Printing factory in Cracow, Poland (Julo/Fotopolska.eu, CC BY-SA)
In the report entitled “Digitalization Productivity Bonus: Sector Insights” this amount has been called the “productivity bonus resulting from digitization”. The major bonus is an increase in the ability to manufacture the same quantity of goods at reduced costs or increased quantities of goods at unchanged costs. The solutions of the so-called Industry 4.0 are supposed to be the best way to achieve such results.
The first analyzed industry – machine engineering – thanks to machine learning, modularization of machines and SCADA systems (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) supervising and collecting process data, the total gains from the productivity increase could reach between USD1.4-2.1bn.
The second – printing, packaging and paper industry – is also keeping abreast of these developments. It is starting to successfully utilize solutions, such as: smart packaging with built-in RFID chips; technology allowing monitoring of the processes, timely flow of goods, or cloud-based relations between customers and manufacturers. An even broader application of similar technologies should provide a productivity bonus of between USD0.5-0.8bn.
The plastics industry is also changing. New technologies introduced allow local producers to gain access to the global market. This includes robotics, virtual testing, economic prototyping and reading data from devices in real time. The productivity bonus resulting from digitization in this sector will amount to between USD0.7-1.1bn.
Industry 4.0 technologies will also play a significant role in the automotive industry. The future car production environment needs to be more flexible – it has to transition from a rigid production chain to a modular production system. Thanks to technology, mass-produced vehicles that can also be “tailored” to the needs of individual customers could become reality. Siemens estimates that the productivity bonus resulting from digitization in this sector will reach between USD0.5-0.8bn.
The full report can be found here.