Chris Parsons

It is with great pleasure that we note that the 2020 Gartner Critical Capabilities Report for Manufacturing Execution Systems, recognizes Critical Manufacturing with the highest product scores for three use cases.

Industry 4.0 and automation & robotics have grown in importance in today’s manufacturing landscape. What role do these technologies have in improving process efficiency and capacity? Chris Parsons, Critical Manufacturing, explains how manufacturing execution systems (MES) can improve process capacity.

Innovative medical device companies are embracing the Industry 4.0 paradigm for smart manufacturing to support outcome based models. They recognize that they cannot manufacture and market next generation, disruptive and personalized products with last generation processes and legacy systems.

Augmented-Reality (AR) is very much part of the digital revolution in manufacturing. By simply donning a hands-free headset, workers can add a virtual layer of contextual information on top of what they see before them along with detailed information about a machine or process.

With all the focus on new technologies and how the world of manufacturing is digitally transforming, it is easy to lose sight of what the repercussions will be with regards to how people will do their job. One thing is certain – it will be different!

Instead of a painful, time-consuming and costly process, what if being audited by the FDA, or any other regulatory body, was just part of the day to day routine? For the MedTech industry this makes perfect sense – it would not only reduce the financial overheads associated with being audited, it would also substantially reduce time and business risk.

To bake a good cake, you must get the processes right. These include mixing to the right consistency and baking at the correct temperature for the appropriate length of time – but fundamental to your success is the recipe. To create your masterpiece, you must add the right ingredients in the proper quantities. The same is true for the MedTech manufacturers producing combination medical devices.

Some time ago in 2019 Tom Jenks wrote a great article that defined a Digital Twin and provided a high-level overview of the potential benefits. This technology has come of age, given recent advances that have occurred with the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning and Artificial Intelligence. By providing access to a greater number of data points coupled with the ability to better predict other variables, it is now possible to achieve far greater calibration between the physical and digital worlds. These developments have significantly increased the value of the Digital Twin.