Industry 4.0: Will Your Business Survive?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

First came steam power, then mass production, then industrial automation. We are now at the dawn of the next wave: Industry 4.0, which combines Cloud Computing, Big Data and Analytics, Horizontal and Vertical System Integration, the Internet of Things, and Cybersecurity to interconnect manufacturers and their customers and suppliers in an extended supply chain. It introduces the much-awaited convergence of digital and physical components in the manufacturing world. Industry 4.0 factories will be embedded within the global networks of supply and demand through Cloud Computing. Geographical boundaries will be erased as superior technologies provide instant communication between machines and users around the world. Smart factories are approaching zero downtime, supply chains are becoming transparent, and mass customization is becoming the norm. More and more, Asian manufacturers are leading the wave in adopting new and revolutionary technologies which, when combined with a low-cost labor base, provide a devastating blow to their American and European competitors. Can you afford to wait?