Thanks to smart robots and IoT, Microsoft expects automation levels in manufacturing to rise rapidly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIT developments such as the internet of things (IoT), big data and cloud computing repeatedly make the headlines as top trends to look out for over the next few years. But far from being technologies that companies can look forward to benefiting from in the future, Microsoft is keen to prove that they can be put into practice today, and yield impressive results.<\/p>\n
\u201cTechnology is driving major business transformation across all areas of the manufacturing industry today,\u201d says Caglayan Arkan, general manager of Worldwide Manufacturing and Resources at Microsoft. \u201cIt\u2019s changing the way companies manage their operations and serve their customers, and it\u2019s creating new ecosystems around the opportunities it presents.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year, Arkan and his team showcased some of the ways in which Microsoft is helping to drive these changes in manufacturing by exhibiting at Hannover Messe \u2013 one of the world\u2019s largest industrial technology fairs.<\/p>\n
At the event, the company demonstrated how it is working with the likes of Fujitsu, KUKA and Miele to \u2018reimagine the enterprise in a connected world\u2019. On show was an eco-management dashboard for tracking plant information and growing lowpotassium lettuce that can be consumed by dialysis patients and people with chronic kidney disease; intelligent KUKA robots that can sense their surroundings; and an oven that can be automatically programmed to set the ideal conditions for cooking select meals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019m proud of is how we\u2019re engaging with senior executives at some of the largest manufacturing organisations in the world, demonstrating exactly why they should trust in us as a strategic partner and in very short cycles bring their visions to life,\u201d says Arkan. \u201cThese are all incredible accomplishments and completely reposition Microsoft in the enterprise, allowing us to enable and empower our customers in a big way.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the back of what ended up being one of Microsoft\u2019s most successful presences at an industry event, Arkan is upbeat about his company\u2019s achievements and what this means for the future. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing industries being redefined and reshaped by digital transformation, and Microsoft is taking a major leadership role in guiding them as their businesses evolve,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
At the moment, Arkan explains that there are four key areas in particular that are impacting manufacturers: connected operations, smart products, service-centric models, and new sales and marketing experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect the level of automation in the industry to elevate and increase in a big way \u2013 whether that\u2019s down to smart robots, 3D printing, the new levels of connectivity enabled by IoT or any other emerging innovations,\u201d he says. \u201cThis will have huge implications in terms of the flexibility of manufacturing \u2013 barriers to market entry will be lowered, production could become more localised and levels of customisation will increase. Expect to see some major changes in this space in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The second major trend affecting the industry is the smart product. \u201cIn the past, at best, the most a manufacturer could know about the product they are building is who they are selling it to,\u201d explains Arkan. \u201cNow, products can report back on how they\u2019re being used \u2013 which features and functions are being used relative to others, where they\u2019re used and so on.The concept of smart products will allow the enterprise to offer new customer experiences and be more effective, cost efficient and mindful of how to provide and service the product.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arkan highlights the connected vehicle as being one of the best examples of this evolution of the smart product. \u201cThe industry has completely transformed the driver experience as well as the passenger experience, while at the same time avoiding major recalls, identifying maintenance patterns, and generally being far more proactive in terms of service delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n
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These developments go hand in hand with another industry development: the ability to move from product-centric business models to service-centric models, where manufacturers can engage with their customers in a far more effective and meaningful manner. \u201cThis is being enabled by technologies such as machine learning and advanced analytics,\u201d says Arkan. \u201cConditions-based maintenance and predictive maintenance \u2013 these are major capabilities for enterprises that manufacture or operate or service high-value assets. We will see many moving to predictive models and getting smarter in terms of how they engage with their customers and their smart products.\u201d<\/p>\n\u00c7a\u011flayan Arkan attended this year\u2019s Hannover Messe, where Microsoft demonstrated its latest developments<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe final area of focus is on how technology is enabling manufacturers to rethink their sales and marketing experiences. Microsoft calls it connected sales and marketing. \u201cEssentially, once you know more about your customer and your product, you can then engage with that customer to upsell them while you are dealing with a repair or a problem \u2013 you run a campaign against them,\u201d Arkan explains. \u201cGoing back to enhancing flexibility and agility in manufacturing, another thing you will be able to do is connect your dealers and your sales and marketing processes all the way back to your supply chain so that you can bring supply and demand together in a very different way. Moving away from mass production, you will be able to deliver customised products with acceptable lead times, at acceptable price points.\u201d<\/p>\n
These trends, combined with developments around the concept of the connected home \u2013 which, as consumers, is changing the way we think about appliances, security, entertainment and media, gaming, and becoming energy efficient, environmentally responsible citizens \u2013 are what Arkan believes will be transformational. \u201cAnd then there\u2019s the holographic experience in the design, engineering and innovation processes, 3D printing and additive manufacturing \u2013 there\u2019s a lot more to come,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
In a nutshell, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella defines Microsoft\u2019s role in this new era as being in the business of empowering individuals and organisations to be able to do more and achieve more. \u201cAnd this is a vision that applies to the here and now, not just the future,\u201d explains Arkan. \u201cFor us, the future is today. We\u2019re making things happen now for our enterprise customers that are providing them with competitive advantage, accelerated time to value and the ability to become more nimble, agile and cost efficient. Everything we\u2019re talking about we\u2019re already able to make a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n
For any business putting off any type of IT implementation or modernisation project, Arkan has the following words of advice:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you haven\u2019t already, look to determine how technology will impact your business and form strategic partnerships to help transform your company into the manufacturer of the future, which we know is not going to be anything like what it is today,\u201d he says. \u201cIn five years\u2019 time, the industry as we know it will look completely different and what I would want to do is position my company as one of the first movers. Then I would look to technology and my strategic partnerships to make me more competitive, flexible, cost efficient and help me better connect with my customers and my supply chain. There is no right way of going through this digital transformation, but the one big mistake would be to not take action today.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The digital opportunity - Microsoft Industry Blogs - Canada<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n