Unlocking business agility with smart manufacturing

Nick McGrane, managing director at K3 SYSPRO discusses the value of smart manufacturing to unlock business agility

Nick McGrane

|Feb 14|12 min read

Manufacturers have long known the positives AI can bring to the sector, from the real-time monitoring of data to improving quality control measures, and slowly but surely, the technology is being adopted across the industry. However, the events of the past year have accelerated the need for AI adoption more than anyone thought possible. The struggles the industry has been through recently — from supply chain disruptions to equipment shortages — shone a light on the lack of agility and visibility in the sector. Industry leaders know they need to implement smart manufacturing to keep up with demand, however many manufacturers I speak to are finding that getting to this stage is easier said than done. Why? It can be put down to three key issues; the skills gap, leadership structure and investment. The good news is that they can be easily overcome with the right planning and toolset. 

Closing the skills gap

The first barrier manufacturers need to overcome is a talent gap. While people think automation is here to oust talent, it’s actually here to support it. In fact, the World Economic Forum estimates that, by 2025, the number of jobs AI will have created will be greater than the number of jobs it will displace. Automating processes doesn't mean putting people out of their jobs, but it does require the workforce to adopt new skills in order to work alongside it. Employees need to know how AI and automation can free up their time from the more mundane processes, allowing them to focus on the meaningful jobs that will grow the business. 

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