Start small and use standards wisely in Industry 4.0 game

PICTURE a dim sum manufacturing plant - the factory floor is running smoothly with pieces of dim sum produced like clockwork, raw ingredients are delivered just as the current batch finishes, machines are fixed before they fail, and manufacturing schedules are automatically adjusted to meet a last-minute order.

This is what the future of manufacturing looks like.

We are now in the era of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). Business leaders all over the world recognise the need to get on, or adapt to this digitalisation move. Germany, an industry pioneer in I4.0, plans to invest a total of 40 billion euros in I4.0 applications by 2020, with a projected growth of 153 billion euros.