Living in the maelstrom of digital transformation, and experiencing the phenomenon on a daily basis, can be an impediment to detecting the real trends that shape the development of this constant evolution. However, it is necessary to point towards those scenarios that are still in their infancy, because without them we are condemned to move in markets saturated with competitors, where everyone is applying the digital solutions that were innovative at the time.
In our permanent observation of the professional environment in present and future disciplines, today we find a report on four "macro trends" that structure the paradigm of digital industries. We are talking about 3D printing, immersive technologies, Artificial Intelligence and the neologism edge computingwhich refers to the capacity for autonomous decision-making by devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT).
The report is relevant given that it bears the signature of Aroop Zutshi, global chairman and managing partner of Frost & Sullivan, the firm that in 2009 took over the now Society of Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (CSIP), which is the highest-ranking international body dedicated to the study of the subjects that converge in the discipline of competitive intelligence. This company has identified these four realities as key digital macro trends destined to influence the industrial fabric. "When properly capitalized, digitalization strategies and their implementation methods are expected to become the sole criteria for determining a company's success in the future," says its president.
Going chapter by chapter, Zutshi believes that "perimeter computing" (which is how we could translate edge computing), has the main virtue of saving time and costs in industrial manufacturing verticals, while ensuring correct data processing, both at the time of analysis and traceability.
In addition, and against those who see a possible collision between the edge trend and the cloud trend, Frost & Sullivan believes that cloud computing is a fundamental support if what is at stake is to make critical decisions in real time by senior business management."As edge computing technologies are not yet fully developed, there is ample room to add and modify additional features to accelerate industry adoption and create high impact," he adds.
As for Artificial Intelligence, he says it "will have a powerful impact on all levels of operation in the industrial and commercial sectors," which will be reinforced by the maturation of the technology and the gradual reduction of costs. The future of AI will become feasible in emerging applications such as unmanned cars, factory production lines and industrial robots.
"AI allows machines in the factory to listen to their sensors, analyze data and adjust their work parameters accordingly, with human approval." Thanks to this, there will be better M2M(machine-to-machine) communication to fix errors, improve productivity "dramatically," reduce downtime and save costs, plus a reduction to near-zero probability of detected errors recurring thanks to machine learning itself.
On the other hand, we are truly on the threshold of being able to use Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) beyond gaming and retail. These immersive technologies will soon have a broad industrial impact because of their ability to replicate real-life scenarios and enable user interaction. They have the potential to reshape important manufacturing areas such as industrial design, training and machine maintenance, as well as indirect benefits such as employee training and safety in hazardous environments. In fact, 4 out of 10 large companies already use inverse technologies to train new employees on sophisticated machinery and production processes.
Other interesting uses of immersive technologies are in R&D and product design and development. It will allow us to leave behind classic and inefficient scenarios, where prototypes, departments and consensus are crossed, and jump to collaborative working environments that meet all the points of a checklist. Again, less time and less cost, so that we can invest more in marketing and efficiency.
Finally, there is the necessary path to be opened up by "additive technologies" (or 3D printing) in manufacturing plants. The next phase leads us to the extension of capabilities from rapid prototyping to the assembly line, in the sense of manufacturing parts that will make up the final product. If it's all about maintaining quality by reducing lead times, and adding value such as customization, 3D printing can be the ultimate ally.
"3D printing will enable manufacturers to efficiently deal with low-volume product mix without affecting lead times," says Zutshi, who predicts a particular impact on the automotive and aerospace sectors as early adopters of additive technologies.
"With dynamic change driven by the consumer mindset, global organizations are looking for innovative ways to stay close to the consumer and translate their individual needs into personalized products, services and experiences. This requires the combination of multiple capabilities to usher in an era of long-term collaboration between operational experts and software wizards in the industrial world," conclude Frost & Sullivan, who also foresee exponential growth in functional partnerships between devices, as well as a promising future for the workforce: "all the fuss about workforce reduction and talent shortages will become less relevant as more job opportunities are advanced and generated as a result of convergence".
