The Fourth Industrial Revolution has transformed the way manufacturing is carried out, giving rise to intelligent or smart manufacturing. This innovative approach involves a substantial advance in traditional product manufacturing processes, thanks to the rapid development of technology.

The use of an Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) can help you optimize your production stages, integrating them with infrastructure and digital advances. In this way, you can turn your manufacturing processes into smart manufacturing and be at the forefront of the industry.

Throughout human history, when a new disruptive technology appears and paves the way for a wave of innovations that allow for changes in how things are seen and done, we arrive at an Industrial Revolution. The latest one, known as Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution, takes digitalization as a critical element of success for companies.

The first Industrial Revolution emerged with steam engines; the second with the use of electricity in industries; the third with major improvements in electronic devices and automation; and the most recent, known as Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has digitalization as a critical success element for companies.

• Cheap information storage. The storage capacity and its proper use have reached a level of maturity that allows for collecting, storing, retrieving, and managing large amounts of data. A very valuable asset for companies.
  

• High speed and computing power. The speed of current machines grows every day, as does their capacity for data processing and analysis. Big data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence continue to gain ground.
  

• Connectivity beyond space. Thanks to the improvement of internet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity, connectivity has ceased to be a problem of space, allowing interconnection, even remotely, in industrial contexts. Meanwhile, information security has advanced by its side.
   

1. Connectivity

Tasks that traditionally reside locally in the factory can be moved to the loud and managed remotely.This increases the performance, cost-efficiency, and flexibility of factories. An ERP is an excellent tool to achieve this objective.Cloud computing.

Cloud computing is the most efficient and powerful way today, allowing access to shared resources on demand. Additionally, it has allowed the emergence of powerful enablers such as cloud ERPs, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence, driving additional skills in smart manufacturing.

La Security is a fundamental requirement for smart manufacturing and reliable cooperation throughout the value chains. It covers the comprehensive protection of information technology in production systems, as well as machines and plants against sabotage, espionage, or manipulation.

A blockchain is a decentralized and distributed digital ledger, resistant to manipulation, which allows for secure and transparent transaction recording. In Smart Manufacturing, it can be used to automate the supply chain, manage assets and products, and securely record IoT  devices.

Note: IoT devices are physical objects, such as sensors or actuators, that are connected to the internet and can send and receive data. These devices are used in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, to collect data and enable process automation. In the context of blockchain and smart manufacturing, IoT devices can be used to monitor and record the status of products and assets in real-time, allowing for greater efficiency and transparency in the supply chain.

The science of robotics has been used in industrial spaces since 1970 in the form of programmable mechanisms in multiple axes and with a degree of autonomy to carry out specific tasks. Industrial robots are reprogrammable manipulators used in industrial automation applications. This science has evolved beyond manufacturing and is now used in a variety of applications and service domains.

Augmented reality is an interactive experience where you can view objects in their true proportions and even interact with them thanks to computer-generated information. Augmented and mixed reality enables connection and communication between the real and virtual world, as well as data and function visualization and simulation.

Additive manufacturing is a process of material joining to create 3D objects from model data, as opposed to subtractive and formative manufacturing. It allows for the creation of new and personalized structural designs by removing limitations in material removal. Additive manufacturing and smart manufacturing are highly complementary concepts.

Simulation is an approximate imitation of the behavioral characteristics of a physical or abstract system through a static or dynamic model. In smart manufacturing, it is used for product and process engineering, including the supply chain. It is also fundamental for the creation of digital twins and virtual prototypes.

IoT is an interconnected infrastructure of objects, people, systems, and information resources with intelligent services to process information from the physical and virtual world and react. IoT is a key concept for smart manufacturing as it allows for real-time data-driven decision making and the implementation of cyber-physical systems. It uses standardized technologies such as an ERP that allows you to connect your devices, cloud computing, big data, digital twins, and artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a system of automated methods and entities that construct, optimize, and apply a model to compute predictions, recommendations, or decisions. This enabler can be key for smart manufacturing as it provides the ability to compute large amounts of data to produce information. ISO is still working on standards to ensure data quality, governance, trust, ethics, and social issues related to AI.

Industry 4.0 has brought about a true revolution in the global manufacturing sector, allowing for the creation of smart factories that use advanced digital technologies to optimize and automate production processes. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have become a key tool for efficiently managing your company's resources to increase productivity and profitability.
 

El sistema ERP de código abierto, Odoo, ofrece una solución integral para la gestión de tu cadena de suministro y manufactura en  tu industria y en Vauxoo somos los mejores implementándolo en todo latinoamérica. Sus módulos de Manufactura te permiten una gestión optimizada de los procesos de producción, desde la planificación y programación de la producción hasta la gestión de almacenes e inventarios, pasando por la automatización de los procesos de registro de asistencia y la gestión de los centros de trabajo.

Implementing an ERP system like Odoo in your Smart Manufacturing will allow you to optimize production processes, reduce lead times, improve the quality of your products, and increase customer satisfaction. Additionally, centralized management of all aspects of your company will allow you to make informed and strategic decisions based on precise data.

Industry 4.0 has driven the evolution of traditional manufacturing towards smart factories, and digitalization has become a critical element for industries. Join this trend from your Odoo instance, start using available technological tools, and take your production processes to the pinnacle of success.