Manufacturing companies, especially the mid-sized ones, are facing multiple challenges in the post covid19 scenario.
Business and exports for sectors such as textiles declined significantly in the past two quarters, but at the same time as global markets reopened, manufacturers need to be able to fulfil long term orders with adequate production. Business for sectors such as automotive and auto ancillaries, after a dismal quarter, is expected to grow driven by a good monsoon and the desire for end customers to move away from shared transport options for health safety reasons.
Looking ahead, manufacturing firms need to ensure production to meet expected demand forecasts. At the same time, the manufacturing sector continues to face staff shortage or operate with fewer staff due to regulatory or health norms. There are fewer people to monitor and manage site conditions, whereas site management norms have increased. Many manufacturing firms have traditionally relied on face to face sales, and a network of channel partners to reach their business clients. This is a challenge given the current scenario.
Manufacturing firms need to consider digital transformation of both the on-site operations as well as the channel operations. Remote, contactless, automated processes are the need of the hour, and manufacturing firms can deploy IOT and SaaS solutions to transform the way they operate and do business.
It is clear that technology and digitalization may need to be accelerated to ensure optimal performance of sites and staff. Gaia is also addressing this through the blend of our IOT and AI SaaS platform.
These technologies are:
IoT Monitoring: While site operators were already starting to monitor ambient conditions, temperature, humidity, occupancy, energy, and other parameters, more sensor based automation may happen because there will be fewer people available to manage the sites.
For example, effluent monitoring or emissions parameters are legal requirements, and instrumentation can be used to automate real time data acquisition and thus enable data and event driven operations. Water consumption monitoring is being required for several industries, and can be automated. Site conditions such as humidity, pressure, temperature are critical for certain industries such as textiles, cement, perishable food processing, amid others.
Workforce Monitoring: A combination of sensors, real time location tracking, and digital tools can be used to enable last mile or frontline workers to perform tasks to higher SOPs and higher SLAs, and ensure quality of tasks done and productivity of people. The solution can extend from manufacturing staff to sales and channel staff.
Service & Sales Orchestration: Manufacturing sites will need to close the loop between site and asset conditions, and worker location and performance, to trigger the next set of event led workflows and automate the response management process. This will ensure that sites, assets, and people are working seamlessly and responsiveness improves to address, prevent, or even predict and proactively manage issues or challenges.
Manufacturing channel led sales can also digitalize and close the loop with digital SaaS solutions to manage channel partners, end customers, collect feedback, and ensure service levels.
Digital transformation and digital operations are the future. The pandemic has surfaced the need for automation of processes and people sharply, and in the intermediate term, we will see businesses rely more and more on digital and automation platforms to blend the online and offline, and bring greater visibility and accountability to the last mile using tech. Manufacturing firms, and even the mid-sized ones, can today easily access value conscious IOT and SaaS solutions to better manage and orchestrate their operations, and improve the performance of sites, assets, processes, and people.