Digital factories

While the Indian automobile industry is unquestionably at the vanguard of the oncoming change,
other companies are not entirely untouched. Mondelez India describes its Sri City (in Andhra
Pradesh) unit as an “integrated digital factory", one which can pack 6,300 chocolate bars a
minute, while Jaipur Watch Co. has added a new collection of stainless steel watches that were
3D printed.

Lyjak cites the example of Microsoft Dynamics’ integration with smart factory processes and
technologies as a case in point. Microsoft Dynamics’ Remote Assist application, for instance,
combines Microsoft HoloLens (a self-contained, holographic computer) with mixed reality,
video calling, annotations, and file sharing to enable experts to remotely troubleshoot complex
problems and help technicians. This saves time, reduces travel costs and improves operational
efficiency on the shop floor.

Further, AI is used to optimize the multi-robot fulfilment system in Amazon warehouses. The
average cost for a spot welding robot, according to the report, is projected to decrease by 22% by
2025, and robots-as-a-service models are beginning to appear.

Although bringing AI onto the shop floor would require a massive capital investment, the return on
investment (ROI) is higher, according to SaaSnic Technologies. AI and ML, for instance, can test
numerous demand forecasting models with precision, while automatically adjusting to different
variables such as new product introductions, supply chain disruptions or sudden changes in demand.
Using AI systems, every single part of a product can be tracked from when it’s first manufactured to
when it is assembled and shipped to the customer.

Walmart, for instance, cut its physical inventory from one month to 24 hours by using drones that fly
through the warehouse, scan products, and check for misplaced items. Using algorithms that learn from
experience to optimize logistics, BMW tracks a part from the point it was manufactured to when the
vehicle is sold—from all of its assembly facilities across the world. In finance operations, AI can close
operations and automate monthly, quarterly and year-end processes. Using ML, bots can learn from
human inputs to make better judgments and adapt to the behaviour patterns of accounting
professionals.