INDUSTRY WATCH
INDUSTRY WATCH
adapt to new ways of working, in order to maintain
business agility.
Is your MES compatible with your ERP system
and able to cope with multiple locations?
The best next generation ERP solutions are able to
integrate with an MES solution effectively. This is
important because it allows the MES to be linked to
the ERP solution for real-time data exchange. For
growing manufacturers, their MES should be able
to cope with individual facilities, but also with the
centralised management of multiple production sites.
This will give them the freedom they need to integrate
their production lines with higher-level business
processes, step-by-step, according to their strategic
plans, without compromising on the end result.
Is your ERP software capable of central data
management?
Monzer Tohme,Regional Vice President, Sales, MEA,
Epicor Software
Industry 4.0 is
a journey, not a
one-off project.
Manufacturers
will therefore
benefit most
from ERP
software that
has flexible
deployment
options.
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To be ready for Industry 4.0, ERP software should
meet three key criteria. Firstly, it should offer
businesses a modular platform, based on a service-
oriented architecture. This way business processes
can be easily customised without changing
the software code, securing the way for future
technological developments or release updates.
Secondly, ERP software should allow for central
master data management. And thirdly, it should
offer real-time data processing, enabling all
stakeholders in the business to have access to the
latest and most accurate data in real-time.
These three criteria form a powerful combination
when it comes to accurate business decision-making.
It enables all parties to view the same information
about projects, customers, raw materials or locations,
helping manufacturers to improve their customer
experience and speed to market.
the necessary mobile infrastructure
in place to ensure real-time data
synchronisation.
Social collaboration is becoming
ever more important and next
generation ERP solutions are
integrating social capabilities to
help external partners, suppliers
and customers become part of the
business process. Embedded in the
ERP system, information from these
informal discussions is stored centrally
in context with ERP data, instead of
being buried in third-party systems.
Are you ready to benefit from the
powerful analytics and business
intelligence associated with
Industry 4.0?
Powerful planning and management
functions in next generation ERP
systems can ensure that the benefits
of intelligent manufacturing touch all
relevant areas of the company. Within
the Industry 4.0 world, sophisticated
analysis tools will, for example, help
to verify the planning, execution and
evaluation of new business models;
testing what will work, allowing
business leaders to make informed
decisions and helping them to adapt
to market or customer demands.
Does your ERP system facilitate mobility and
social collaboration? It is clear that for manufacturers,
growth in an Industry 4.0 environment
will be intrinsically linked with a
business’s ERP system. Those with
next generation ERP solutions in
place will be in a better position to
meet the fast-paced and connected
requirements of Industry 4.0.
Whilst data sharing is becoming synonymous
with Industry 4.0, this will also enable a more
flexible cooperation across departments, from
the shop floor to the top floor. As part of this
flexible communication, user-friendly access to ERP
information via tablets and smartphones will become
increasingly essential for manufacturers. Certainly, the boundaries between
production and management must
disappear and ERP and MES systems
must form an integrated unit, if
businesses are to realise the growth
opportunities presented by this new
age of intelligent manufacturing.
ERP solutions that feature intuitive dashboards
and comfortably suit all screen sizes, will be key to
businesses embracing the Industry 4.0 ethos
of updating and sharing information in the mobile-
working world. These solutions should also have Taking a critical look at the existing IT
environment in your business is the
first step towards understanding how
ready – or unprepared – you are for
Industry 4.0.
www.intelligentcio.com
INDUSTRY 4.0 IN AFRICA
www.intelligentcio.com
Simon Carpenter, Chief Technology Advisor, SAP Africa
Industry 4.0 describes the
digitisation and automation
of traditional manufacturing
and production methods and
is an opportunity to streamline
processes, enhance efficiency
and improve safety.
A 2016 study by Deloitte titled
‘Industry 4.0, is Africa ready for
digital transformation?’ found
that adoption of the smart
technology that enables Industry
4.0 within the manufacturing
industry was still at foundation
stage on the continent.
However Chief Technology Officer
at SAP Africa, Simon Carpenter,
says that this is not through lack
of interest: “When we talk to
customers in South Africa there is
growing evidence of an interest in
the concepts and technologies of
Industry 4.0. Many SAP customers
have already adopted solutions
like SAP Plant Connectivity and
Manufacturing Intelligence and
Integration, which is a step in the
right direction.”
Obstacles to Industry 4.0
in Africa
When considering reasons why
Industry 4.0 might be slow to
take off in Africa, Carpenter said:
“There are a few challenges that
appear to be universal. Firstly, and
historically, the worlds of business
and operational technology
have been distinctly separated.
So, a significant organisational
(re)design effort and change
management is needed in order
to drive the end-to-end, or top
floor-to-shop floor, perspective
that is needed to make Industry
4.0 real.
“Secondly, and perhaps
understandably in conditions
of muted economic growth and
uncertainty, CFOs and CEOs who
may not yet fully comprehend
the advantages of Industry
4.0 are reluctant to make the
necessary investments.
“Lastly, South Africa lacks the
kind of government support for
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