SMAC-enabled post digital shop floor
Manufacturing technology strategies of the future
Robert Bates,
www.wipro.com
Group Head, Advanced Technologies & Solutions
Table of Contents
03 .................................................................................................................. Manufacturing technology strategies of the future
04 ...................................................................................................................................................................... A foundation of data
04 ...................................................................................................... Social: Delivering unexpected and unprecedented value
05 ........................................................................................................................ Mobile: Creating pervasive data environments
05 ...................................................................................................................... Analytics: Unearthing valuable business insights
06 .......................................................................................... Cloud: Stepping off the treadmill of storage and infrastructure
06 .........................................................................,................. SMAC technology and outcomes together on the Shop Floor
07 ...................................................................................................................,....................................................... About the Author
07 ............................................................................................................................................................................ About Wipro Ltd.
Manufacturing technology strategies of the future
The integration of digital technologies is rapidly enhancing
tried-and-tested manufacturing activities. Some of the
most obvious and beneficial changes happening are to
those highly respected practices evolved from World
Class Manufacturing (WCM). WCM encouraged
iterative modification to optimize processes; iterations
now being dramatically enhanced by the adoption of
recent technology.
Historically, shop floors often relied on whiteboards and team huddles to
pool knowledge and debate solutions. Sometimes, this meant stopping
production to align the team’s response to a challenge. While great
progress was made by the contribution of peers, often production
in real time; providing access to tools and interfaces for immediate and
well-informed remedial action.
SMAC has triggered an immense wave of change in all industries, but
maybe none so keenly as to those individuals working on shop floors
of the future. The influence of SMAC across line, cellular and hybrid
manufacturing is dramatic. Monolithic and reactive management-driven
shop floors of the last century are being retired. While the traditional
capacity declines, a new class of manufacturing strategies based on
dispersed teams for collaborative and proactive decision making is taking
its place with the flexibility to produce iterations of both consumer
and enterprise goods. Made possible by social and mobile-enabled
environments, companies are delivering measurable improvements to
production quality and efficiency, all-the-while creating a positive impact
on workplace operations and safety.
records and data were unreliable, thereby negatively effecting decisions
Companies around the world are driving significant investments into
that could have been better. Hemmed in by limitations, the outcomes
manufacturing processes to analyse and deliver products quicker and
were good, but not optimal. Contrast this with today’s manufacturing
cheaper. Changes driven by innovation, specifically those SMAC-based
environment. It is awash with new social, mobile, analytics and cloud
shop floor strategies, find their success on the back of strong and accurate
technologies, collectively called SMAC. Integrated SMAC architectures
data-driven frameworks. Could data and data management become the
are creating visibility for manufacturing organizations on the shop floor
stumbling block for your shop floor?
3
A foundation of data
upgrade their skill base. Additionally, they are frustrated by the fact that
processes tuned for high velocity throughput do not allow them to
contribute as much as they would like to. Social supporting technologies
In a 2014 study, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
can combat employee attrition by enhancing both the work and the roles
commissioned by Wipro called Manufacturing and the Data Conundrum
played by individuals at the workplace.
– Too much? Too little? Or just right?1, researchers found that today’s shop
floors consider data an important asset. Over 44% of manufacturers say
they understand the value of shop floor data. While this indicates that
manufacturers are finding insights from the shop floor, it also shows that
Precedents for social demand are the organic, physical communities
formed within manufacturing facilities. Segments of a production line or
those employees tied to specific product work often naturally form social
the industry has a long way to go to capitalize on the full potential of data.
groups. In order to satisfy their desire to contribute, these communities
The study, conducted with C-suite and factory executives across North
order to meet and discuss workplace complications, solutions and the fuzzy
America and Europe, showed that a mere 22% of the surveyed companies
aspects of business. In large companies, communities don’t even have the
have predictive analytics capabilities for production throughput and only
luxury of physical proximity. Social technologies comprising platforms such
16% have mature analytical capabilities to generate potential solutions. The
as collaboration and messaging are just the smallest of steps that can be
study points to one certain conclusion: shop floors have a long way to go
taken to bridge gaps across large production lines, buildings and countries.
when it comes to leveraging data and those that move swiftly to embrace
Social technologies are virtualizing shop floor communities. They are building
it will see considerable gains.
knowledge networks to provide employees with a chance to enhance their
The good news is that manufacturing shop floors are not wary of technology
often abandon their processes, sometimes bringing production to a halt, in
skills and play more rewarding roles, thereby controlling attrition.
any longer. If anything, the consumerization of technology - led by mobile2
In addition, social technologies can deliver immense value in production
and social3 developments - has made employees demand both more and
environments over previous decades: the potential to capture intra and
better technology at home and at work. This has made it substantially easier
interaction collaboration, track behaviour, and identify process nuances
to introduce new approaches and concepts to manufacturing and drive
collaboration. Now shop floors can free themselves from an abundance
of physical technology infrastructure, enabling employees from across the
globe - using cloud as the common platform and analytics as the common
language–to manage manufacturing processes, share tools, optimize
inventory and improve output. As markets and consumer behaviour become
more volatile, data will play a fundamental role in creating predictability of
business through simulation and subsequent decision-making.
