Along with IoT and AI, cognitive technologies are part of the Industry 4.0 wave revolutionizing the manufacturing process. Cognitive manufacturing pairs cognitive technology with IoT and advanced data analytics, providing manufacturers with an opportunity to thoroughly optimize their operations based on large amounts of structured and unstructured data from a wide variety of sources. Various applications for cognitive manufacturing can be used to help businesses address a range of problems, including:
Product Quality
All businesses have their key performance metrics they want to focus on improving, with product quality being a very common one. Cognitive manufacturing can be used to effectively address many of these types of performance metrics. In terms of product quality, for instance, cognitive technologies can leverage a significant amount of data from all stages of the product development cycle that can be used to increase accuracy and prevent losses due to defects, with the added benefit of improving customer satisfaction.
Asset Performance
We’ve all heard the adage that time is money and that’s very true in the world of manufacturing, where equipment failure can result in very costly amounts of downtime. When leveraged for asset performance, cognitive technology can be used to detect when equipment needs maintenance so that it can be repaired before the equipment fails. Not only can this technology detect potential issues based on data about prior performance, it can also pull information from resources like user manuals and past maintenance logs and use that information to recommend actions for technicians to take.
Resource Optimization
All companies have a finite amount of resources to work with, both financially and in terms of human labor and tools for production. With cognitive manufacturing, it’s possible for companies to utilize those resources as efficiently as possible. This type of application can range from reducing energy consumption, to identifying and correcting layout inefficiencies, to optimizing scheduling to improving compliance with necessary safety regulations.
Supply Chain Optimization
One of the biggest supply chain challenges companies face is a lack of visibility, with data scattered between different sources. Cognitive technologies can effectively compile all that data and enable businesses to leverage that information to anticipate risks that could impact the supply chain so they can be mitigated before they become problems.
Cognitive Manufacturing Solutions
With deep industry and supply chain expertise, Bristlecone offers cognitive manufacturing solutions designed with the future in mind. Our solutions are driven by speed, transparency, connectivity and resiliency, meeting your needs both for today and well into the future.