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Industry 4.0: how to gain more efficiency in this transformation

Industry 4.0 was a trend in the pre-covid world. Today, it became a necessity. More than the result of emerging technologies, this revolution begins with the mindset. Is your company prepared for this? Check out this article and find out!


We live an atypical moment in all areas of our lives. Many changes, many transformations, many broken paradigms… 

But, the world was already facing this whole revolution. The pandemic was “just” a catalyst. We are heading towards the “4th Industrial Revolution”. We were already on that path before Covid-19.

However, what was a trend became a necessity – capable of guaranteeing the survival of many companies. 

Industry 4.0 is much more than just a technical dimension. It is a new reality: it has been changing human interactions, altering our worldview. 

Combined with emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, it introduces the concept of “cyber-physical systems” to differentiate this new evolutionary phase from previous electronic automation.”

This blog post will talk about this concept and the urgency to develop a new mindset in corporations. 

Remember: companies that manage to turn the key will feel less the impacts of all the transformations that we are experiencing and adapt quickly to the new reality, generating very prominent competitive forces. 

Industry 4.0: the new key item on your agenda

Let’s start by putting everyone on the same page. 

Industry 4.0 – or the Fourth Industrial Revolution – is the phenomenon of adopting innovative tools, resources, and technological services that optimize the management of the most varied industrial aspects. 

In this balance of changes, they range from design to automation of manufacturing processes through the supply chain and other daily operational and administrative aspects.

But, look, we’re not talking about merely implementing tools and technologies to automate processes. That would be too simplistic to call a revolution. 

We are dealing here with something much more profound and superior – as the moment calls for.

Four major forces are driving this transformation: 

  1. Absurd growth in data volume 
  2. The emergence of increasingly effective tools, resources, and methods for data analysis 
  3. Innovative possibilities for human-machine interaction 
  4. Improvements in the transfer of digital instructions to the physical world

Based on the wide availability of digital technologies that resulted from the Digital Revolution, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is primarily driven by the convergence of digital, biological, and physical innovations.

This movement involves a systemic change in many sectors and aspects of human life: the cross-cutting impacts of emerging technologies are even more important than the resources they represent. 

And there’s more:

  • Artificial Intelligence is increasing processes and skills in all sectors
  • Neurotechnology is taking unprecedented steps in how we can use and influence the brain as the last frontier in human biology 
  • Automation is breaking secular transport and manufacturing paradigms 
  • Technologies like Blockchain are redefining and blurring the boundary between the digital and physical worlds

Well, if you got this far, you already have a sniff about why this topic is on your agenda, right? 

The truth is that Industry 4.0 is a cultural transformation on a global scale. No company will be able to escape it. 

Seven reasons for deep dive in Industry 4.0

One of the most striking features of Industry 4.0 is the high power to make devices, machines, processes, or systems operate automatically (with minimal or no human intervention), that is, automation.

IMPORTANT POINT!

Automation does not necessarily mean spending a generous amount of money on machines and robots. It just means having the help of advanced technologies to reduce or eliminate human intervention. 

Human work is crucial for any company, and with automation, you and your employees can focus on more strategic tasks.

Do you want to understand more about how robotic process automation raises business competitiveness even in times of crisis? Download this ebook now!

Here are seven reasons why you should automate your business:

-Improve the speed and efficiency of your business processes

-Improve the customer experience

-Reduce the workload of employees and make them more satisfied and productive

-Reduce labor costs, relegating manual and repetitive work to machines- and leveraging talent in analytical functions

-Get data, process and analyze it more easily to gain valuable insights and decide strategically

-Eliminate the surprise factor, making all management data-driven

-Enhance profitability under the equation: produce more, with more speed, in less time and at lower costs

4 tips to turn the key to Industry 4.0

You must be asking yourself: How can my business keep up with the transformation and turn the key to the 4th Industrial Revolution?

The first thing is to know that, in some way, this transformation is already underway in your company. The question is the degree of awareness of this. In other words, how the theme is governed by the purposes and strategies of your business. This is as important as the change itself.

For this, we have four tips that will help you make this organizational change in a conscious, proactive, and results-oriented way. 

Assess your company’s needs

Each corporation is at a point on the road to this crucial turning point: some more ahead; others, not so much. 

You need to identify where you are to make aligned and accurate decisions. It is straightforward: if you don’t know where you’re going, it doesn’t matter which direction. 

Start by asking strategic questions:

Do you need to make more products in less time? 

Is your company being slowed down by the need to communicate between each stage of your production cycle? 

What sectors can be automated?

What improvements can be implemented in the context of your organization?

TIP: Identifying areas for improvement is the first step in accessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s benefits.

Identify how Industry 4.0 can meet these needs.

If you answered the previous questions correctly, you already have an idea of where to start. 

If yours is an SME case, you probably have the feeling that Industry 4.0 will not meet your organization’s needs. But before you reject the opportunity, consider the benefits:

Responsive shipping and manufacturing, driven by real-time cloud data

real-time information on all stages of product development provided by the Internet of Things

Predictive optimization of business operations through machine learning, etc.

TIP: if you’ve ever had to put your business on hold while waiting for a vital shipment or if you need advice tailored to your daily operations, you should strongly consider integrating with Industry 4.0.

Create a medium-term plan to adopt disruptive technologies

It’s 2020! The scenario we have is that the leading industrialized nations are practically adapted to the technologies of Industry 4.0. Emerging countries – such as Brazil, a leader in the adoption of new technologies in Latin America – are also making significant progress in this movement. 

Now more than ever, it is vital to start formulating plans to integrate these new solutions. In doing so, be aware of developments related to Industry 4.0 technology’s international standards – comply with the European GDPR and the Brazilian LGPD, for example. 

TIP: Invest in modular technological solutions to remain open to new developments during this period of innovation.

Start working on the Industry 4.0 mindset.

For each phase of integration, ensure that your organization’s employees are trained to operate new technologies. This will ensure a smooth transition, reducing the anxiety that accompanies each new era in the industry.

That can only be achieved by a new mindset, a mindset aimed at Industry 4.0. In other words, people gradually need to stop thinking about traditional models of technology use, management, and business analysis and start to reflect under this new perspective. 

The digital transformation is far from just a transition from the physical to the digital environment. 

TIP: Bring industry 4.0 into the company’s DNA.

Your business is already prepared for Industry 4.0

Yes, it is a statement. Your company can – and should! – move fearlessly into the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

To help you, we will give you three more tips. 

Taking advantage of the benefits and opportunities that Industry 4.0 offers will require a change in mentality. And in that, Design Thinking can help a lot!

His more humane vision and less focused on the intricacies of processes are crucial in planning for adopting new technologies that support this transformation. 

Remember: it’s about people! It is essential to engage your employees in this vast and complicated process to transform the culture of an organization.   

Besides, the context is one of collaboration to co-create the future. Be sure to take advantage of new opportunities out of fear or any other limiting factor – such as a lack of expertise or workforce. Seek expert help to give you more security in this endeavor. 

We know that overcoming traditionalism and adapting to the constant changes of these new times can be quite tricky. Doing everything on your own can be very expensive and take much longer than is acceptable in a continually evolving market.

The last tip? If you need help, feel free to contact us!

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