As manufacturing becomes more and more dynamic, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that computer networks are key to paving the way for the digital enterprise and optimizing entire value chains. Let’s take a look at some of the current technology trends in networking that can be viewed as crucial for driving the industry forward.
A slow recovery from a period of economic upheaval. Technological advancements spurring the productivity. Increasingly smoothed-out business cycles. This description could very well match the acceleration of the manufacturing industry both in the post-Great War 1920s decade called the “Roaring Twenties” (or “années folles” in France, and the “Goldene Zwanziger Jahre” in Germany), as well as the post-COVID pandemic era happening right in front of our eyes, almost exactly one hundred years later.
However, there is one important thing that sets both timelines and that’s digitalization.
Digitalization has been the key to unlocking a whole lot of amazing new opportunities for the Manufacturing sector in the last decade or so, namely a higher efficiency and flexibility throughout the entire product life cycle. The ability to adapt the production line quickly to the ongoing demand driven by customers and markets. The ever shorter innovation cycles. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
IT networks connecting all the parts of the production processes are fundamental for any successful digital transformation, providing a backbone for consistent, end-to-end integration, digitalization and optimization of the entire value chain. But the thing is, networking technology in itself is undergoing a massive transformation that creates the conditions for even faster, more flexible and more efficient production processes. Let’s see what do these key changes actually look like and how Extreme Networks is helping manufacturing companies lead the way!
1. Data-Driven Decision Making
The key to the digitization of industry lies, unsurprisingly, in the data. By gathering and analyzing data from sensors and other IoT devices, manufacturers are able to gain real-time insights into their operations, empowering them to make decisions that actually increase productivity, lower costs, and improve quality control. However, to able to do that, manufacturing businesses require a robust network infrastructure that will be able to handle great volumes of data created at the edge of the networks. This was reflected nicely in the story of our customer, namely Škoda Auto – one of the largest car manufacturers in Central Europe.
CASE STUDY: Škoda Auto
The company needed a reliable network infrastructure to improve its capacity and connect its distributed locations. The manufacturer deployed Extreme’s wired networking solutions and software, such as Extreme Fabric Connect and Extreme Management Center which includes ExtremeAnalytics, upgrading its backbone network at headquarters, and simultaneously migrating to a virtual infrastructure to connect its manufacturing base and assembly plants over a single system. Extreme’s management and analytics software allowed to centrally monitor and manage the performance of its network and applications across its entire infrastructure:
“With our deliveries increasing substantially and our product portfolio expanding, we wanted to find an innovative way to better meet such demands and grow faster. With our 2025 Strategy in mind, we therefore looked towards deploying a more stable and resilient infrastructure to consolidate our network, reduce costs, and increase efficiencies for our entire team. Thanks to Extreme Networks, we have achieved this as we can manage everything online, and the performance and morale of our IT staff has been boosted. Working with Extreme means that we now have the infrastructure in place to optimize performance across all areas of our business, readying us for further future growth“, says Martin Polak, Coordinator for Network Planning at Škoda Auto.
Read the full customer story:
The history of ingenuity – driving the innovation with ŠKODA AUTO
“Simply clever”, ŠKODA’s legendary tagline, perfectly encapsulates the brand’s philosophy: to make life easier every day via human ingenuity and strive for inventiveness. And not only does it apply to the solutions for various situations drivers have to deal with in lif...
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2. Future-ready through automation and robotics
Automation and robotics are fundamentally changing the way the manufacturing industry operates as a whole. With the help of these new technologies, manufacturers are able to further streamline their processes, improve efficiency, and adapt to changing demands. But to take full advantage of such innovation, manufacturers need – of course, you’ve guessed it by now – a reliable network that guarantees company-wide access to all relevant data – around the clock and in real time.
If unlimited data consistency and transparency is what we’re after, the answer lies in the cloud networking. According to a Gartner research, cloud technologies will account for 65.9% of application software investment in the enterprise IT sector by 2025, up from 57.7% in that year. Manufacturers are now able to make decisions in real-time and keep a competitive edge thanks to greater data and improved analytical skills.
3. Driving innovation with Digital Twins
Modern networking technologies allow manufacturing companies to create a digital copy of the real value chain – a sort of a digital twin on which production processes and operations can be simulated, tested and optimized. It also allows to identify potential security issues before they occur.
However, to take full advantage of digital twins and simulation technologies, manufacturers require a network infrastructure that’s capable of transferring large amounts of data between physical manufacturing processes and digital twin simulations. To enable that, Extreme offers a high-speed wired and wireless network infrastructure, advanced analytics, and machine learning software to facilitate the creation and operation of digital twins and simulation technologies.
Additionally, the ExtremeCloud IQ CoPilot solution helps manufacturers of all sizes to experiment with network digital twins and simulation technologies without disrupting their current network or incurring additional costs, allowing manufacturers to optimize operations, reduce downtime, and stay ahead of the competition.
Learn more about ExtremeCloud IQ CoPilot and its Digital Twin capability:
Extreme has got you covered!
In today’s fast-paced, dynamically-shifting manufacturing environment, companies need a reliable, flexible and well-performing networking solution to meet their mission-critical requirements. Think of it as a sort of conveyor belt that connects all the parts of the production process – it can speed things up, driving better outcomes, but it may as well slow down or even break down, causing businesses to bleed money and resources.
Extreme Networks offers cloud-driven solutions that deliver secure connectivity, centralized management, and AI/ML-driven analytics. These solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of manufacturing businesses and their environments. Allowing manufactures to tackle the challenges of today. While also providing a robust foundation for pursuing more strategic initiatives in the future.
Check some of our other blog entries dedicated to the Manufacturing industry:
Extreme Networks in Manufacturing: the business must flow!
The principal goal of any manufacturing business is to produce profit – to that end, companies work tirelessly to optimize their processes, improve overall performance, and ensure continuous operation. One of the key enablers of that lies in the network. Let’s see how Ex...
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Extreme Fabric Connect: a smart solution for a smart factory
What does the manufacturing industry and network infrastructure have in common? They’re both all about performance. Let’s see how a hyper-reliable, easily managed and highly secure Fabric network can shift your factory to a higher gear!
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