Today, industrial modernization plays a significant role in how businesses move forward in what many are calling the 4th Industrial Revolution. The widespread adoption and integration of intelligent, innovative technologies in the manufacturing and process industries is driving this modern era.
For the last 10 years, several industry terms have been coined, including smart factory, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing. The details of each differ somewhat, but they are often used interchangeably. These terms are the stepping stones for businesses looking to modernize their processes. They each share a vision to build on the digital innovations of the 80s and 90s, including the introduction and universal adoption of computer-based industrial process and machine control systems. MESA International’s Smart Manufacturing Working Group defines smart manufacturing as “the intelligent, real-time orchestration and optimization of business, physical and digital processes within factories and across the entire value chain. Resources and processes are automated, integrated, monitored and continuously evaluated based on all available information as close to real-time as possible.”
