Just as lean manufacturing is about more than eliminating waste, Industry 4.0 is not merely a matter of connecting machines and products via the Internet.
By now, we’ve all heard the hype: The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will fundamentally change manufacturing and offer a cornucopia of benefits, including increased efficiency, higher quality and more responsive supply chains.
But, as with any automation project, reaping those benefits doesn’t happen by accident. It takes considerable planning and the right combination of hardware and software.