Why Industry 4.0 Is Not as Scary or Costly as You Might Think

By Paul Hogendoorn, Co-Founder, FreePoint Technologies

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Industry 4.0 represents the future state of manufacturing, but with FreePoint, that future can begin now - regardless of the age or state of the factory, the machines, or the IT infrastructure. The FreePoint patented industrial IoT system makes getting started with Industry 4.0simple, cost effective, and most importantly, available today. We start with non-invasively connecting to any machine regardless of age or function, in under 30 minutes. This means that we detect when all of your new and old machines are doing value-added work and present that data in real time to the people who can make a difference right away – tying Industry 4.0 benefits without the need for any special expertise or IT Infrastructure. Our connection hardware works for new and sophisticated machines while still being easily retrofitted to conventional and legacy equipment, without needing one of our technicians.

We know manufacturers have many competing ideas and priorities, especially as we get ready for the post-COVID restart. As the speed and volume of data collection continually increase, manufacturers need to understand how to use the best metrics at their disposal. Specifically regarding IoT and Industry 4.0 -What do you do first? What will have the biggest return? What will bring critical vs. marginal improvement on the shop floor?

  • FreePoint reconnects meaning with work and dignity with labor through by gamification


Leveraging the knowledge we have built by years of working with manufacturers, we offer the head start you need by helping your team establish their baseline and understand which activities are truly adding value on your plant floor. We then help engage your people in the process improvement to drive production capacity improvements of up to 50%. Finally, we help you connect your live, empirical machine data, and your fully engaged people, to your schedule and workflow plan dynamically.

Industry 4.0 represents the future state of manufacturing, but with FreePoint, that future can begin now - regardless of the age or state of the factory, the machines, or the IT infrastructure

Providing your engaged staff with empirical, real time information, and connecting it digitally with your ERP and MRP integration, can result in sustainable production performances of over 50% - in the near future, with the equipment you have today, and to help you attract and retain the work force you need in the future.

Industry 4.0 comes down to connecting: connecting to your machines, connecting with your people, and connecting all your processes, planning and scheduling, digitally. Connecting to your machines is easy. Connecting with your people is critical. And connecting people with plans and equipment digitally lets you respond to changing business requirements, including all the significant challenges that the COVID crisis has presented – working from home, reshoring supply chains, and making workplaces safer.

How we do it.

Through screens on your shop floor and leveraging devices commonly used in all other areas of life, we make information immediately visible to management and shop floor employees and engage them to use “human intelligence” to improve operations in real time. For $1000-$1500 per machine we deliver real-time actionable information, notifications of anomalies, reporting and scheduling solutions to not only streamline your workflow but have a direct positive impact on your bottom line. Manufacturers gain immediate and lasting benefits through the elimination of paper processes, increased data transparency, operational efficiency and capacity throughput, improved employee performance and job satisfaction.

Reports and Dashboards in ShiftWorx
Our newest offering, ShiftWorxPlus allows you to maintain your operations from a distance by logging and reporting on metrics ranging from job, operator, scrap, parts, SKU’s and more. Our360° view into your production process provides a full picture of what is happening shift by shift.

FreePoint reconnects meaning with work and dignity with labor through by gamification. This is of increasing importance to companies seeking to attract and retain the best of the younger generation to fill the jobs being made available by the retiring generation.

Our focus has always been on making the people smarter, because it’s the people that make the machines run better and processes run smoother. When you can expect ROI in days and weeks, it is a powerful motivator to make the transition to industry 4.0 today. If you are wondering how long it will take you to get an ROI from your IIoT investment, Contact us or try out our free ROI calculator today!

Author

Paul is the co-founder of FreePoint Technologies, an award-winning provider of software for the IIoT to manufacturers worldwide. Paul is a keynote speaker and published writer for multiple magazines and newspapers where he shares his passions: to encourage the next generation workforce to pursue a career in manufacturing and to support manufacturers in North America to remain competitive through the adoption of new IIoT technologies.