The industrial sector is fast paced and geared towards solving complex problems in a cost-efficient manner. It is however, a sector that is by nature diverse and segmented, with increasingly specialist knowledge and equipment often narrowing the sector’s focus.

But what if this could change? What if businesses across industry were to work together on solutions? The output would easily exceed the sum of its parts, delivering incredible opportunity for the sector and end-users alike. It’s with this in mind that IBM are seeking to empower the collaboration that will drive the next industrial revolution. Today’s ‘what if’ is tomorrow’s ‘will be’

1 TB of production data is created daily by the average factory, but less than 1% of this data is analysed and acted upon in realtime.1 This is a huge discrepancy, creating potentially huge losses in opportunity for businesses.

IBM seek to redress this with a range of innovative solutions that harness the opportunities on offer with Industry 4.0, from suppliers right across the factory floor, and through to the end-user products.

1 IBM Institute for Business Value, ‘The A.I. effect on industrial products.’ Feb 2018.

Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 leverages high volumes of data with advanced tools to streamline and improve operations right across the industrial sector. Uses include predicting failures and prescribing fixes before they occur, and identifying trends and patterns that suggest new opportunities to explore.

  • Smarter operations
  • Better efficiency
  • Fewer failures
  • Greater outputs
  • Increased productivity
  • Satisfied customers

IBM Watson Internet of Things (IoT)

IBM Watson Machine Learning can leverage system memory and GPUs to support more complex models and higher resolution data. This means that large complex visual images can be processed ultra-fast, allowing insights to be drawn from high definition scans in real time.

IBM Operations Analytics

Designed to turn terabytes of operational data into understandable and actionable business insights, IBM Operations Analytics puts the power firmly in the hands of users. It enables faster comprehension of feedback from operational process, making for more valuable insight and potential.

With IBM, AI and IoT are serving up opportunities never before imaginable, right across the industrial sector. It is with IBM solutions that businesses are not only able to better understand their processes, but also act on them and improve them in realtime, making industry more nimble and competitive than ever before.

Case Study: L’Oréal

Business Problem:

Over the last five years, the world’s largest cosmetics company, L’Oréal, has seen increased growth in small, boutique cosmetics providers who promise to create ‘customised’ cosmetics and other products for skin and hair. In order to compete, L’Oréal has had to find a way for their products to provide the same level of customisation, without losing cost advantage in the marketplace, and commitment to industry-leading R&D.

Solution:

L’Oréal has partnered with IBM Services to better identify and integrate customer purchasing behaviour into their product development strategy. They have leveraged IBM’s Watson IoT platform to drive advanced manufacturing sensors, laser measurements, cameras, and advanced conveyor belts. L’Oréal can now respond nimbly and quickly to changes in their customers’ needs, helping deliver boutique-level service, on a global scale.