From Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network, and Manufacturers Resource Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Why don’t small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) adopt new technologies more quickly? Studies have uncovered many reasons, but most boil down to a very simple barrier: the lack of time.
Resources are tight and immediate business needs take precedence. You have orders to fill, employees to hire and train, payroll, supply chain disruptions, maintenance and more. Your smaller shop doesn’t have the budget of an original equipment manufacturer. You can’t hire and train more employees as easily as a large operation.
On the flip side, SMMs have fewer layers. You can get input, develop a business case and make decisions faster than a large shop. Smaller manufacturers also don’t have as many information technology layers to deal with when implementing new technology.
This guide is for SMMs that don’t have time to sort through overwhelming amounts of information about Industry 4.0 technologies. We hope to provide answers to some of your questions and concerns, so you can begin adopting technologies that make sense for your company.
This guide includes unbiased information about technologies that are helping other SMMs. You’ll learn how to assess technologies so you can determine if they’re a good fit for your business. Will the technologies you’re considering work in terms of cost and what they can do to help you meet your business needs? This guide will help you decide.