Digital Transformation Value Indicators for a Sustainable and Circular Economy
Figure
2-2 : Enablers of digital transformation in smart manufacturing . Source : IIC .
Many organizations are adopting such technologies to transform manufacturing production systems from paper to digital and implement solutions such as predictive maintenance , asset performance management , process control , operator training and spare parts inventory reduction to name a few .
In addition to enabling digital transformation in manufacturing , here are a few examples of how IoT can have a direct impact on the efforts of manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprint :
Industrial automation-based process control : IoT can help reduce the carbon footprint by optimizing the manufacturing processes and reducing the energy consumption and waste generated by inefficient or faulty operations [ 3 ][ 4 ].
Quality control : IoT can help reduce the carbon footprint by detecting defects or anomalies in real-time and preventing defective products from being produced or shipped , which would otherwise require rework or disposal and consume more resources and energy [ 3 ][ 4 ].
Condition-based maintenance : IoT can help reduce the carbon footprint by monitoring equipment health and performance and scheduling maintenance based on actual condition rather than fixed intervals , which would avoid unnecessary or excessive maintenance activities that consume more resources and energy [ 3 ][ 4 ].
Smart metering : IoT can help reduce the carbon footprint by monitoring and managing energy consumption and costs across different machines , departments , or facilities , which would reduce waste and improve efficiency and enable better energy management [ 5 ][ 6 ].
Journal of Innovation 139