Looking forward into 2021, Smart Factory technology and aerospace engineering consulting firm Crean, Inc. provides key insights based on conversations with industry experts – and what to expect for Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 in the year ahead.
Crean, Inc. Vice President of Strategic Operations, Franco van Heijningen, discussed the latest opportunities and challenges in the industry as a result of the proliferation of sensors, internet of things, IOT, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and collaborative robots, during the Digital 360 Summit 2020.
“Speaking to industry experts made it clear that the focus of the year ahead should be on encouraging those involved in Smart Factory solutions to understand the full scope of the work they’re doing,” van Heijningen said. “Engineers need to view it from the human side of the business, just as those who are on the floor need to understand the technical operations. Doing so will promote a greater understanding and appreciation for the complexity and benefits of Smart Factory solutions in the workplace.”
Industry experts for the Space Leadership Keynote and Smart Factory Industry 4.0 panel include George Salazar (Human Computing Interfaces Chief Engineer and Leader at NASA), Dr. Jesus Jimenez (TXST), Michael Raiford (Raiford LLC / Former Samsung), Dr. Tune Lerher (University of Maribor) and Dr. Damian Valles (TXST, John Dywer – CMG / Former Flextronics), and Andres Carvallo (CEO of CMG and Professor of Innovation/Co-Director of CIEDAR at Texas State). The panel explored topics such as how new technologies are changing the manufacturing industry, as well as the necessary changes facilities must make to enable smart manufacturing environments.
“Digital transformation is in full swing, and as tech continues to evolve in 2021, you have to bring the people along,” van Heijningen said. “We’ve always maintained a strong focus on making people the primary step when assessing people, process and technology for our clients. If you don’t focus on bringing everyone into the solution as part of your deployment, you may not get out of it what you thought.”
About
Crean Inc. is a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) for U.S. government contracting purposes as well as the manufacturing industry sector. Crean Inc. provides services to industries looking to be at the cutting edge of innovation in engineering and Smart Factory production operations. The firm is located at 1200 Lakeway Drive, Suite 7, in Austin, Texas. For additional information, call Crean Inc. at (512)-337-6587 or visit https://creaninc.com.
