The manufacturing ecosystem is a vast interconnected system that starts from supplier dealing, production, sales & marketing, and end-user dealing. The whole system is vast and requires digital connectivity with automation bonded for quick turnaround, cost-cutting and resource management. It has lead to a world of a connected enterprise with advanced manufacturing techniques via informational technology, data, and analytics to create value in varying ways.

From an old world to new: Industrial revolution

The connected, intelligent, automated, and analytic technology has brought a revolution in the manufacturing segment. It encompasses a new industrial revolution. Now, the industrial process not just do the process but the system tells the machinery about its real-time status. It has brought a digital twin of the process in action.

Either, tracking a product during transit, analyzing the process in action or analytic view of the inventory required, the technological reformation has detailed the whole view. It has brought physical to digital link that has improved the productivity and lower the time taken. It comprises an integration of IoT, robotics, artificial intelligence, advanced technology and augmented reality into action.

Supplier Dealing:

Supplier dealing requires automation that brings numerous pros in the supplier ecosystem. It improves the demand forecasting and shortens the response time. The intelligence in supplier dealing will improve production planning and help in real-time tracking of the product for process coordination and quick output.

The industries consider locating products/objects, containers and connecting with a centralized warehouse that will enable the manager to align the further process on time. They need a connected platform that has marked the various products as an individual entity, store the information on cloud and virtually connected them to the online platform for easy tracking and process coordination.

The supplier end needs to be well connected with the manufacturer production manager, so the manager can get the real-time status of the product and coordinate the further process for quick product manufacturing and timely delivery. Further, the intelligent processing will help in time inventory management by the supplier end that will help in reducing the storage of the large inventory for the in-effective time phrase.

Production process:

Today manufacturing tool and processes need to be automated and advanced owing to the decrease in the labor force and increasing demand for the wages. Thus the implemented robotics and automation in the manual process will result in cost-cutting and quick process implementation. It helps the companies to be competitively advanced.

Automation can include robots for carrying heavy equipment, completing a repetitive task and completing the risky operations. It helps in minimizing the manual cost and becoming more competitive. Although robotics seems to be beneficial it outweighs the challenges. It will always require manual intervention for intelligent operation and outgrow production. With automation, there are more opportunities for the employees to advance with new opportunities.

The production process further needs to be virtually connected for the more technically driven environment. One of such things is provided by IIoT(Industrial Internet of Things) that was completed with big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. IoT has multitudes of application in the manufacturing process, it facilitates the production flow as the IoT devices can automatically monitor the development cycles, provide an alert when inventory needs to be managed and look about the warehouse for any product detail.

Sales and Marketing

After the product is developed it needs to be sell and marketed in the competitive ecosystem. Previously, there were sales executives who were trained for marketing and selling the product. They use to reach the dealers, showcase their products and knock the deal. This was a lengthy and bit tiresome process which may result in less number of sales and thus low return on investment (ROI). Seeing this and the immense competition, the companies are adding a digital reformation on the after-sale process.

The reformation requires digital buildup in the sales process. The products catalog need to be digitally transformed for the executives to easily resolve any sales query. Even the on-field sales executives need to be tracked and connected through a virtual network. The sales executive tracking will improve the sales outcome and will help the enterprise to intelligently align the resource.

End-user ecosystem:

After the product is completed and ready to be shipped to the dealer, it needs to be tracked for great customer experience and even to detect any mishandling of the deliverable. The RFID technology can be used in this for tracking the products in transit. The information may be transformed into the cloud system which can be viewed by the delivery manager or any concerned person.

The Bar code technology is also used that is cheap and require no internet. The storehouse can scan it and the status of the product in transit will be updated in the connected system. It helps in better after sales servicing and gaining customer loyalty. This connected scenario lowers the product misplacement or any ill work by the mid-person that help in transit.

Conclusion: The manufacturing segment is a vast interconnected segment that needs to be well optimized for proper work scheduling and quality process completion. And owing to the latest digital and automated demand each segment need to bring digital transformation services for bringing quick and quality product delivery.