As the Director of strategy for The Nerdery, Tagee Khaled is in a special position to speculate about the future of technology in manufacturing. Here he discusses what he is most excited for in emerging technology, as well as ways companies can use the new tech to their advantage.
Taqee Khaled
Director of Strategy, The Nerdery
In recent years, manufacturers have begun to adopt technologies leading to the creation of the term industry 4.0. What are the biggest benefits for manufacturers in embracing this digital transformation?
Manufacturers can diversify their revenue and add customer value by offering not just products alone, but products-as-a-service through data-enabled ecosystems. Success requires effective integration of new technologies and readiness to deliver. It’s critically important to assess existing digital assets companies have in terms of people, processes and technology, as well as marketplace momentum needed to credibly deliver new services.
Most people hear Internet of Things (IoT) and think of refrigerators that are suddenly connected to WiFi. In reality, there’s much more to it. How are manufacturers leveraging industrial IoT?
IoT means having deeper understanding about entire fleets and systems of devices, with manufacturers no longer just selling a part or machine, but a data-enabled service that furthers their understanding of products – even post-sale. We see companies who can manage the transition effectively winning market share earlier.
All of these technologies are changing the industry in different ways. What industry 4.0 technology are you most excited about going forward?
I’m most excited about AI, given machine and deep-learning advances paired with natural language processing and voice. However, interesting technologies are also emerging in edge computing, where we see better sensors providing more complex and real-time embedded analysis occurring within the device itself.
