Since the 2008 financial crisis, the French industry has never been in such good shape. Indeed, 2017 saw more factory openings than closures * (Mazars study). We are even witnessing the relocation of some production to France, such as Solex, which has repatriated its production from China to Normandy. French companies, such as Air Liquide, are even becoming drivers of the “industry of the future” on the same level as companies like Bosch or General Electric internationally.
Yet the French industrial market is struggling to reach the necessary speed to keep up with China, which is becoming the leader in digital industry. Therefore, there remains a major challenge for our industrialists: accelerate the transformation ! French companies must move from mass production to flexible and above all personalized production. The idea is to establish “intelligent” factories that can adapt their production, effectively manage the use of resources and thus pave the way for a new industrial revolution, which is what is called Industry 4.0.
1 – A New Reality for the Industry
To keep track of the evolution of the company’s business models and the performance gains required, the industry must not settle for the continuous improvement that 20 years of Lean Manufacturing have accustomed us to. Digital technology must enable a significant performance leap. The question is: Which technologies will allow for the best ROI?
The approach of Industry 4.0 must therefore bring about rapid and significant results, while also developing the trust of employees and customers.
These changes are deeply ingrained in the minds of our industrialists. The large groups have multiplied their projects to familiarize themselves with and tame this digital turn. There was first the phase of POCs (Proof of concept) to validate or not the interest of technological projects, then the phase of rapprochement with startups to dynamize their working methods. But now, that is no longer enough. It is time to move on to the serious stuff: the implementation and deployment!
2 – The challenges of deploying Industry 4.0
These various experiments have made it possible to understand that technologies (data, IoT, 3D printing, biotechnology...) bring new added value and, above all, that it is necessary to reform from within. The company must break down its silos, simplify processes and hold each employee accountable. In short, it is necessary to unleash creativity to innovate and strengthen its competitiveness. In practice, all internal processes must be challenged to achieve greater efficiency by placing technology at the service of the human being.
Our industrial companies must now deploy resources to meet these various challenges such as:
- Logistics chain, stock and traceability
- Human/Machine Interface
- Real-time piloting
- Energy management and optimization of flows/costs
- Operator assistance and quality controls
- Improved TRS/OEE and predictive maintenance
We can also add an element of Cybersecurity.
This implementation cannot be carried out effectively without taking into account the expected ROI from the outset of the projects. This is certainly the first step in any Industry 4.0 approach.
Case study: training managers and teams remotely on agile and collaborative working methods
As part of the FNE-Formation reinforced program, talenco has supported managers and teams from the automotive manufacturer in adopting more agile practices through short, distance-based training sessions.
Client case: Re-establishing the business relationship remotely and optimizing sales through videoconferencing
The Commercial Department has entrusted talenco with the support of its teams to quickly re-engage the customer sales relationship remotely and optimize sales through video conferencing.