Assignment task:
Description of the activity and instructions
Combining IIoT and Big Data is a recipe Bosch is using to drive the digital transformation of its Bosch Automotive Diesel System factory in Wuxi, China.
The company connects its machinery to monitor the overall production process at the core of its plant. This is achieved by embedding sensors into the factory's machines which are then used to collect data about the machines' conditions and cycle time. Once collected, advanced data analytics tools process the data in real time and alert workers when any bottlenecks in the production operations have been identified. Taking this approach helps to predict equipment failures, enabling the factory to schedule maintenance operations well before any failures occur. As a result, the factory is able to keep its machinery running and operating for longer stretches of time.
The company states that using data analysis in this way has contributed to more than 10% output increase in certain areas, whilst improving delivery and customer satisfaction.
Ultimately, a greater insight into the plant's operations supports better and faster decision-making throughout the entire organisation, enabling it to reduce equipment downtime and optimise production processes.
In this activity you will have to discuss about the following:
According to the information about the Bosch case, identify the main difficulties of implementing a system like this.
Find another example of a real project where some aspect of Industry 4.0 has been implemented: describe it, and elaborate on its challenges and opportunities. Please include all relevant references in your document.