6 Ways the Digital Era Is Changing the Core of the Industrial Sector

These days, in 2021, it is very safe to christen the times we live in as the “Digital Age.” The impact the development of digital technology had on our lives, the way we do business, and even how we think is so profound we are honestly left with no other choice.

Usually, we try to describe this tectonic shift with tech startups and digital overnight empires that spearheaded the entire movement. But, in order to truly see the impact of the digital era, we need to take a look at the ones that were playing the catch-up game.

Here are some of the fundamental ways digital transformation has forever changed big business and the industrial sector.

Machine learning taking over data processing

Any kind of industrial production relies on high volumes of data that needs to be gathered, processed, and distributed to keep the gears going. Although industrial facilities have always relied on a great level of automation, the rise of machine learning (ML) pushed this concept to an entirely new level. These days, Artificial Intelligence is capable of handling ever-increasing chunks of data faster than ever. This, in turn, allows industrial facilities to refine their processes further and achieve the level of efficiency that was, only a couple of years ago, considered unprecedented.

Infrastructure for instant communication

The free flow of information is the absolute imperative for the success of any business. It shouldn’t be too big of a surprise then that modern information technologies found very fertile ground in the big business and industrial enterprises where the amount of information that is being shared on a daily basis is probably larger than in any other industry. And we are not talking only about the daily correspondence between employees on all industry levels. Modern communication infrastructure is also capable of transferring big data, thus fueling the AI we have mentioned above.

Faster commerce for greater efficiency

Digital technology has made transactions and commerce faster than they were ever in history. This, in turn, has a very positive impact on the overall efficiency of the industrial sector. Just take a look at the Petroleum sector that was never seen as some driving force for sustainability. Even so, if your facilities are operating at low efficiency, you only need to visit specialized online marketplaces such as OFMP and simply order the pieces you need in a couple of clicks. This speed can’t be achieved without the foundations set up by the present-day digital eCommerce.

Digital tech improving the resilience of the industrial sector

All industries are prone to disasters. The problem with big businesses and industrial enterprises is that these disasters envelop on a much bigger scale and have much more serious consequences. This is why no modern company can hope to improve resilience and promote growth without the aid of digital asset sharing. With the help of the robust AI assets we have at our disposal today, companies are able to predict disasters, back up essential processes, ramp up security, and salvage data after accidents occur. These protocols are now available even to the SMB sector.

Higher demands for transparency

The rise of digital tech did not influence only the growth and efficiency of the industrial sector. This digital wind blew into the sails of the customer base as well. Present-day consumers are very tech-savvy and require a great level of transparency from the companies they have to pick between. According to the recent article, as much as 94 percent of consumers said they would more likely choose brands that have embraced this practice. Bottom line – the industrial sector will have to become far more unequivocal than it is today, and this is the direct consequence of the egalitarian nature of digital communication.

Greater potential for innovation

In previous times, the growth of industrial sectors was driven by technological breakthroughs that required substantial investments. These days, when industrial manufacturing is run by AI, we are not so much trying to improve the efficiency of the machines, but more the efficiency in the way they are managed. This is very encouraging because, since the beginning of this new digital age, digital assets have proved extraordinary innovation potential. They grew and evolved much faster than their mechanical counterparts like Emerson’s industrial computing in which even in the hardest industrial situations, helps you achieve those expectations and maintain your machines and overall productivity optimal and reliable.

This gives an excellent competitive edge to industry newcomers that are building their infrastructure from scratch.

We hope these few examples gave you some general idea about the scope of the influence the digital transformation had over the industrial sector in the last couple of years. Big industries have always been driven by technological innovation. The digital side, however, is not changing things on the surface level – it’s reshaping the very foundations of every business sector in existence.

Wrapping up

Big businesses and industrial enterprises are no different. How deep will this digital transformation eventually end up being? All we can do now is to wait and see.