Comment: Head in the sand? 04 April 2019

A workshop from Make UK’s National Manufacturing Conference is profiled this month. Entitled ‘monetising your digital future’, the session gave speakers from across different manufacturing sectors a chance to talk about their own, very different, digital journeys.

There was, however, a stark warning from the panel: don’t get left behind (https://is.gd/tisuye). No longer can companies – big and small – continue to operate in the same way that they did 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. Times have changed and technology needs to be embraced.

Digital is vast in size and scope. It is a tool that industry can, and should, be optimising to improve every process within its operation, including process, maintenance, energy, sales, and safety. And, luckily, digital need not be expensive or complicated.

In December for instance, OE explored the benefits of virtual and augmented reality within maintenance and repair activities (www.is.gd/okejer), while OE’s January magazine profiled Mike Lomax of Bosch Rexroth at Maintec, who explained how adding sensors to existing equipment can be a simple, inexpensive affair (www.is.gd/fucisi).

And in this [April magazine] issue, we explore other technologies from connected devices, such as tablets and smartphones (https://is.gd/egamac), to the roll out of 5G communications networks (https://is.gd/pokegi) and the benefits that artificial intelligence can bring to the inspection process (https://is.gd/ecedav).

Some in industry may be putting off the move towards digital technologies. Others may resent the idea completely or be ignoring it. Don’t be an ostrich – get your head out of the sand and take a look at what is out there. Digital isn’t scary, and it isn’t going away. Nor is there an operation out there that doesn’t have inefficiencies that digital could help with.

Embrace technology if you want to stay at the top of your game.

Adam Offord

Related Companies
EEF (Engineering Employers Federation)

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