The sky’s the limit: 13 years and counting of smarter manufacturing

Posted: May 16, 2024

Maybe you were there? The setting was Hannover Messe, the year was 2011, and for the first time, the public caught a glimpse of an innovative new idea: Industry 4.0.

The idea was simple. We would use every new technology at our disposal to drive industrial intelligence capabilities forward by leaps and bounds. We’d leverage IoT, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) to harden supply chains, boost operating efficiency, and improve manufacturers’ agility.

Maybe, like me, you can’t quite believe how quickly these past 13 years have gone—or how much we’ve accomplished together. Believe it. This year’s Hannover Messe marks a pivotal milestone in smart manufacturing’s journey: The launch of AVEVA’s new hybrid cloud MES solution.

AVEVA unveils new hybrid cloud MES solution at Hannover Messe 2024

AVEVA™ Manufacturing Execution System now has hybrid-cloud functionality. The gold-standard MES solution you use in your plants now leverages cloud-based production data and visualization services (SaaS).

The history of the solution’s evolution is in perfect keeping with the same spirit of Industry 4.0 espoused 13 years ago. Industrial organizations demonstrated a need to extract more value and make broader, more advanced use of their existing operations data. They needed to break down information silos and get the most out of their data.

Necessity drove invention. Three new capabilities, which existing and new AVEVA MES users can leverage in combination with the on-premises solution, form the backbone of the hybrid cloud solution:

• A new cloud-based data service lets you access and securely share production data across your organization or outside your company's network. Break down the barriers to data sharing.  
• Ready-to-use, cloud-based visualization services deliver a no-code, self-service dashboard experience for AVEVA MES and other production data sources. Make data insights accessible to operators and enterprise users alike.
• Cloud integration capabilities to manage the persistence of MES data in the cloud securely and reliably. Ensure continuous improvement, no matter what market disruptions come your way.

How do hybrid cloud capabilities boost AVEVA Manufacturing Execution System?

Now, you can store, share, and analyze large amounts of long-term production history data in the cloud and maintain business continuity for plant operations with short-term data management on plant premises.

AVEVA cloud services are also available for other AVEVA solutions for manufacturing, such as AVEVA™ PI System™ and AVEVA™ Operations Control, which contextualizes production data with process and asset data and incorporates AI-based analytics to enable smarter decision-making.

When you leverage the cloud, you can unlock the value of your data and gain higher-level benefits like:

• A connected ecosystem of data—Securely share data and information views with internal teams or trusted external partners. Combine your OT and IT data.
• Supply-chain agility and resilience—Pivot quickly and withstand shocks by gaining real-time visibility into your distributed plant operations and resources and getting data-driven decision support.
• Productivity and sustainability improvements—Leverage AI and ML to increase plant throughput, predict quality, and optimize energy consumption.

The future of manufacturing is looking bright—and smart

Back in 2011, when I first heard about Industry 4.0, I tried to imagine where we’d be in 10 or 15 years. That future is here. With the latest advancements in cloud computing adoption and the migration of IT and OT infrastructures to the cloud, Industry 4.0’s focus has shifted to value creation through AI and ML technology for production operations. AI and ML are stealing the spotlight at this year’s Hannover Messe, with over 500 AI-related events appearing on this year’s side events schedule.

To unlock the value of AI, you must first build your data repository and data science skills foundation. The new hybrid cloud capabilities of AVEVA Manufacturing Execution System let you establish your enterprise-level data foundation quickly, across your distributed production plant network, with ready-to-use cloud services.

The progress we’ve made is truly astounding. Just imagine how far we’ll have come when it’s time to pack our bags for Hannover Messe in 2037.

The future of AVEVA Manufacturing Execution System is here. Discover it. 

Read the official press release.

Ready to explore cloud services adoption for your existing AVEVA Manufacturing Execution System deployment? Speak to an expert.