In the era of smart manufacturing, there are numerous, continually developing opportunities for organisations to drive productivity.
From robotics to the industrial internet of things (IIoT), the list of key components of Industry 4.0 continues to grow. But the key element underpinning all these innovations and activities can be described in a single word dating back to at least the 1640s: data.
Of course, data analysis long predates the first use of the word; the earliest known writings on statistical analysis appeared in Al-Kindi’s 9th Century work ‘Manuscript on Deciphering Cryptographic Messages’.
