Move from Being Tactical to Strategic with Smart Manufacturing

Implementing smart manufacturing isn’t just about investing in the latest equipment and buying a few sensors. It is about developing a competitive business strategy and engaging the entire manufacturing team. And engineers are central to that strategy.

“Companies that develop a smart manufacturing strategy that goes beyond limited implementation of technology in a work cell will gain a competitive advantage over their competitors,” Mike Ungar, CEO at Industry 4.0 Club, tells Design News. “This journey doesn't start by selecting a technology to implement in a factory. It starts with developing a sound sustainable business strategy that includes a smart manufacturing strategy. Smart manufacturing is a competitive advantage when leveraged to address a company's priority challenges and opportunities.”

Ungar, who is working to accelerate the global evolution to Industry 4.0, will be leading the IME South workshop, “Smart Manufacturing – Why It Matters and How to Achieve It.”

The workshop will educate engineers and other attendees about the importance of introducing smart manufacturing in their companies, Ungar explains. “It also will introduce them to how to lead an organization through assessing its current situation with regards to smart manufacturing and developing an implementation roadmap that will drive future success.”

Engineers can start by learning smart manufacturing “terminology” and then “introducing the process of developing and executing a smart manufacturing strategy with a macro view of the benefits smart manufacturing can bring to their plants,” he says. “Engineers must also learn about the impact that people have with regards to implementing a successful smart manufacturing to help their companies to successfully implement smart manufacturing.”

Please join us Tuesday, June 4, from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, for the workshop, “Smart Manufacturing – Why It Matters and How to Achieve It.” IME South will be held June 4-6 and features six different co-located shows: Design & Manufacturing South, ATX South, MD&M South, SouthPack, Plastic South, and Powder/Bulk Solids South.