AIDC Solutions Drive Better Processes in the Factory of the Future
There are, of course, ongoing challenges in factories’ processes. Product and supply chain complexities in any factory are unavoidable. Rising raw materials and energy prices require constant monitoring and reassessment. The global marketplace is defined by aggressive competition and pace of activity. This makes the factory of the future wildly different than factories today.
Small, hungry, local enterprises are often better placed to compete on price than multi-national organizations trying to balance economies of scale. Production lines have to be able to produce shorter-run products for specific markets and end-user needs. And manufacturers may operate multiple sites in different time zones producing the same item.
To streamline operations, manufacturers are looking to measure success based on production capability and flexibility rather than efficiency and production capacity. The trend is to move away from a make-to-stock manufacturing approach and mass production and embrace more of a quality-driven, make-to-order approach to meet defined and specific customer needs.