The arrival of technological advancements in manufacturing has ushered in a new era of innovations and challenges for smart factories.
For businesses in the era of Industry 4.0, data analytics serves as the driving force for revolutionising manufacturing processes and addressing new challenges that come with it.
In an interview with Australian Manufacturing, Martin Dube, Rackspace Technology’s vice president of public cloud for Asia Pacific, shared how the manufacturing industry’s approach to data analytics changed over the years and the main challenges industry leaders face in the modern business landscape.
Navigating through challenges in data analytics
Manufacturing has gone through radical changes with the introduction of Internet of Things solutions, the adoption of advanced analytics techniques like machine learning, the implementation of cloud-based solutions, and a deliberate push towards data democratisation.
According to Dube, these advancements provide unparalleled access to real-time machine performance insights, predictive maintenance, and enhanced production processes.
However, integrating data analytics solutions into manufacturing operations comes with several challenges and the key among them is ensuring quality data.
“It’s not just about having a lot of data; it’s about making sure the data is accurate and consistent across various sources, which can be a complex task,” the Rackspace Technologies exec explained.
To achieve this goal, Dube said manufacturers must highly prioritise ensuring security and privacy. “With the increasing amount of sensitive information generated, it’s essential to safeguard this data against breaches and ensure compliance with industry regulations.”
Furthermore, the industry is currently facing a skills crisis, making it a constant challenge to retain talent with expertise in data analysis and interpretation and leading to a scramble for skilled data analysts.
Last but not least, the costs associated with upgrading existing or legacy systems to manage the growing volume of data are also among the challenges manufacturers face when it comes to adopting data analytics solutions, according to Dube.
“This includes not only the direct technology costs but also investments in staff training and system adaptations.”
Powering insights with data
To keep up with new challenges and evolving business objectives, companies need technologies that will enable them to navigate data challenges and make more informed decisions in real time.
In a bid to cater to this need, Rackspace Technology has rolled out data analytics solutions that can organise unstructured data in data lakes, making it easily searchable and more efficient for businesses. “By collecting data from diverse sources such as IoT devices, satellite imagery, and more, manufacturers gain a comprehensive view of actionable business insights using cutting-edge analytics tools and artificial intelligence,” Dube said.
Rackspace also uses data warehouses to extract and consolidate data from multiple manufacturing sources. This consolidated dataset is crucial for effective business intelligence, ensuring that the integration of various manufacturing data is reliable and consistent.
“Rackspace Technology’s problem-centric approach to business intelligence involves understanding the business problem and required data, using Business Intelligence tools to present and analyse data for specific audiences, and empowering the manufacturer’s team to analyse and present findings effectively,” Dube said.
What lies ahead
Data analytics offers a bright future for manufacturers in terms of growth opportunities, with the emergence and wide adaptation of game-changing technologies.
According to the Rackspace executive, the manufacturing industry is witnessing an expansive shift to artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions, which can help in a wide range of tasks, from predicting maintenance needs to streamlining and making processes more efficient.
Dube also cited a strong growth in the use of data analytics to optimise supply chains.
“Advanced analytics tools will aid in inventory management, logistics, and overall supply chain efficiency, allowing manufacturers to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance productivity. These trends offer significant opportunities for manufacturers to improve operations, maintain competitiveness, and adapt to an evolving market landscape.”
Rackspace delivers customised solutions equipped with AI and ML, providing manufacturers with predictive maintenance tools to ensure machine efficiency and that systems are consistent with product quality.
“By leveraging AI and ML, Rackspace Technology enables the processing of vast data volumes and extracting valuable insights, empowering manufacturers to make informed decisions, streamlining operations, and boosting productivity. The different AI and ML tools cover many areas, turning data into useful insights. This helps transform raw data into valuable insights to drive smarter decisions and improve operational efficiency,” Dube said.
For more information about Rackspace Technology and its data analytics solutions for manufacturing, visit rackspace.com.
