GENERAL NEWS
Measuring digital maturity
Digital transformation innovation and adoption significantly accelerated in 2022 , but there is still a long way to go . According to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research , on a scale of 0 to 5 , the manufacturing sector scores an average of 2.4 for digital maturity on the ABI Research Digital Transformation Index . ‘ Automotive ’ took the lead with an index of 3.7 , followed by ‘ Electronics / High Tech ’ at 3.3 .
“ There are massive differences in digital maturity and needs across companies and industries ,” explained industrial & manufacturing research director , Ryan Martin . “ An industry like automotive is going through tremendous change in the shift to electric and autonomous vehicles . This presents a unique opportunity for companies like Ford , GM and Hyundai to completely revamp
Image : Shutterstock . com . operations as new cohorts of suppliers join rising OEMs other than Tesla , including Rivian , Polestar and Fisker .
“ The manufacturing requirements for these companies is unique compared to precision agriculture companies John Deere , AGCO and Caterpillar ; pharmaceuticals made by J & J , Pfizer and Merck ; and fast-moving consumer goods from the likes of Unilever and P & G . Some of these companies are still transitioning from paper lists to digital work orders , while others are formulating strategies and use cases for the industrial metaverse ,” he added .
The ABI Research Digital Transformation Index measures and benchmarks digital maturity along the lines of seven key criteria including robotics ; manufacturing process ; software ; control ; data management
and analytics ; connectivity and worker enablement . The scale ranges from level- 0 ( human-controlled ) to level 5 ( lights-out manufacturing ).
An increasing number of examples stand out in terms of next-level digital integration and autonomy , said the analyst , including Mercedes ’ Factory 56 facility in Sindelfingen and the new Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin ( Germany ). However , it commented , “ these remain outliers that others hope to emulate .” Most facilities are brownfield environments that need to retrofit sensors and manage the machines upon which they have relied for years . The accelerant in the mix is a new and growing cohort of industrial cloud software offerings ranging from CAD and PLM to MES and plant-scale simulation that are becoming increasingly attractive to manufacturers of all sizes and industries , albeit in varying degrees and with varying rates of adoption .
“ Big Return on Investment ( ROI ) projects with undefined or lengthy periods of return simply do not cut it in the current macroeconomic environment ,” outlined Martin . “ Manufacturers need to improve or maintain the current order of business through quick wins that solve immediate challenges and pain points . At the same time , suppliers want to ensure they deliver that same value to the customer . Level 5 ‘ lights-out ’ manufacturing at scale is still a way out .” n
. abiresearch . com
High-level forum on European standardisation
The European Commission held the first meeting of the newly launched High-Level Forum on European Standardisation in January 2023 . It brought together a broad range of European stakeholders ( companies , industry associations , academia , public authorities and standardisation bodies , among others ) to help set priorities , advise on standardisation needs and contribute to the European Union ’ s role as a global standard-setter .
This first meeting highlighted the fundamental role of standards in the European single market , to ensure the interoperability of products and services , improve their safety and enhance competition and innovation . Commissioner for the Internal Market , Thierry Breton , in his address to the High-Level Forum , emphasised the crucial role that standards will play in delivering the EU ’ s green and digital transition , by allowing companies to accelerate the market roll-out of clean and digital technologies and supporting their access to international markets .
CECIMO , the European association of machine-tool industries and related manufacturing technologies , has been a proactive player in the standardisation field .
“ We are strongly convinced that , for the long-term [ success ] of the High-Level Forum on European Standardisation , the machine tool industry must remain a key stakeholder . Therefore , we believe it is essential for the
Forum to work across multiple key areas , and we look forward to a fruitful and constructive collaboration in this Forum to effectively highlight the key specificities , needs and challenges of the European Standardisation System ,” said Filip Geerts , CECIMO Director General . n