Companies have been facing different issues when it comes to production or defective products. Leveraging digitization and artificial intelligence for manufacturing improves productivity, costs, and operational efficiency.
However, many companies still don’t understand how AI and technology can help them gain a competitive edge while reducing costs.
Here are ways digitization can improve manufacturing in 2021.
Defect Detection
Many companies today still don’t have the technology to identify defects in their production line. In today’s marketing, to be successful requires pushing out products with perfect or near-perfect quality. Having a low defect rate is one of the main goals of any manufacturer. So, the ability to detect defects early is a core competency that companies should have.
Having the right technology and implementing AI enables superior inspection in tracking goods and delivering higher precision rates, improved product quality, enhanced productivity, and lower production costs.
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance pertains to the maintenance of the quality of a service or product. You have data-driven and interconnected assembly lines that work depending on a set of algorithms and guidelines to produce the best possible products.
Through technology like “machine vision,” you’ll have a system that can see the differences between your regular set of outputs from defective ones.
The technology is also expected to drop in price as more high-resolution cameras continue to become affordable while AI-based software continues to improve.
A prime example of a company that adopted these technologies is Audi. They are actively using an image recognition system to help them analyze images in real-time to complete product quality inspections.
Accuracy in Demand Forecast
Using technology and machine learning to improve demand forecasting is also a benefit you can get from digitizing your company. This particular usage is showing promising results with packaged goods manufacturers among others.
The technology gets data from past results and is able to analyze a number of complex relationships, and factors that impact product demand.
You can use machine learning to improve planning coordination across your departments from sales, marketing, account management, finance, and supply chain leading to more accurate forecasts.
The technology is still in its infancy but has been showing promising results as companies and manufacturers use it in the field. For example, Nestle adopted a demand-driven forecasting solution to sense demand signals that have to do with sales, promotions, price, in-store merchandising, and economic elements to improve their understanding of what could influence consumers to buy their products.
Generative Design
Digitization and AI can help companies improve product design. With the technology, a designer (or an engineer) can just enter design elements they want into generative design algorithms and let the computer explore all possible design solutions that cater to their design goals. Then, using machine learning, they can automatically test each version and improve it.
Product Development
The right technology can help with assisting user experience and design. Design and user experience determine the success of every product. Products must be easy to use and must resonate with the user.
The design process can be tedious, time-consuming, and costly. The team must do proper research and strategize how the product will be used, then brainstorm which design is best for the business and consumers.
Technology and machine learning can assist in this phase as they have huge learning potential and can process data to help engineers build a better design. Artificial intelligence can inform the team if a design will be successful or not. For manufacturing companies, this technology can save millions of dollars for research and development alone.
Digitization is undoubtedly the next step if you want to dominate in a competitive market. It is everywhere. It’s evident how advancements in technology have assisted workers throughout the pandemic and remote work. AI, for one, has been with us for some time now. The technology behind it is being refined and improved through the years – and it’s here to stay.
Businesses and companies that aren’t open to digitization will be left behind by those who have learned to leverage AI and profit from it.
With this in mind, companies that take a bold step during challenging times will be able to turn adversity into an advantage. Do your research and consult with experts to determine what you need and how you can use technology to rise to new heights.