InfinityQS in the News: Whether you call it Industry 4.0, the smart factory, or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), technology and the need for increased efficiency and reduced waste are pushing manufacturing toward a revolution in how we produce things. Quality sat down with Jason Chester, Director of Global Channel Programs for InfinityQS, to discuss the role of SPC and other important information for those aspiring to a smart factory operation. This is part one of the three-part series of our conversation.
Quality: Where does SPC fit into the key characteristics of the smart factory or Industry 4.0, i.e. integration across entire enterprises/supply chains?
Jason Chester: The smart factory, or Industry 4.0, is the application of modern connected digital technologies across the entire factory, enterprise, or supply chain to optimize those operations across three core dimensions:
- Minimizing cost—such as operating costs, efficiency, productivity, waste, etc.
- Maximizing value—such as agility, flexibility, responsiveness, product quality, and customer satisfaction, etc.
- Mitigating risk—such as supply and demand volatility, production risks (e.g., equipment failures), and, of course, product quality risks.