Business intelligence: Bringing clarity

Business intelligence: Bringing clarity to even the most complex industry

Implementing a digital transformation project witihin a manufacturing operation might be a daunting prospect, but manufacturers should be much more concerned with the risk of being left behind with outdated processes, writes Lyra Mackay.

Australia has a long and proud history in manufacturing, a sector where it is renowned for its prowess and expertise across the globe. The industry has found itself at a crossroads, though, with manufacturing on the decline over recent years. There is much to gain from digital transformation. However, manufacturing businesses have a reputation for being slow adopters, and coupled with the perceived threat of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), a digital transformation project can start to look daunting. On the contrary, the prospect of being left behind with outdated processes should be much scarier than a digital transformation. In order to not only stay relevant, but to establish itself as a global leader in Industry 4.0, Australian manufacturers must trust in business intelligence (BI), AI and automation, and its collective potential to improve efficiency, provide insight and oversight, and help streamline supply chains – all while reducing costs, time and errors. Having a contemporary, productive and thriving manufacturing industry is a great competitive advantage for any economy, but it’s also a notoriously complex system to navigate, and change doesn’t come quickly. If you’re lost or intimidated by change, you can start your digital transformation journey with small improvements. One of Zoho’s customers, Purolite, did just that when it was forced to move its sales office and administration staff to work-from-home environments due to COVID-19. Due to the nature of Purolite’s resin business, production staff all had to report to work, meaning the company would have to replace some of its processes while ensuring the safety of its staff. Purolite started by adopting a handful of Zoho solutions that helped them; for example, monitoring staff’s own temperatures as required with their mobile phones, and keeping track of additional staff expenses and manage reimbursements. The company also set up two computer stations on-site to facilitate communication between staff on-site and the HR and office teams working from home. All of these may seem like small steps for a global company to make, but for an industry steeped in tradition, even small improvements can make a world of difference in the long run. We’ve found that once our customers start automating some of their processes, they start looking for more areas of their business ripe for digital transformation. Even these small beginnings can offer up insights into your business you may not have otherwise known. Software can identify trends within your own business and make decisions based on those trends with far more accuracy than any human, so giving yourself insight into your own business is the easiest advantage to give yourself. With COVID-19 forcing companies to rethink how they do business, there’s no better time than now to get started. If you’re ready to take the next step, adopting analytics can grant you insight into the rest of the business, from sales to production to the office. For example, analysing the performance of your sales team can help you find which ones have the highest conversion rates, or which clients are more likely to buy from you. Having a powerful analytics dashboard like the one provided by Zoho Analytics will allow you to easily break down these insights into tangible actions the team can take. A version of these insights could be gleaned without an analytics solution, but without these insights appearing in real time. BI was previously focused on generating reports relating to IT, but it’s much more than that now. More BI engines have merged with AI, allowing these platforms to “learn on the go”, becoming more sophisticated and offering more relevant insights as more data is analysed. Using an AI-powered BI could even uncover data and provide insights into areas of your business you didn’t realise could be improved. Zoho’s AI was also built with simplicity in mind, meaning customers can use their natural language to “ask” the AI questions to pull up insights. When it comes to the bottom line, Australian manufacturers who haven’t at least already started on their digital transformation journey will struggle immensely to compete with their international counterparts. Analytics, AI and automation will be crucial for the entire economy going forward, and the mandate for Australia’s manufacturers to adopt these technologies has been set. The Gederal Government has even pledged to help the manufacturing sector to scale up and become more competitive by allocating $1.5bn to modernise domestic manufacturing and make supply chains more resilient. As part of the investment, $52.8m has been allocated to helping businesses fast-track their investments in digital technologies. Not only has the Government thrown its weight into reversing the shrinking of Australia’s manufacturing industry, but its mandate for businesses to transform their own operations has sent a strong message to the sector. Manufacturers should look to see if they can access the Government’s stimulus for their own digital projects. It could seem like a small measure for now, but as time goes on, you may see these small steps as the foundations for returning Australia’s manufacturing sector to its former glory.

Lyra Mackay is an evangelist at global technology platform Zoho. www.zoho.com

KUKA joins Open IIoT initiative

Robotics giant KUKA has become the latest organisation to join the Open IIoT initiative

Open IIoT is an initiative founded with the mission of delivering valuable, efficient and easy-to-understand information on Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and other related topics to endusers and the broader manufacturing industry. Its membership includes some of Australia’s most prominent automation brands, including SMC Corporation, Beckhoff Automation, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS, Balluff and ZI-Argus. With the tagline ‘Industrial intelligence 4.0 beyond automation’, KUKA is a natural fit to join Open IIoT. Since its founding over a century ago, the company has stood for ideas and innovations, bringing industrial robotics solutions to more than 40 countries. In addition to being a leading supplier of automotive production systems, KUKA has established itself as a trailblazer in e-commerce, electronics, energy, consumer goods, metal, plastics, healthcare and the entertainment industry. Cameron Fisher, General Manager at KUKA Robotics Australia believes that the company’s vision aligns closely to that of the Open IIoT group: “For over 120 years, KUKA has stood for ideas and innovation. Joining IIoT gives us the opportunity to join fellow prominent brands in promoting the latest technical advances in smart automation. “By joining Open IIoT, we hope be part of the movement to ramp up Industry 4.0 capabilities and acceptance in Australia. There is a definite sense of urgency in this mission, as our country is more in need of automated solutions than ever before.” The latest Economist and WSJ statistics regarding growth dynamics in industrial robotics reflect the sense of urgency that Fisher raises. The WSJ estimates that 373,000 industrial robots were put to use in 2019, in addition to 173,000 “professional service” robots, equipped with advanced software, sensors and wi-fi. By the end of 2021. It is estimated that the installed base of factory robots worldwide will exceed 3.2m, and the current global market for industrial robotics is currently valued at $45bn dollars. “We believe COVID-19 has changed the way people work and as a result, smart automation is a key to making this efficient,” says Fisher. “From real-time monitoring of factory floors to an increase in social distancing in the workplace, robotics automation can solve many of the issue, companies are facing in the new world.” For those looking to advance their IIoT journey through robotics, Fisher suggests the following guidelines: “We strongly recommend that customers deal only with experts in the field and ensure that integration between suppliers for the best possible results. “The calibre of the members of Open IIoT have definitely helped to cement its footprint as the IIoT group of choice in Australia, and we look forward to incorporating more robotics into the group’s agenda.” www.kuka.com www.openiiot.com.au