As IoT becomes embedded in more devices, the drive towards “Manufacturing 4.0” (the collection and assimilation of the data) becomes the responsibility of the manufacturer. Shifting that burden to the customer is a hard sell as why would they pay to monitor your equipment and notify when it breaks down?
Not only is it the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure the equipment operates efficiently, but holding the data puts them in the driving seat to offer additional services. Depending on the environment, devices can provide not only basic on/off data that is critical but also far more sophisticated information on everything from temperature to humidity, and this can build a picture that the customer relies upon.
Those manufacturers who capture, harness, and dashboard this data for their customers will put them ahead of their competitors as their customers can make data driven decisions. Industry 4.0 doesn’t take away the need for strong basics in manufacturing, but it takes digital to the next level as it harnesses useful data and presents it in a way that decisions can be made.
Delivery of dashboard data and the maintenance of this as a service is placing manufacturing into a new bracket – that of a Managed Service Provider.