How Smart Supply Chains Cut Down on Surprise Stops in Factories
How Smart Supply Chains Cut Down on Surprise Stops in Factories More and more, factories are using "smart supply chains." This is like a new way of running things, called Supply Chain 4.0. It uses smart computers, information that updates all the time, and AI (artificial intelligence) to make factories stop working unexpectedly much less often and make more things faster. Why Unexpected Stops Are Bad for Factories When machines in a factory stop working when they aren't supposed to, it causes big problems. It makes the factory make fewer things, costs more money, and can even make the business lose customers and look bad. This is especially true for factories that make things like medicine, airplanes, and cars because they use very complicated machines. One study said that factories lose about 25 hours of making things each month because of these surprise stops – that's like losing two weeks of work! Stopping Unexpected Stops Costs a Lot Because things are costing more money around the world and factories are trying to make as much as they can, when machines stop, it costs even more. For example, in 2023, one study showed that when a car factory stops for one hour, it can lose over $2 million! In the oil and gas business, it's about $500,000 per hour. These numbers might even be lower than the real cost, which includes fixing the machines, getting new parts fast, and paying workers who can't work. Even though it costs so much, many factories still just fix machines when they break or fix them after a certain amount of time, instead of trying to guess when they will break. This old way doesn't stop surprise stops very well. That's why trying to guess when machines will need fixing is the way of the future. Guessing When Machines Need Fixing: Less Surprise Stops "Guessing when machines need fixing" means using computers to watch the machines all the time and look at information to see if they might break soon. Then, the factory can fix them before they actually stop working. The important parts of this are sensors on the machines and internet technology. These things collect information about how the machines are doing all the time. Then, the factory can see if there are any problems starting and fix them before the machine stops suddenly. By guessing when machines need fixing, factories can know when to order new parts, make their machines work better, and fix things like cleaning, oiling, and making sure everything is lined up right. This not only helps stop surprise stops but also makes the things they make better, uses less energy, and makes the whole factory work more efficiently. Putting Smart Supply Chains and Guessing Together Supply Chain 4.0 is like putting smart ways of making things together with smart ways of managing everything the factory needs. This makes making things and fixing machines even better. The important parts of a smart supply chain are sharing information all the time, being able to see what's happeni...
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