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16 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2021 Feature by Steve Williams THE RIGHT APPROACH CONSULTING Introduction It can be challenging to stay current with the vernacular of our industry; terms like IoT, M2M, Industry 4.0 and smart processes appear in just about every publication we see. Buzz- words aside, the substance behind these tech- nologies is here to stay and driving this fourth- generation industrial revolution. Next Gen Manufacturing If we accept that Industry 3.0 is defined as the computerization and automation of fac- tory floor processes to make them "smart," then I suggest that Industry 4.0 is defined as the expansion of this idea to include all the support processes required to manufacture a quality product. By connecting factory-floor computers with all the logistic-based comput- ers throughout the supply chain, Industry 4.0 will revolutionize how companies make stuff. Adding in smart algorithms, machine learning and customer connectivity will transform our current linear/sequential processing into the next generation of "smart processes." For this to occur, the five characteristics below are crit- ical for a successful transition. 1. IIoT Smart factories require the core underlying processes to be connected and "talking" to gen- erate the data necessary to make real-time pro- cess decisions, that is, the IIoT (Industrial Inter- net of Things). In a truly connected factory, an ongoing continuous dialog between machines, business processes, suppliers and customers is happening in the background. This dialog is not only interactive, but proactive, as a con- stant stream of real-time data is tweaking and adjusting processes to drive improvement. It also provides time-critical information on how processes are operating, supply chain pipeline, and delivery status updates—all based on data. When starting this journey, it is important to utilize the right technology, data, and analyt- ics infrastructure for your business model. You will need to re-imagine your processes from end-to-end for software interoperability, data 5 Keys to Smart Process Success