The challenges and rapid changes that characterize the modern business environment lay bare the inflexibility of many manufacturers’ operations. For more than a decade, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing concepts and initiatives have arisen to help combat these issues. New technologies, such as cloud, AI and edge computing, which have completely changed the IT landscape have accelerated their impact. Yet their full potential has yet to be realized as manufacturers continue to struggle to scale these advances throughout their operations. 

Most industrial enterprises have implemented pilots or proofs of concept with Industry 4.0 technologies but have been unable to meaningfully expand these projects throughout their plants and across locations. In many cases, these projects, intended to address specific issues, may even add more complexity to an already complicated heterogeneous environment.