{"id":546,"date":"2018-06-13T10:34:46","date_gmt":"2018-06-13T09:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/industry\/2018\/06\/13\/better-faster-more-efficient-ai-meets-manufacturing\/"},"modified":"2018-11-14T15:27:50","modified_gmt":"2018-11-14T15:27:50","slug":"better-faster-more-efficient-ai-meets-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/manufacturing\/2018\/06\/13\/better-faster-more-efficient-ai-meets-manufacturing\/","title":{"rendered":"Better, faster, more efficient: AI meets manufacturing"},"content":{"rendered":"
As the cost of raw materials rises, the manufacturing industry is slowing down. In fact, recent research suggests that factory output is at a seven-month low[1]<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking for a way to speed things up for your business, the answer could be intelligent technology, also known as artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\n First things first. What comes to your mind when you think about AI? Complicated lines of code that have no application in the factories of today? An idea that\u2019s hard to grasp, and even harder to turn into a reality?<\/p>\n If so, it\u2019s time to rethink. AI isn\u2019t as elusive or complicated as it may seem. Put simply, it\u2019s intelligent technology that can be used to improve your business, transform productivity and increase your potential. And it\u2019s attainable right now. AI is already helping businesses use their ingenuity to tackle manufacturing challenges.<\/p>\n Mercedes-Benz<\/a> has turned to AI to support their digital transformation. The brand runs a large-scale production plant in Brazil, where they manufacture a range of trucks and buses. The sheer size of the operation means the brand needs to be as smart, agile and streamlined as possible when it comes to all areas of business, including sales.<\/p>\n Thanks to Azure Machine Learning, the manufacturer has managed to revolutionise its sales process. The tool brings together internal and external data, including: registration numbers, macroeconomic indicators, local legislation, sales information and statistics. All this helps the brand\u2019s salespeople make the right offer, to the right person, at the right time.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, thanks to AI, the system is becoming smarter over time. Dealers input data reports each month, which ensures the tool can make even better recommendations in the future. Now that\u2019s intelligent.<\/p>\n \u201cWith AI insights, we will know which product segment to sell, to whom and when\u201d \u2013 Ari Carvalho, Director of Sales and Marketing, Truck Division, Mercedes-Benz<\/p>\n One of the world\u2019s most prominent manufacturing businesses, Rolls Royce<\/a>, also offers fleet maintenance services to the airlines that use its products. As you can imagine, the brand works with a lot of planes \u2013 and a lot of data. So, we got on board to help make sense of it all and recommend the best approach.<\/p>\n Using Microsoft Cortana Intelligence Suite and Azure, the brand can now analyse a vast wealth of data. What\u2019s more, it can pinpoint anomalies and perform data modelling at scale. All of this helps customers plan ahead.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the business says, \u201cMicrosoft Cortana Intelligence capabilities are helping us filter the signal from the noise across large data sets, so we can focus on finding the real value in the data.\u201d<\/p>\n Korea\u2019s largest IT provider, LG CNS<\/a>, works across a range of industries and is known for its cloud-based smart factory service. Essentially, this service helps manufacturers automate production and keep track of efficiency at the touch of a button.<\/p>\n To ensure the ongoing success of such a clever solution, it won\u2019t come as a surprise that the brand needed some seriously smart technology to support its product.<\/p>\n We helped boost the capabilities of their smart factories, from production to management. The company now uses Azure DocumentDB and HDInsight to collect production histories, and Azure Machine Learning to keep factories running. The system can predict defects before they happen too. In addition, we developed and tested another system which may be used to boost efficiency for solar energy storage systems.<\/p>\n Explore the possibilities of intelligent technology today<\/a>Smarter processes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Fleet management <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Operations automation and predictive maintenance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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