This report examines digital transformation (DX) in the Manufacturing sector, enabled by the key technology groups that are the focus of Transforma Insights’ research. The report intends to provide an outsider’s view of some of the key areas of change within the manufacturing sector that are enabled by emerging DX technologies.
Arguably, Industrial Transformation is where Digital Transformation started. Industrie 4.0 and similar initiatives around the world highlighted the potential of new technologies such as IoT and AI when deployed to support manufacturing industries.
Industrial Transformation is, however, very much still a work in progress. Countless legacy assets installed into industrial locations stretching back over decades afford significant potential for digitally transformative solutions. Meanwhile Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and other robotics and automated systems are transforming production processes and intralogistics. In parallel, IoT and AI in particular are extending digitally transformed and value-added servitised propositions right to end-user locations.
Overall, we have identified seven key domains of change in the Agriculture sector that are enabled by digital transformation. These are discussed in more detail in this document and comprise:
▪ Intralogistics Optimisation, encompasses multiple dimensions including inventory
and warehouse management, transportation optimisation, workflow optimisation,
asset tracking and monitoring and autonomous vehicles.
▪ X-as-a-Service, (vendor and end-user perspectives) considering the provision of
assets that have traditionally been sold in return for a single upfront fee instead being
offered as a service in return for an ongoing revenue stream.
▪ Worker Assistance, including ‘cobot’ assistance devices that help workers to be more
productive by undertaking some of their tasks such as pre-positioning components or
delivering parts to the workstation
▪ Quality Control and Assurance, to ensure product properties are consistent and up
to-par, equipment recalibration and the optimisation of production lines is constantly
performed as process drifts and other changes in the production line occur.
▪ Additive Manufacturing, or 3D printing, a technique for ‘printing’ objects by
depositing incremental layers of material.
▪ Brownfield Machine Monitoring, including the gathering of better information and
improved analyses applied to available information.
▪ Environment Monitoring, including the monitoring of production environments to
help make sure that the environment in the manufacturing premises is free from
pollutants and safe for workers.
This report focusses on digital transformation in the Manufacturing sector as enabled by the key technology groups that are the focus of Transforma Insights’ research. These technology
groups include:
Accordingly, the aim of this document is not to chart the future direction of the manufacturing industry, but to highlight key areas of change enabled by new and emerging technologies. The bulk of this report (Section 4) is concerned with discussion of these key areas of change, including an overview of each area, together with analysis of the business impact, and the complexity, timings and risk associated with each area. We also identify key enabling technologies for each area (from the list above) and provide summary details of illustrative case studies that are available in Transforma Insights’ Best Practice & Vendor Selection database.
The purpose of the document is two-fold. Firstly, from the perspective of a practitioner in the manufacturing industry, the document highlights new and emerging aspects of change that can be expected to impact the industry in the next few years. Secondly, from the perspective of potential vendors to the manufacturing industry, it highlights key emerging areas of opportunity to sell new products, services, and solutions to the manufacturing industry. Our analysis of the key technologies that enable each of the identified areas of digital transformation will help vendors of horizontal (technology-specific) capabilities to identify the contexts in which they may be able to secure new business from the Manufacturing sector.
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