Integration and Openness, the Smart Side of Automation

By Mario Colombo
Managing Board of ANIE Automazione

Integration is a word that we increasingly see associated with the concepts of advanced automation and industry 4.0. The sign of this rapidly changing era, in fact, is not only the emergence of new enabling technologies capable of promoting the evolution of manufacturing industry in a digital key, but the possibility of using these technologies in a synergistic and integrated way. This goal is made possible by the increasing “openness” of technologies and offers the dual advantage of using the best solutions specifically dedicated to a specific aspect of automation and of always having the opportunity to introduce new technological developments that will improve productivity and competitiveness of production systems.
But what exactly “integration” means? First of all, the integrated management of activities within the factory, from raw materials to internal logistics: an aspect that concerns both the physical connection between machines and – above all – the “logical” one, i.e. the control of the production process (and of the product) at every single moment.
Only in this way it will be possible to integrate the information generated by the machines with the business processes, in order to have a better visibility on the beating heart of the manufacturing activity.
The second aspect is the integration along the supply chain, thanks to the adoption of specific information systems able to interact with suppliers and customers, to exchange information that allow to minimize the
time-to-market.
This is a fundamental prerequisite for companies wishing to be ready to respond quickly to changing demand conditions. And it is a result that you can only achieve by dominating every aspect of your logistics and production processes.
Knowing, for example, the rate of use of machinery, being able to handle small batches in a cost-effective way, being able to configure a new production in minutes or hours and not in days or weeks are just some examples of what a factory will have to do if it aims at competitivess.
Finally, let me add that not only machines and systems must be “integrated”, but also those who must be able to derive maximum value from these technologies: no goal can be achieved without having highly motivated staff willing to equip itself with new skills that are indispensable to govern such advanced systems.