Manufacturers have been aware of the rise of Industry 4.0 technologies for quite some time. From the implementation of cobots and robots in factories to data collection in order to improve company efficiency and agility. In this week’s roundtable discussion on Industry 4.0 tech, manufacturing leaders question where this technology could fit into their business and more.
Made in Group members can get involved in discussion groups to share insights with other manufacturers on current and relevant issues. Made in Group consists of Made in the Midlands and Made in Yorkshire, industry associations hosted on the Made Platform. Made is a private digital network for manufacturers and their industry influencers to share experiences.
In the latest Made in Group Virtual Breakfast Morning, multiple business individuals from a variety of sectors took part in a group discussion on Industry 4.0 technologies. This included leaders from manufacturing firms based in the Midlands and Yorkshire.
Around 50 other members of the Made in Group also took part in roundtable discussions on topics: International Trade, Sustainable Manufacturing and People and Skills . The discussions gave members the opportunity to share their challenges/successes, and to inspire and educate each other. All of the roundtables are condensed into short blog posts for other business leaders to consider and for Made members to reflect on. All of the blogs are published to the Made in Group websites - madeinthemidlands.com and madeinyorkshire.com.
During the Industry 4.0 discussion, Managing Directors of SME sized firms highlighted that they are interested in knowing how smaller businesses are supposed to be able to afford to invest in the latest technologies in order to move forward. They mentioned that investing seems easier for larger businesses due to the cost of modern technologies.
Others discussed how there are solutions out there at affordable costs, and as more manufacturing leaders familiarise themselves with digital capabilities, more and more small businesses are investing. In fact, in some cases business leaders question value when the technology isn’t expensive enough as they worry about value.
In summary, manufacturers need to find out what they would like to measure before considering implementing industry 4.0 technologies. The approach doesn't need to be ‘all or nothing’ as these things can be done incrementally. Workforce flexibility, leadership, recruitment and communication are all vital during the adoption of modern technology in the manufacturing workspace.
Join us for our next virtual breakfast morning on 8th March, find out more and sign up here:
https://madeinthemidlands.com/events/backing-britain-virtual-breakfast-morning-9