The digitisation of the manufacturing industry and the rise of smart factories in the future will be reliant on employers’ willingness to focus on people – not processes, according to workflow specialist Intoware.
The statement comes as part of the firm’s latest e-book for the sector, titled ‘Industry 5.0 – Putting People, Not Processes at the Centre of Operations’.
The publication explores the creation of Smart Factories and the move into Industry 5.0 from Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution, which focused on bringing smart technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, the Cloud, wearables and workflow automation to manufacturing.
According to Intoware, the next revolution within the sector should see humans placed back at the centre of industrial production, working in collaboration with technology that’s been designed around the way real employees think and work.
Keith Tilley, CEO, of Intoware, said: “Industry 4.0 has seen the manufacturing industry increasingly integrate new technologies, including the IoT, cloud computing and machine learning throughout their operations and processes.
“However, the human element of smart factories has been somewhat overlooked and, while the need to optimise processes is essential, it isn’t enough on its own.
“To deliver great performance, you must put people first – from frontline workers, to supervisors and managers. Instead of asking what workers can do with technology, with Industry 5.0 we ask what can technology do for workers?
“Manufacturers needs to focus on how they can adopt and introduce technology with their workers’ needs in minds, working collaboratively with the workforce to ease human bottlenecks and move away from paper-based legacy processes that still exist in many organisations.
“By doing this, they can not only save time and money, but boost productivity, harness invaluable data and insights, and increase customer and employee satisfaction, too.”
Intoware’s WorkfloPlus software helps organisations streamline their operations, standardise processes and remove paperwork.
The company’s latest e-book explores Industry 5.0 and its impact on the manufacturing industry, and provides practical steps for the sector to move forward from paper-based processes.
For further information, visit www.intoware.com
