3 Big Takeaways from this episode:
1) Industry 4.0 and digital transformation must be collaborative efforts: This concept is unfamiliar in manufacturing where companies hold tightly to their "secret sauce," but the rate of change of technology today makes it imperative that organizations share their knowledge and best practices around Industry 4.0. At Automation Alley, the mindset is share what you know; take what you need. We discuss the roles that companies, academic institutions, government and other entities must play in this collaborative effort.
2) Industry 4.0 readiness is about business culture, too: While so much focus is placed on technology, Automation Alley's research with small to midsize companies has shown that it's really about company culture and a willingness to change - and that might mean disrupting business models from a capital-asset-focused strategy. Hear Tom share the four biggest barriers to change for SMBs and how he scores the U.S. for Industry 4.0 readiness.
3) The workforce will be massively disrupted by Industry 4.0: Disrupting business models, changing technologies, reshoring manufacturing to the U.S. and an aging manufacturing workforce all play into this idea - that the manufacturing workforce will be greatly disrupted by Industry 4.0. Echoing earlier sentiments, the workforce challenge should be solved through collaboration, company culture, and building connections between academia and industry.
