Data Woes Stifling Manufacturing
Manufacturing depends a lot on data. Data is one of the top manufacturing technology trends and is the basis for day-to-day work as well as strategic initiatives. New research by Forrester Consulting for Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence shows that almost all manufacturers are struggling with data issues, impacting their ability to roll out advanced technologies. This leaves them at risk of being left behind their rivals, the report reveals. So, what are these data issues and do they impact the cybersecurity of manufacturing firms? Let us find out in this blog.
Findings on Data Issues
Some data points around specific findings include the following:
- 98% of manufacturers report at least one issue with data within their organization. Leaders are considering real-time collaboration, AI, and automation, but persistent data challenges stifle innovation and impede the roll-out of such advanced manufacturing technologies.
- These data woes contributed to 97% of manufacturers facing challenges in collaboration and productivity, which can impact their ability to innovate and delay responding to customers’ needs.
- The majority of business leaders realize that better collaboration can improve product quality (88%), time to market (86%) and sustainability, with 82% of respondents believing better communication between design and manufacturing teams can significantly reduce material waste and emissions.
- Despite this, almost three-quarters (71%) are concerned about the lack of synergy between their design and manufacturing teams.
- Only 2% of manufacturers claimed to be problem-free with their data practices.
- 37% of manufacturers are falling behind their rivals and should be considered ‘laggards’, as they have failed to automate any phase of their manufacturing process partially or fully. This is compared to a quarter of manufacturers that should be considered the ‘leaders’ in the market, as they have highly or fully decentralized automation incorporated into at least two phases of their manufacturing processes.
- Additionally, 58% of leaders report increased staff productivity and innovation, versus 35% of laggards.
What About Cybersecurity?
While the report did not go into detail about the cyber status of manufacturing, it is not difficult to connect the dots. Manufacturing organizations that struggle with implementing new technologies, along with accessing and sharing the data being generated by current software and automated processes, would seem to also have issues with protecting any OT assets. While some might point to a lack of technology and data management platforms as limiting the attack surface and potentially making their enterprise less palatable to hackers, this mindset has been proven wrong numerous times throughout the steel fabrication sector. The reality is that to improve operational efficiency and stay competitive, investments in the areas addressed by Hexagon’s research are essential. But just as essential is working hand-in-hand with IT and OT teams to ensure all these platforms are being integrated with cybersecurity in mind. Accompanying these priorities should be well-defined and thorough plans and strategies for managing, monitoring, and updating these OT assets with the proper cybersecurity protocols. Essentially, this report not only identifies the numerous missed opportunities from a technological investment perspective (such as incorporating sampling processes in manufacturing), but as a reminder of the role cybersecurity needs to play when developing plans for introducing these new tools into the manufacturing organization.
Closing Remarks
It can thus be observed that there are a multitude of data challenges facing the industrial sector today, and it may impact cybersecurity as well. As the importance of data grows, manufacturing firms have an increased responsibility to ensure clean, consistent, and up-to-date data in legacy systems and this will help to improve the performance of manufacturing firms overall. There is a saying that “Data is King” – and it is totally relevant in this scenario!