The Indian manufacturing space has been witnessing a technological transformation that is changing the look of the current factory set-up. Internet of things (IoT) has already brought about a new wave of technological change, which is decentralising and automating production processes. The manufacturing industry in fact has its own version of IoT, known as industrial IoT (IIoT), that incorporates machine-to-machine communication and automation technologies. IIoT in manufacturing holds great potential for quality control, sustainable and green practices, supply chain traceability and overall supply chain efficiency. IIoT clubbed with the power of cloud computing and cognitive computing has given rise to a new concept of industry 4.0. It captures the current trends of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and creates what can be called as “smart factories”.
Smart manufacturing involves the virtual tracking of capital assets, processes, resources and products, and covers all aspects of the business, including plant operations, supply chain, product design and demand management. This gives enterprises full visibility, which in turn helps in streamlining business processes, and optimising supply and demand.
Enterprises in the manufacturing space today are going digital with the adoption of cloud solutions that lower costs, raise efficiency and boost profits. Companies are increasingly using a combination of social, mobile, analytics and cloud technologies, to increase customer engagement, tap exponential growth opportunities and enhance productivity. Fully managed enterprise grade digital cloud solutions save cost by moving key enterprise applications – ERP, SCM and MES to the cloud. These involve zero capex, and there is no issue of technology obsolescence. Through a virtual infrastructure, based on the pay-per-use model, enterprises can easily cater to the fluctuating demands, automatic scaling of resources and production output, and thereby adapt to the changing market demands by modulating processes, people and equipment.
Clearly, for manufacturers, technology is playing a pivotal role in making processes, resources and people digital and thereby more efficient and cost-effective. Manufacturing companies today look for ICT champions who can help them undertake this digital journey.
Sify Technologies offers in-depth knowledge and relevant solutions for multiple digital trends in the manufacturing space. Its data centres, network solutions and expert staff offer the relevant support required by manufacturing companies to make their digital journey a success. From consulting projects to managed cloud services to application design, Sify offers a variety of solutions that can help an organisation to go digital. These include transition to new platforms for business systems, data-driven manufacturing solutions, infrastructure migration to cloud platforms, machine learning-based production and quality control, IoT solutions for smart manufacturing and connected factories, automation and robotics solutions, as well as augmented reality solutions on the factory floor.
Sify transforms IT operations of a manufacturing conglomerate
The client is a south India-based chemical manufacturing company, which was in need of major IT overhaul. Its data centre and disaster recovery services had become extremely outdated. The company lacked efficient and effective IT tools and processes. Moreover, it was locked with an incumbent IT service provider for over a decade, and there were hardly any new IT practices or processes that were introduced.
In such a scenario, Sify stepped in and ensured the transformation of services within six months. A service desk was established for end-user support. Meanwhile, new IT tools and the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) process was also introduced. Further, Sify undertook asset outsourcing and management of over 2,800 devices of the company. Besides, its customer data centre was also migrated to Sify’s facility. Meanwhile, a three-year managed services contract was signed between the two companies.
The transformation ushered in several key benefits such as higher uptime of service levels and infrastructure; seamless transition to managed services; introduction of state-of-the-art tools, process and procedures; secure application access through a BYOD (bring your own device) platform and reduced cost of DC operations. The company now uses a dashboard to get a view of the IT services, asset utilisation and cost, all at one place.