SMAC is already transforming traditional shop floor environments. And, for
many, it holds the promise of being a game changer.
Social: Delivering unexpected
and unprecedented value
Social workplace cultures are an attractive asset for companies looking
to hire employees of all generations. One of the major challenges that
repetitive, process-driven manufacturing has been beset by is attrition.
Repetitive plant floor activity leaves people intellectually bereft. Because
of low interaction levels with colleagues, employees are unable to regularly
1
http://www.wipro.com/mfganalyticsreport
Mobile – Refers to the practice of using technology anywhere and with the right interface to perform work optimally. This should not be confused with mobile technology such as handsets, mobile
phones, and tablets.
2
3
Social – The technology enhanced methods of engagement with individuals, groups or crowds. This includes collaboration but is often relocated to indicate social media
– an asynchronous broadcast of info.
4
previously only known to a few. Embracing a supportive social technology
stream. Analytics and the ability to contextualize data is at the very core
strategy will drive even greater role-based productivity, allow distribution of
of how demand signals can trace their way from consumers, back to the
best practices across global communities, and create an engagement bridge
inbound inventory of material on the shop floor. Two dimensions of
between shop floor contributors and management. At no other time has
analytics are increasingly viewed as important for manufacturers; internal and
it been so easy to implement codified technology solutions in order to
external. From the perspective of supply chain, the analytics is integrated.
accelerate the accumulation of enterprise knowledge. Ultimately, social will
However, the optimization of the smart supply chain within the four walls
help both boost employee connection as well as mitigate skills attrition.
of the manufacturing facility can be distinctly separated by looking at how
that segment responds to external demand and supply signals – including
Mobile: Creating pervasive
data environments
now the affiliated digital supply chain so tightly linked to the value of
goods produced.
History is replete with examples of how superior weapons have enabled
armies to conquer vast lands. A digital frontier is no different – the analytics
Ever increasing technology density on shop floors and cloud-ified connection
weapons needed to conquer it are evolving quickly. Big Data platforms
‘off-floor’ is generating vast amounts of data. Employee activity derived
designed to consume and tap into data reservoirs, first emerged for handling
from motion and intent, machine-2-machine data executed in automation,
large challenges like genome sequencing, have found their way through
and translated analogue sensors are merged with the fabric of traditional
mobile accessibility and cloud capacity onto and next to the shop floor.
production and business data. All of this intelligence brings about the other
Data mining tools applied to Big Data platforms can simulate the most likely
face of mobile technology – movement of technology workloads is just
outcomes for supply and demand as well as the ability to change instantly to
as critical as smart phones and tablets. With pervasive data needed for
adapt. A production facility, whether built on robotics or artisan craftsman,
decision making and streams coming in from across the globe, the ability
can only adapt so quickly to the raw materials for fabrication and to the
to move work anywhere is a capability which will be just as critical for
variations requested by customers. Updating, upgrading, or transforming
corporate investment as are the connected devices necessary to make
shop floors is a costly activity often requiring millions in capital costs. The
work happen for anyone, anywhere as needed.
single most malleable asset on a shop floor however is the human asset.
Mobile technology specific to the shop floor is an evolving cost killer.
With virtualized work, technology can play and support different activities
dynamically. The use of mobile technology, delivered over the same device,
This is where the social and mobile technologies mentioned above become
so critical in order to reshape how, in what order, and at what capacity
work gets executed on the line.
can help floor members create more value per activity and also enable the
Simulations of work on production lines are built from the structured and
potential for individuals to have greater role diversity on the shop floor
unstructured forms in which it is produced. Merged with variations from
than ever before. Using desktop as a service technology, for example,
across one industry, multiple geographies, and multiple industries, it rushes
each time an operator arrives at a given work station, the access terminal
in a torrent where analytics is the only force that can guide and refine it into
can be armed with a different set of customized tools, thus enabling a
a form which answers such critical questions as: do we make a red one or a
flexible, multi-function, hybrid shop floor. The overall impact is enhanced
blue one? The answer may sound simple, but wrong answers to a string of
productivity both when employees don’t have to carry technology around
such simple questions can cost companies thousands, millions, and billions
with them and when they can. Mobile technologies will simply deliver the
in capital if the wrong physical product rolls off that floor. Organizations
right technology to the right person at the right place. This is a major shift
know that their data holds valuable business insights and can help them
from a standard where tools and human resources were restricted to a
conquer the world, but most fundamentally they can help with answers
fixed location on the shop floor.
to those difficult questions, hunting for that elusive information needle in a
haystack. Analytics has made it possible to beat a quick and accurate path
Analytics: Unearthing valuable
business insights
to the needle.
