About the author Paul Crimm is a Senior Engineer for Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions. Industry 4.0 has caused a change in technology. We have seen the impact across all sectors, including supply chain, manufacturing, and security, leading to unprecedented increases in data availability, computing power, and connectivity. As customers in these industries become increasingly mobile, demanding and enjoying near-instantaneous service, businesses are either subscribing to these new technologies or becoming remnants of the past. At Honeywell, we believe that the future of any company lies in its data, with more accurate models leading to more predictive approaches. As devices connect and machines continue to learn, businesses will achieve better results and achieve a point of self-resolving issues. This gives the industry the opportunity to manage risk while gaining a competitive advantage by reducing security and business administration costs.
Data accessibility and connectivity
Data accessibility and connectivity have created an Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), one of the key components of Industry 4.0, so powerful that companies now rely on the results to take action. Decisions in real time. Nearly a decade ago, it was all about connecting devices to software on the cloud platform. It was a one-dimensional connectivity. A few years later, everything was focused on the physical and digital loop. Now all devices become intelligent and autonomous. In this shift, we must inherit emerging technologies, embed them into products, and differentiate offerings. Field devices are increasingly capable of communicating and interacting with each other, using more centralized controllers as needed. The learning is done by better software that exploits other data points, helping to tell a deeper story.
Data for safety
Another important real-world application concerns safety devices, which are now equipped with sensors capable of monitoring just about everything from the worker's environment to vital signs like pulse rate. As the scope of this data grows, it is essential that companies take data protection very seriously, ensuring that workers fully understand that technology is being applied to improve their safety and health at work. . With the recent introduction of new regulations, such as the GDPR in Europe, this has become more important than ever, not only for companies in these markets, but also for those who process personal data in these markets.
The Internet of Industrial Things (IIoT).
The future of the IIoT is based on "things", 50 billion devices by 2022, to be more connected. And these things will continue to learn. The more closed-loop systems are created, the more data collected can inform and improve performance. The key to winning is the software. Without software, the physical devices add little value. It is the combination of intelligence, computing power and software that brings products to life, making the idea of connected infrastructure a reality. A cloud software platform is essential to move connected products into the future. The platform will provide an essential foundation for new features. It is essential that these new emerging platforms and infrastructures lead to transformation. Data and machine functionality will increasingly be deployed in the cloud, enabling more data-driven services. Higher rates of cloud deployment will increase the need for secure and reliable communications, as well as sophisticated machine and user identity and access management. Real-time data, combined with predictive analytics, helps manufacturers identify warning signs before they become failures. It's about turning workers into experts, able to predict machine problems without affecting production or causing costly downtime. By automating data capture and applying advanced algorithms that continually improve efficiency, each production day can be better than the one before. As connectivity becomes more accessible and affordable, connected infrastructure is now part of the smart factory/distribution center ecosystem. Smartphones and rugged devices have become versatile hubs for collecting and transmitting personal data, opening up unprecedented opportunities in many industries.
Knowledge to understand data.
At this point, it's all about getting the right data to make the right decisions. Companies spend a lot on analytics, but few get the results they want. Providers do not have historical data and information to apply to their analyses. They don't know the theoretical maximums and they don't know how to do it. This requires concrete knowledge. In addition to this knowledge, there are two other key elements, empirical data and big data, that it is essential to use to get a complete answer to make an informed decision. As Industry 4.0 leads to an increasing number of connected devices and changing work environments, companies need to ensure their employees are fully supported. A new skills gap between those who grew up on the digital revolution and those who have not poses a significant personal challenge for those who have always played their role in a more "traditional" way. Industry 4.0 is here, and Industry 5.0 is just around the corner. As products become increasingly connected, we are creating security solutions and greater industrial efficiencies throughout the supply chain than we would have thought a decade ago. It is this device and system connectivity, backed by powerful software, that leverages and learns from the data provided by these devices and systems. Paul Crimm is a Senior Engineer for Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions.