Putting manufacturing operations management in the cloud
Manufacturing Operations/Management (MOM) software has long been confined to on-premises systems. But, as sensors and devices become part of the Internet of Things (IoT), MOM software applications are expected to follow the same path to cloud-based operation. The 2015-2016 Manufacturing Metrics that Really Matter Summary Report, released by the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International and LNS Research, looks at manufacturers’ levels of awareness and their deployment of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), as well as cloud-based application solutions to optimize their plant operations.
When asked how the IoT is affecting their businesses today, manufacturers indicated they are much more aware of it than they were last year (44 percent of respondents vs. 19 percent in 2015). This increased awareness is indicated in another statistic: In 2016, one-third of respondents said they were still investigating the impact of IoT on their business, compared to just 21 percent in 2015. While the number of significant investments in IoT haven’t greatly increased, the study did reveal a large-scale rise in education and awareness of IoT and IIoT over the last year. The report’s authors expect to see more IoT acceptance in the coming months and years.