Manufacturing and process industry output is generally seen as being the trendsetter of a nation’s economic prosperity. It creates wealth and employment and is the primary source of innovation in our everyday lives. However, challenges from globalisation such as new disruptive technologies, higher expectations from consumers for new and more innovative products and the need to embrace the digital revolution is affecting every aspect of our lives.
Companies from the manufacturing and process industry need to adapt to survive and facilities need to be smarter and more efficient.
The fourth Industrial Revolution has arrived and is set to transform the manufacturing and process industry. “Industry 4.0” combines cyber-physical systems with the “Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)” to create facilities that will be truly intelligent. So wider adoption of automation, robotic systems, hypervision, automated handling systems and smart control will be needed. Analytic systems will be necessary to translate huge amounts of data collected into actionable tasks and create semi-autonomous factories that can predict plant downtimes, anticipate tool changeovers and connect directly to an intelligent supply chain network.
New product developments and innovations are occurring at a faster pace in quick changing and turbulent times. Manufacturing and industrial systems need to be flexible and reconfigurable to enable new products to reach the market quickly. New processes such as additive manufacturing can be used to transform conventional production methods, but this must be done without compromising product quality and integrity, errors in which can be catastrophic for an industrial’s reputation and balance sheet.
Manufacturers and process industrials are facing an ever-increasing challenge of complying with tighter health & safety and environmental regulations. The need for product traceability, which is commonplace in many industries such as pharmaceutical and aerospace, is becoming increasingly necessary in other sectors.
With the Internet of Things (IoT) connecting devices and systems across the globe, the risk of cyber-threats to organizations has increased significantly. Whether this is from malicious data input to a system, or by the loss of valuable commercial data from a system, companies need to implement measures to properly safeguard themselves from such risks.
Assystem has over 50 years of experience of working in complex and regulated industries. At the high end of infrastructure development, using its track record in complex project management and industrial information systems, Assystem offers solutions to support all kind of industrial manufacturers and process industries for construction programs, maintenance and operations, engineering design and systems integration.
Our expertise in project management means we can meet major challenges of our industrial clients: increased productivity, personal safety, environmental and site protection as well as industrial cost control.
Our multidisciplinary project teams also help our clients take full advantage of the digital era moving towards industry 4.0, with data sciences and digital engineering solutions (amongst others).
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" There are real issues in securing the OT part, which requires business process skills along with expertise in cybersecurity."