The subject of analytics is ever growing as is the technology that supports
it. The art and practice of data science hold the promise of answering some
of the right questions. Looking at the survey results, it can be anticipated
As storage, computing and networking converge, the cost for the capacity
that the use of analytical technology platforms is just taking shape. Very
to capture, retain and leverage data seems to ever be growing. Process
soon, industry leaders will be looking to sophisticated systems to produce
information from social interaction, facilitation & collaboration technologies
solutions, simulations and decision support extrapolated from many
are growing, manufacturing production and back office enterprise systems
sources (including geography, product, competitive environment and supply
radiate petabytes of data, and consumers produce gigabytes in an endless
chain capability).
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Cloud: Stepping off the
treadmill of storage and
infrastructure
Shop floors are covered in often expensive assets. Most of these equipment
are depreciated over many years but more and more operational
technology akin to industry standard IT systems have migrated to the floor.
infrastructure do I need in a cloud environment? How can I make sure it is
elastic? How do I adapt cloud to cellular or line manufacturing? How can
cloud mitigate my business risk, not just my IT cost risk?
SMAC technology and
outcomes together on the
Shop Floor
This includes typically large scale MES and ERP systems formerly relegated
to dedicated corporate data centers that now have virtual presence on
the floor. Cloud platforms, managed elastic systems with a significant
standardization are increasingly commonplace in areas of business including
the shop floor. Cloud, while remarkable in capacity is not a revelation but
a key enabler. As operations and information technology converge, the
back-end platform is becoming a cost modeling exercise rather than one
of strategic importance. This offers CIOs and CTOs the opportunity to
fully integrate with their business counterparts to help answer complex
questions using cloud as the foundation.
For decades, shop floors have been subject to slow, iterative change.
SMAC represents a dramatic disruption of that legacy. SMAC brings in
efficiencies and flexibility that have rarely been a part of shop floor culture
but always desired by those working on the floor and managing it. Using
SMAC, shop floors can control and consume an asset that has always
been available – data – but which was difficult to capture and even more
importantly leverage.
Today, SMAC spells a differentiator and a competitive edge. But tomorrow,
it will be considered a natural cornerstone of success. Wipro’s study –
Manufacturing and the Data Conundrum – Too much? Too little? Or just right?,
demonstrates the unrealized potential of the technology on the shop floor
as well as throughout the enterprise manufacturer. SMAC technology stacks
can provide extreme benefits to the top and bottom line of organizations
through impact on discrete as well as extended supply chains. Regardless
of the rate at which SMAC becomes prevalent amongst manufacturers, the
single most important and flexible asset remains the shop floor worker and
his direct management team. All elements of SMAC are centred around and
supportive of that team. The team on the floor may get smaller, but its value
will remain no less important as the human element remains the ultimate
influencer on the digital supply chain as well as its biggest benefactor.
Concepts of a flexible shared system are not a new paradigm – most widely
used by mainframes. Exponential capacity and inbound data in comparison
to cost have however changed the transactional outcomes possible from
shared, cloud systems. Most manufacturing programs often leverage projectbased accounting to manage the assets for a production line. Increasing
percentage of dependency on technology, both information and operation,
which comes with variable cost models will enable corporations to step off
the requirement for singular large capex expenditures, match line retooling
and skills development with technology refresh rates, and allow the shop
floor become more adaptive to the extended supply chain. Technology
CXOs with cloud as their foundation will be able to answer critical cost
questions as well as those important to the business: How much IT should
be onsite? How do I make sure I am not on a storage treadmill? How much
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About the Author
Robert Bates
Robert Bates is the Head of Wipro Technologies Global SMAC Architecture Team. As the principal technical advisor and lead to the Wipro Advanced
Technologies & Solutions service line, Robert is responsible for advising on all service design, delivery and technology programs. Additionally, he and his team
evaluate and recommend co-investment customer research programs. Robert and his team engage developers, partners and extended teams to address some
of the most forward looking technology challenges Wipro clients encounter.
Robert is a veteran technology leader, performance advisor, as well as a business architect with a deep background in process and technology stacks supporting
services delivery and management. Through Wipro, Robert provides strategic insight to unlock client potential as well as develop scalable, SMAC based
solutions to meet business demands. Robert’s technical experience includes technology strategy, enterprise architecture, operations, information management,
solution / product development and process / technology selection. He also has extensive experience with the design, development, implementation and
integration of custom and COTS-based information technology solutions.
About Wipro Ltd.
Wipro Ltd. (NYSE:WIT) is a leading Information Technology, Consulting and Business Process Services company that delivers solutions to enable its clients
do business better. Wipro delivers winning business outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of “Business through Technology”
- helping clients create successful and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, a practitioner’s
approach to delivering innovation, and an organization wide commitment to sustainability, Wipro has a workforce of over 140,000, serving clients in
175+ cities across 6 continents.
For more information, please visit www.wipro.com
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