Need for Digitizing the Manufacturing Industry and How to make it happen with Microsoft Cloud Platform, O365 & Azure
Do you run your business operations on the cloud? If not, you are missing the big picture and might even find yourself outside the race of being the best soon. Don’t worry, we aren’t trying to scare you but educate you on the power of cloud automation and revealing what’s inside the box of Microsoft Azure and O365.
Introduction
Cloud Computing has been the talk of the corporate town for quite a long term. Though it started small, the big tech industries soon jumped to sea. One of the major releases in this segment has been the Microsoft Cloud Platform. Back when the platform first went live, there was a massive conundrum. Where the big enterprises were skeptical about its implications, the small-sized organizations considered it to be a thing not meant for them.
However, as time passed, everyone around realized the power of Microsoft Cloud Platform. Regarded as one of the finest tools, it could be used both by the tech enthusiasts as well as the non-technical professionals within an enterprise. In fact, the no-code/low-code power apps give professionals the ease to build applications without being a developer professionally.
Alongside this, the Microsoft Power Platform is equipped in tools and technologies having the potential to automate end to end business operations. While it benefits nearly every sector, the impact imposed on the manufacturing domain has been more than satisfactory.
Not sure how?
Before we move to see how is cloud technology impacting the manufacturing space, let’s walk down the challenges faced by the industry.
● Keeping Track of Equipment Performance
The manufacturing sector has a tough time dealing with their equipment. While a few are used beyond their limits, others are hardly used. The fact that the equipment is embedded within big machinery, it becomes impossible to know which is used and up to what extent.
● Lack of information
Owing to the silos that exist in the current infrastructure, production is delayed. The time taken to pass information from the shop floor to the top floor is pretty huge. This leads to inefficient decision making, hampering the entire business process.
● Hefty Cost of Operation
Are you aware of the expenses incurred in creating or manufacturing a product and then, selling it on the frontline? If not, let me tell you that the costs are really very heavy and if by chance, there takes place an error or accident, the loss is to be suffered by the manufacturer itself.
● Poor Productivity
Equipment, tools, and machinery are outdated and not properly maintained. At times, it so happens that the machine performance is deteriorating but the management team is unaware of the same. Improper maintenance is the direct cause of poor performance and hence, reduced productivity. Further, all of the operations done are conducted manually which consumes a great deal of time lowering the end to end business productivity.
Impact of Cloud Platform on Manufacturing Industry
● Predictive Maintenance
As cited above, manufacturing industries require vigilance to be aware of their equipment performance. While doing this manually seems tough, when automated, it can help organizations make decisions better and faster. The Azure IoT suite of the Microsoft platform enables leaders to keep an eye on their system and get notified instantly when a device behaves inappropriately.
Once alerted, the team can then contact technicians and call for a repair. Such a form of predictive maintenance helps reduce the cost of fixing a problem and in a way, enhances productivity. Microsoft Azure platform allows you to remotely track data gathered by the sensors and then make, sound decisions based on the insights rendered by the same.
● Improving Operational Efficiency
Knowing that your equipment is working, the next thing that needs to be done is optimization. The Microsoft Azure platform enables the collection, gathering, and processing of tons of data. This is then analyzed to determine whether or not a particular machine is performing at the best. If not, changes are made ensuring optimal efficiency of the same.
● Reduced Cost of Operation
Microsoft Power Apps enables the creation of enterprise-level software applications. These work in tandem with the Microsoft automate to streamline business processes by organizing tasks and automating the backend mundane processes. This not only reduces the time taken to complete a task but at the same time, enhances the efficiency, lowering the end to end operational cost.
Digitizing the Industry
Microsoft Cloud Platform is not just about the enhancement or cost reduction. With ERP rising as one of the important aspects of a business today, leaders have the flexibility to merge the Microsoft Power Platform with ERP and pave way for a robust and future proof infrastructure.
Also known as the Power Triad, the fusion of the above helps create feature-rich solutions having the potential to transform the manufacturing sector. All in all, the goal remains at redefining the manufacturing processes in a way that accelerates growth and boosts performance.
Improving the Production
IoT has marked a change for manufacturers by providing real-time data/insights. Collecting data from different sources when combined to cloud computing helps to make Big Data usable. Manufacturers can make use of each piece of data for comprehensive analysis of their business. This indirectly enables them to improve production, optimize the operations and address issues before any hassles faced.
How Stridely Solutions Facilitates Change?
Stridely Solutions is one of the pioneers in the cloud automation sector. With some of the best engineers, data analysts, and technology consultants, we have helped a plethora of organizations reinvent their business processes adopting the best-in-industry tools and ROI-oriented strategies. All of our operations are future proof and tailored to meet the needs of the business. We have both the experience and the expertise to build cloud-driven solutions helping you scale your business and grow exponentially.
Conclusion
Cloud automation isn’t a new phenomenon. It has been in the industry for years. It is only after industrialization 4.0 that business leaders gave a thought about the implementation. With Microsoft as the core being the solution, it becomes easier to augment tools and corresponding services. For organizations that are not sure whether their business needs an automated infrastructure, we at Stridely Solutions are happy to help. Our consultation team will help you understand what the technology is all about, highlight the perks, and clear all your doubts.
