Introduction
A lot of business owners have asked me how they can use technology to boost their company, and that’s precisely today’s topic. I want to show you how you can migrate from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0 by giving you three practical steps that you can implement starting from today.
The Need for Change
Businesses operating traditionally are at risk of becoming obsolete. The reason is simple: there is no constant in business. You either grow or you die. We have countless examples of companies that failed to adapt and subsequently vanished. Conversely, companies like Google, Uber, and Tesla have leveraged technology to achieve exponential growth. Yet, most companies today still don’t take full advantage of available technology, remaining stuck in a “swords versus rifles” scenario, where they lack the ultimate tools needed to compete effectively.
Understanding Industry 3.0
What is Industry 3.0? Broadly defined, it involves machines and software but with a slower response to market changes, high operational costs, limited data transparency, and scalability issues. The core problem is its human-centric nature, which introduces constraints and bottlenecks. Employees need to communicate with various software, leading to errors, extensive training, and significant resource investment. As companies grow and add more solutions, these issues compound, making the system increasingly fragile and inefficient.
Transition to Industry 4.0
There’s a better alternative: Industry 4.0. This approach removes humans from the core operational loop, resulting in increased efficiency and productivity, easy scalability, data transparency, and competitive advantages. Industry 4.0 is data and process-centric, not human-centric. Simply put, there is no human error, you have instant updates, and there is no onboarding and training needed. Systems communicate with one another with minimal human interaction, reducing errors and training needs while ensuring smooth operations. This method is how companies like Google and Tesla achieve rapid growth.
With the goal to migrate from Industry 3.0 towards Industry 4.0 in mind, we’re going to cover three main subjects: Integrations and how to utilize the power of complex automation just by pressing one button, Dashboards and how to make data-driven decisions and not emotionally-driven decisions, and lastly, Artificial Intelligence and how we can integrate it in all of these processes. Let’s explore how we can put businesses on autopilot.
Step 1: Integrations
Our first step is to have processes in place, either on paper or in a digital format. After that, we need software that is working within those processes and that can be integrated to work with other software as a whole. Utilizing complex automation allows seamless communication between systems with just one button press.
For example, an email can automatically trigger actions across customer support, CRM, and ticketing systems, notifying the relevant developer. This automation eliminates human error, delays, and fragility, ensuring everything runs smoothly and is monitored effectively. Creating such integrations is crucial for scaling your business.
Step 2: Dashboards
Next, let’s talk about dashboards. Most companies have data, but it’s often not correlated, spread across multiple systems and because of that, it is too complex and overwhelming. It can’t be analyzed properly and that’s leading to missed opportunities and guess-based decision-making. By consolidating all data into a single dashboard from various sources like CRM and ERP, you enable accurate, data-driven decisions. Each organizational layer, from staff to management to the board of directors, can benefit from tailored dashboards that provide transparency, accountability, and actionable insights.
This can help, for example, the management team make strategic, data-driven decisions because they see the progress of the employees, can give bonuses, can train the least performing ones.
Step 3: Artificial Intelligence
Finally, integrating artificial intelligence can propel your business to new heights. AI bundles everything together, using existing systems and data to create a seamless, intelligent interface. Employees can interact with AI through conversational commands, making data queries and process updates straightforward and efficient. AI can also assist with onboarding, providing knowledge and automating tasks, further reducing human error and increasing productivity.
Conclusion
The transition from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0 involves three key steps: integrating systems, leveraging dashboards for data-driven decisions, and incorporating AI to optimize processes. The beauty of this approach is that it builds on your existing infrastructure without requiring a complete overhaul. If you’re interested in learning more or seeking a personalized solution, let’s explore how we can take your business to the next level together.