IoT: The Conveyor Belt to Manufacturing Efficiency

According to the American Society for Quality, 87 percent of U.S. manufacturers in 2014 were not using smart manufacturing technologies (from a 2015 Ovum report by Stuart Ravens).

This comes as surprising news as many experts predict that manufacturing offers one of the biggest opportunities for IoT, particularly when it comes to improving efficiency on the production line and far beyond. With sensor adoption being old news, in what ways should the manufacturing industry be taking IoT to the next level?

IoT offers manufacturers a wealth of data and information that can provide insights into operational planning, quality control, energy saving and machinery efficiencies, to name a few. From a consumer perspective, product quality improves and remains more consistent, and products are produced and delivered faster with less scope for human error, theft or fraud. And despite considerable worries from staff across the industry with regards to job losses, IoT can even benefit them in relation to heightened health and safety in the workplace.