As almost all companies are either partially or fully digital, an integral responsibility of a manager is to look into the infrastructure management of their Information Technology (IT). Infrastructure management includes the management of operational and technical components in a business. It looks into the management of systems, networks and storage. Whether it is to ensure that the company data is well protected and backup mechanisms to restore data are in place, the number of processes involved in infrastructure management is immense.
In a manufacturing company, investing in a robust IT infrastructure is critical. The optimisation of each process is made easy when a well-integrated infrastructure is in place. It helps managers fully utilise the digital features of advanced software solutions to meet their business goals. A robust infrastructure provides an entire overview of an organisation’s operations, integrating all departments into one place. However, failure to find the right infrastructure management system will only mean that organisations cannot fully avail themselves of the advantages of incorporating such a digital infrastructure. This article will focus on why a manufacturing company needs IT infrastructure management and how incorporating the latest trends of industry 4.0 can help strengthen it.
Why Do You Need IT Infrastructure Management?
What is the correlation between having a vital IT infrastructure and a manufacturing factory’s success? They are related to each other more than managers think. This is because the very purpose of incorporating an IT infrastructure is to streamline a company’s operations. Hence, when it is not managed well, it is no surprise that everything in a corporation starts to spiral. Here are four main reasons why you need IT infrastructure management:
When Disaster Strikes, You Should Not Have to Halt Your Business
The worst thing to happen to a factory is to be in a position where they have to halt business temporarily. This could be due to an asset breakdown or circumstances out of their control, leading to increased downtime and, at times, data loss. Where emergencies or disasters occur, managers may have no choice but to suspend operations for the time being. Many factory managers witnessed this during COVID-19, whereby employees could not go to work. Therefore, factories that depended on manual work labour could not operate. Having proper infrastructure management mechanisms in place means that these can be avoided, and managers can ensure the business continues. Infrastructure management responds to emergencies faster and can prevent operational interruptions from occurring.
To Gain More Control
A company with a good infrastructure would ideally have automated most of its processes. This means factories must consistently rely on their assets to function without an issue since they take over the repetitive, tedious tasks on the premises. A breakdown in any one of the assets will simply mean that it will stop production. In this regard, a must-have model in your software solution should be predictive maintenance. Through this, managers can be warned of maintenance or repair updates. The software can proactively detect any issues in the factory, eliminating random breakdowns and outages.
To Take Smarter Decisions
The manufacturing industry is one of the most data-centric fields, with a large amount of data being transmitted into the IT infrastructure. Manufacturers will miss out severely if the infrastructure is not strong enough to handle, store and analyse data. Ideally, a well-integrated infrastructure system should take advantage of analytical tools embedded in a good software solution and provide detailed reports and insights on a company. From simply depicting the company’s progress to presenting market changes and recommending steps the organisation can take, an infrastructure management system allows employees to take more intelligent decisions to optimise operations.
To Reduce Costs
Depending on the type of infrastructure a company adopts, the organisation can significantly reduce its costs. Managers can better plan their resources with a hybrid or fully cloud-based infrastructure system. Modern infrastructure comes with real-time asset performance management tools. This means the cost incurred for breakdowns and wastage can be removed when managers have the upper hand and can, thus, take steps to prevent them.
Modern Trends That Bolster Infrastructure Management
Implementing an IT infrastructure has been an old concept. There is a range of modern technologies that provide a competitive edge to bolster infrastructure management today. Here are three of them:
5G Technology
While data is the backbone of any production facility that infuses an IT infrastructure management system, it may be useless if it cannot process it quickly. 5G technologies help chunks of data to be processed in batches without delay. The most significant advantage managers can get from incorporating 5G is accurate and faster information on predictive and prescriptive maintenance. Quality data can be obtained without latency, regardless of the number of assets connected to the system. This ensures that managers have enough time to solve all issues predicted by advanced analytical tools.
AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations)
AIOps are not a general mode of automation. It specifically caters to automating IT operations such as anomaly detection, casualty determination, event correlation and related activities. It infuses machine learning methods and recommends to managers any changes that can be made to streamline operations, saving overall costs, resources and time. It specifically looks for the root causes of any problem, and hence AIOps is an asset for engineers. This tool also helps secure data from external threats and better understand market changes in detail.
Business-Driven IT
According to a survey by Gartner, 29 per cent of IT spend is from business units and not traditional IT. This percentage is set to increase in the future, indicating that a business-driven IT approach is more feasible than conventional IT processes. Hence, finding an infrastructure management system that can cater directly to a company’s goals is critical. In other words, managers should consider implementing a specific software solution for infrastructure management only if it is customisable to business needs.
Cerexio Enterprise Integrator: Your Ideal Infrastructure Management System
Cerexio Enterprise Integrator is a one-of-a-kind infrastructure management solution that can be incorporated into any infrastructure. It is hence, supported by all forms of cloud platforms such as on-prem, hybrid and data source systems. It is powered by the advanced technologies of industry 4.0, including predictive and prescriptive maintenance, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and more. The solution can easily integrate with multiple applications such as APIs, PLS, sensors, smart machinery (AGV, AMR, RGV and more), and PLCs with various protocols. It ensures it meets the highest standards in the industry, including OpenAPI or SOAP standards, and guarantees more control over all types of situations. It executes microservices and can carry out uninterrupted communications with databases, SaaS applications, and B2B systems. Cerexio facilitates high-frequency data and processes it in batches in seconds. The complex infrastructure simplifies and optimises your organisation’s operations and allows you to track your goals. Receive data-driven insights with the generated detailed reports and make informed decisions.
All this and more can be unlocked with Cerexio Enterprise Integrator. Contact Cerexio for more details.
Implement A Dynamic Infrastructure Management System
The infrastructure in a manufacturing factory is important. It is like the nervous system of an organisation that handles all processes and software connected to the premises. While it is up to you to consider the type of infrastructure you need, consider which optimises your operations more. To meet the world’s increasing demands today, adopting an infrastructure that infuses AI and other industry 4.0 technology is a proven way to surge ahead of the competition.
