Manufacturing enterprises often operate in a cut-throat environment. Pressured by competitors from abroad and at home, they seek new ways to improve the quality of their products, reduce production costs, and boost the efficiency and flexibility of their operations. Advances in such “smart” technologies as artificial intelligence, cloud and edge computing, and IoT, fueled by an explosion of data, have created ample opportunities for companies to not only stay in the game, but to gain a significant competitive edge. This article discusses how legacy manufacturing enterprises can harness the latest technologies, to optimize factory operations without having to ramp up infrastructure investment.
