Page 36 - Packaging News Magazine July-Aug 2020

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SMART FACTORY | www.packagingnews.com.au | July-August 2020
The prospect of investing in
new technology can be daunting, particularly during times of uncertainty. Should we believe the hype surrounding Industry 4.0? John Young, APAC director at automation parts supplier
EU Automation, offers a guiding hand for those contemplating the switch to smart factories.
Top five tips for switching to sm
DESPITE the climate of economic uncertainty, now might be a good time to invest in the future. At the very least, many manufactur- ers will be asking fundamental questions about how they run their operations.
For some companies, these chal- lenging times might provide addi- tional incentives to speed up the pro- cess of modernisation, while for others a more cautious and patient approach would be advised. Below are five key things to think about if you are considering upgrading to a smart factory.
1THINK STRATEGICALLY. It is important to start by asking the right ques- tions. Many companies are aware
of the potential benefits of smart fac- tories and Industry 4.0, but far fewer have clear strategies in place to benefit from their adoption. Whatever the hype surrounding a particular techno- logical innovation, it is always useful
to ask yourself how it will benefit your enterprise. Will it allow you to make key savings in time and costs?
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just as important as they were before, albeit perhaps in different ways. For companies embarking on the transi- tion towards Industry 4.0, effective leadership will be crucial. You will need to lead by example in embracing new technology. Above all, effective communication with the workforce will be paramount. You will need to think carefully about how you will communicate news of any changes and the reasons behind them.
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will also lead to heightened vulnerabil- ity to malware and ransomware attacks. Third-party access and remote
Embracing Industry 4.0 can be an astute strategy
access increase the risk. Legacy equip- ment might be particularly vulnerable because it was developed without these considerations in mind. Cybersecurity strategy will have to take into consid- eration the entirety of the digital foot- print, including personal devices like smart phones and tablets.
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ing maintenance needs with smart sensors and data analytics. However, you will still need a trusted supplier of machine parts to take advantage of this.
SHOW GOOD LEADERSHIP. It is easy when talking of tech to lose sight of the fact that people are still
INVEST IN SECURITY. It is difficult to overstate the importance of this point. An increase in connectivity
FIND TRUSTED SUPPLIERS. Smarter fac- tories may incorporate technolo- gies that cut downtime by predict-
An increase in connectivity will also lead to heightened vulnerability to malware and ransomware attacks.”