A greenfield plant becomes a brownfield plant faster than you can say “digital transformation”. Whatever companies are planning today in terms of IT, OT or IIoT infrastructure is out of date even before the first machines are started up. Anything that can’t be implemented in a few months should be left alone. In other words, it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind. However, the setup should be divided into logical, process- based modules and layers.

In truth, companies don’t actually build a “smart factory”. Instead, they build a state-of-the-art automated factory and take regular, consistent, pre-planned steps to boost integration and make manufacturing continuously smarter. By recognising and accepting these two points at an early stage, they can be turned into a strength – thinking in terms of the whole system, building in modules and linking processes in a standardised way. This means stable production and the possibility of batch size 1 can be achieved more quickly. That does not mean building isolated solutions – quite the opposite, in fact. The ultimate, overall goal is known and individual building blocks are built into a seamless pyramid, thanks to standardised interfaces.

By achieving transparency across all production processes, companies are creating the basis for the first major leap forward in terms of digitalization. This step alone boosts efficiency significantly and sustainably – and that’s before getting into the realms of data analytics and AI. This can be achieved with GEC through a virtual factory solution based on edge cloud computing. The solution creates a live overview of everything that’s going on in production.

When integrating machinery and data, it’s important not to forget the human element. It’s crucial to form interdisciplinary teams with specialists from all relevant areas. Together, OT and IT specialists support the setup and act as 24/7 problem solvers. Industry experts are familiar with the pitfalls of MES and IIoT. Multi-cloud experts ensure networking takes place on the basis of data sovereignty. All in all, what we need are reliable, user-friendly solutions that don’t need much looking after – plug and play, in other words!

Everyone involved needs one thing – the right mindset. Determination, courage to take risks and a certain joy in the unknown are needed. Good preparation for the implementation is another must. After all, if companies want to remain customer- focussed, efficient and competitive, digital integration of manufacturing is the only answer.