| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |
| software automation |
Industrial automation makes way for information automation Collecting, analysing and extracting value from data is the next step in optimising industrial processes. But it’s still a sadly underutilised process, says Jason Chester, Director of Global Channel Programs, InfinityQS. Automation has been the driving force behind manufacturing advancement, dating back decades. Replacing physical tasks with automation has served as the bridge taking industries into the era of mass production that we know today. Businesses are always striving to rise to the forefront of new developments in technology or employ new industrial initiatives. All of this acts in service of making significant efficiency and productivity gains and ultimately increases growth and profits. Today, the vast majority of manufacturing processes are automated on some level, and only growing more so. But can the same be said for our cognitive activities and information-related processes? Collecting, analysing
and extracting value from data is surely the next step in optimising industrial processes, yet the way it is currently treated in terms of technological investment and prioritisation would suggest otherwise. As the big wins from industrial automation have already been had, it continues to deliver ever-diminishing returns. Instead, the manufacturing sector needs to turn to the valuable data that often sits unused or underutilised within their production environments. Doing so can dramatically improve the efficiency and productivity of production operations, eradicate waste and greatly improve product quality. It’s time for manufacturers to pivot and focus their attention on the data-driven side of industrial manufacturing.
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