on their analytics should be better positioned to prevent errors and more efficiently resolve ones that do occur--and many manufacturers are getting on-board with connected technology and IoT to do so. Many manufacturers that have put mobile app solutions in place are seeing the benefits. A recent Red Hat survey found that IT decision makers in the manufacturing sector reported the highest mobile app success of all industries surveyed, with 92 percent of respondents reporting positive ROI on the measurement of their mobile app projects. Take for instance the use of self-monitoring equipment that sends real-time updates to a mobile app, which cuts down the need for manual checks. This technology can save time and enables engineers to focus on other tasks.Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for Manufacturing IndustryWith an ERP system in place, manufacturers can automate tasks such as data entry to help streamline processes, minimize errors, and get a clear view of those processes in real time. Manufacturers have to juggle many hats from production to inventory to delivery. An effective ERP system can help all departments coordinate internally, as well as with one another. These ERP systems are increasingly being extended to mobile devices so that data from the ERP applications can be leveraged with device features to enable even better and timelier decision-making.The relative value of ERP for manufacturers lies in the data feeding into the system, and more data is going to be generated from new connected and mobile devices. According to Tata Consulting Services, the manufacturing industry had the greatest revenue boost from leveraging IoT technology, with an average increase of 28.5 percent between 2013 and 2014. Knowing the status of materials, whether they are in inventory, the shop floor or the fulfillment center, is one of the keys to streamlining the manufacturing value chain. A step that manufacturers can take is to mobilize their ERP implementation so that workers can access critical data and collaborate remotely. For example, manufacturers can expect productivity gains from the conversion of paper checklists and web-based order forms into digital forms on a mobile app, which can shave off time spent delivering physical memos and provides a reliable storage place for those documents on the go.Benefits of Cloud Computing TransformationThe cloud plays an essential role in managing and sharing the data that manufacturers need to make both day-to-day and long term decisions. In this sense, the cloud can act as a middleware and data abstraction layer between legacy back-end applications and the connected sensors and mobile devices that both generate and use the data (e.g. through technology such as Mobile Backend-as-a-Service (MBaaS). Data between back-end systems and connected devices can be stored and managed from the cloud in a flexible, scalable, and affordable manner. With business logic, security, integration, and analytics managed centrally from the cloud, this model can also give manufacturers more visibility.Technological Innovations in the Manufacturing SpaceBy Cathal McGloin, VP, Mobile Platforms, Red HatIN MY OPINIONCathal McGloin
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