‘Digitisation’ making companies more efficient and innovative

Schneider, which provides energy management and automation services, studied customer projects across 41 countries to see how digital transformation had benefitted different businesses.

The resulting report provides case studies from around the world that provide readers with a useful benchmark on digital transformation’s potential.

Although investments in digital technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) enabled tracking, real-time monitoring and automated production lines seem like an expensive prospect, Schneider argues that its customers’ projects demonstrate the opposite.

 The average return on investment for digital transformation projects was 5.3 years, while customers saved on average 35 per cent in capital expenditure costs and time optimisation.

 The customer stories also show that digitisation can generate huge savings in operational expenditure. Customers achieved average energy consumption savings of 24 per cent, equipment availability and uptime increases of 22 per cent and maintenance cost savings of 28 per cent.

 In one example, a brewery in the US integrated intelligent sensors with a new automation system to vastly increase output with existing machines, boosting equipment effectiveness from 45 to 65 per cent and decreasing downtime by over 50 per cent.

 In China, a steel producer implemented an IoT-enabled, heavily automated hot rolling workshop, boosting productivity by 30 per cent and cutting material losses.

 In one of its own manufacturing facilities, Schneider digitised the energy management of the building to pinpoint HVAC and lighting performance issues, resulting in an 83 per cent reduction in avoidable HVAC costs.

 For expert support on adopting digitalisation technologies, contact the North West Made Smarter programme via www.madesmarter.uk.

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