Manufacturing
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Manufacturing Objectives
As in the total sample for all enterprises, the primary business objective or driver for deploying a private wireless network in manufacturing organizations is enhanced network reliability and performance (59% of manufacturing respondents). Improved worker safety is also an objective for the majority of organizations (54%).
Common objectives also include several industry-specific issues for which private wireless is expected to deliver operational benefits. For example, 44% of manufacturing organizations expect to achieve increased process / production line productivity benefits from the use of private wireless. Notably, increased process / production line productivity benefits were cited as an unexpected benefit by 31% of organizations. When it comes to the extent of benefits achieved, 96% of those achieving measurable benefits from increased process / production line productivity reported significant improvements (more than 10%), including 63% achieving very significant improvements (more than 20%).
In addition to enhanced network reliability and performance, there is also a priority in manufacturing organizations for private wireless to enable/improve mission-critical communications (46% of manufacturing organizations). Among those looking to private wireless, in part, for this specific reason, 85% achieved at least a 10% improvement.
Top 10 primary business objectives for deploying private wireless
Enhanced network reliability and performance
Improved worker safety
Enable / improve mission-critical communications
Increased process / production line productivity
Better quality control
Enhanced product / service quality
Reduced unplanned production downtime
Improved cybersecurity
Increased employee satisfaction
Improved equipment uptime
Qualitative Insights
During in-depth qualitative interviews, manufacturing decision-makers focused on the importance of network reliability, including its impact on mobile use cases within the manufacturing environment. The resulting value means that private wireless becomes an integral part of their digitalization / automation strategy.
Quantitative Insights
Top 10 desired benefits achieved
When asked in which of their priority areas they have achieved measurable benefits after deploying private wireless, 100% of manufacturing organizations cited at least one.
When comparing desired benefits (as chosen by respondents as objectives / drivers for deploying private wireless), against measurable benefits achieved, the survey shows that “higher throughput and reduced cycle time” was measurably achieved by 100% of organizations that desired it.
Other areas in which desired benefits were measurably achieved include both general (e.g., “compliance with regulation”, “improved employee safety”), and manufacturing-specific areas (e.g., “increased OEE”, “improved equipment uptime”).
Higher throughput and reduced cycle time
Increased OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
Improved equipment uptime
Compliance with regulation
Better quality control
Improved employee safety
Increased employee satisfaction
Improved sustainability / reduced energy consumption
Increased labor productivity
Reduced emissions / environmental objectives
Top 5 unexpected benefits
Manufacturing organizations also achieved benefits in areas which they did not expect. This chart reflects the percentage of organizations that did NOT select each benefit as an objective / driver for private wireless which achieved that benefit, nonetheless.
For example, 62% were surprised by the “enhanced network reliability and performance” resulting from their deployment of private wireless, because it was not one of their original objectives. Similarly, “increased process / product line productivity” was an unexpected benefit for 55% of organizations, and “enable / improve mission-critical communications” was an unexpected benefit for 50% of organizations which had not initially prioritized it.
Enhanced network reliability and performance
Enable / improve mission-critical communications
Improved real-time data for decision-making
Increased process / production line productivity
Fewer connection failures / interruptions due to coverage gaps
Total benefits expected
Respondents were also asked about the extent of improvement they expect to achieve from each measurable benefit resulting from their private wireless deployment. This includes the level of improvement achieved so far, combined with further benefits expected resulting from their private wireless deployment (ranging from 1 to 5% total benefit improvement at the low end, to more than 30% at the high end).
At least half of organizations that have achieved a particular benefit already expect a total benefit of more than 30% in several areas: “increased employee satisfaction” (55%), “improved cybersecurity” (53%), and better quality control (50%). For those that have achieved benefits from “improved cybersecurity” and “increased process / production line productivity”, 100% expect a total benefit of more than 20%.
Note: the list of benefits is ranked by the number of respondents achieving each measurable benefit.
Manufacturing Use Cases: Deployed & Planned
Among manufacturing organizations that have deployed private wireless, cameras for security / worker safety purposes, and handheld devices (e.g. scanners / laptops / tablets), are the use cases most commonly deployed already (56%). Industrial automation / robotics is the use case most commonly deployed and / or planned for deployment (42% deployed, 47% planned within two years). AGV / AMRs (autonomous guided vehicles / autonomous mobile robots) is the top use case planned for deployment within two years (55%).
Other use cases which are both widely deployed and otherwise in manufacturing organizations’ plans for deployment include IoT sensors (for equipment and environment monitoring) and voice / communications.
