The fourth industrial revolution is here. You are going to hear me say it time & time again. The old way of conducting business is changing right before our eyes. Thankfully, for quality experts such as myself we are adopting to the change and acknowledging that our understanding and mastery of quality concepts mean more today than before.
The article attach identifies how technology specifically 5G, data chips, & AI will change manufacturing. Below is a brief description of the need for quality as technology advances.
Prediction 1: 5G will have more machine than human customers. Man, can you imagine more machines utilizing 5G than cell phones, computers, laptops & tablets? I can. In the 4th industrial revolution massive amounts of data will be continuously dumped into data banks in the cloud for computing and analyzing. To be effective & timely 4G just won’t do. Fyi, we’re are not just talking manufacturing plants, we are talking cities & homes. Quality professionals will be called on to do what we do best and interpret the influx of data to make the best business decisions.
Prediction 2: In 2020, the B-2-B-2-C model will start to compete in earnest with the B-2-C model. As our products become technologically advanced with chips that are smaller in size but with greater capacity & speed, product providers with assistance from their data analysis will become service providers by being able to detect and offer such services as predictive maintenance with justification.
Prediction 3: By 2022, more than half of manufacturers will have invested in AI technology and improved productivity by over 10%. In just 2 short years this article is predicting almost half of the manufacturers in the US will have invested in artificial intelligence. Meaning computers in the work environment will be able to mimic human performance. The learning curve for the equipment & personnel will need to be monitored & evaluated for effectiveness. Machine learning & AI has the ability to exponential increase profit margins however implementation is key to obtain the expected return on investment.
In all 3 predictions quality professionals play a vital role in various forms, whether data analysis, business intelligence, design for six sigma, & process flow just to name a few. Technology has not placed Quality on the back burner but increased the level of attention to detail necessary for the 4th Industrial Revolution. We will have smaller margins for error, time will be of essence even more than today.
Keep the data flowing with the intelligence to understand & act accordingly.
