The new relationship between Man and machines in Industry 4.0

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Are you ready for Industry 4.0?

Technology is always changing and there are trends which you need to know to shape and transform your business to evolve with the change.

We are currently in the midst of Industry 4.0, where manufacturing has become “smart” through the development of AI, the Cloud, the Internet of Things, and other such systems. The basic principle behind the fourth industrial revolution was that through linking machines and other intelligent devices, manufacturers could create smart networks throughout the value chain (from materials to production) that could control each other.

We’re living in an era of Moore’s Law—the Intel co-founder’s dictum that processing power would double every 18 months. However, it’s not the evolution in microchip technology that’s causing such rapid acceleration in industry, it’s the nature of the software. The emerging combination of big data and intelligent algorithms, often called machine learning and AI, connected by an increasingly ubiquitous mobile internet is on the cusp of changing everything.

The marriage between man and machine will help merge the high-speed accuracy of industrial automation with the cognitive, critical thinking skills of humans. Industry 4.0 is generally viewed as a new era of personalization driven by humans and machines working cooperatively together to solve problems.

So, in Industry 4.0, what will be the new relationship between humans and machines?

While the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2022, Artificial Intelligence will have eliminated 75 million jobs due to automation. Again, 85 million jobs will be lost globally to automation by the year 2025. They also predict that there will be 133 million more jobs created in their place due to the use of this technology. Further, machines will result in the generation of 58 million new jobs as well.

As you go deeper into Industry 4.0, you can create even higher-value jobs than you did before because you’re giving the freedom of design responsibility back to the human. Industry 4.0 technologies are not about replacing humans in the workplace but about getting rid of outdated and “dead-weight” processes and using humans in much more valuable positions.

Another recent study from Meggitt shows that the workspace doesn’t become smaller in terms of a manufacturing cell around the human being; it becomes bigger. The human being is given more responsibility and you end up with a bigger, lighter environment that’s safer than the previous one. The manufacturing operative within the manufacturing cell starts to become more involved in the design process rather than the manufacturing process, which is automated. It allows freedom of design to work with you and enables products that are more bespoke and personal – something that customers are beginning to demand even today.

Increasingly more manufacturers are increasing the human component not only for the customization, but also for increased efficiency on the production line. One example is Toronto’s Paradigm Electronics, which manufactures high-end loudspeakers. The company uses Universal Robots’ UR10 robotic arm to polish the speaker cabs to a high-luster sheen, but it takes considerable time to do so. By adding a human counterpart, however, it increased its production efficiency by 50%.

The idea of collaboration between humans and robots on the assembly line is not a vision of the distant future. In a recent survey by Deloitte, of more than 11,000 business leaders, 61 percent of respondents said they were actively redesigning jobs around artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and new business models.

Industry-4.0

It’s not difficult to imagine a few other simple scenarios that are likely to become commonplace under Industry 4.0:

  • Automated accounting: The digital assistant in your business software will intelligently categorize expenses and automatically follow up on invoices, freeing up valuable time for you to focus on servicing your customers and growing your business.
  • Computerized customer service: Everyone has called a large company and dealt with a computer-generated operator, this same technology is now available at a reasonable price point for small and medium businesses, allowing you to process basic requests without human intervention.
  • AI-enabled sales: Much like customer service, the initial stages of your sales and marketing operation can be automated, leveraging intelligent software to identify potential areas of interest and to highlight hot leads.
  • A digital assistant for everyone: Think of it as two employees for the price of one, the software manages repetitive tasks, prompts employees when to follow up with customers, organizes calendars and meetings, orders supplies, etc.

Requesting a consultation with a proven provider is the first step in getting your organization ready for Industry 4.0 technologies. The market is complicated and so is your business. You need an expert to help understand your needs and provide a plan for the future. KORCOMPTENZ can help. Schedule your complimentary consultation today.

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