Some trends are inevitable developments that are years in the making, while others are more disruptive, bleeding in from areas unknown.

Every day I talk to customers who want to get off paper. They spend an inordinate amount of operators’ time manually capturing data on paper, and then often double-down when they have someone transfer those paper check sheets into a digital spreadsheet. 

Disruption seems to be a very popular term in the media recently. Traditionally, something described as disruptive has a negative connotation. However, this new definition can be viewed as positive, depending on whether you believe in the status quo or not.

A friend of mine likes to quip that someday computers will make all our lives easier. He’s kidding (I think), but it seems to be a fact of modern life that every time we open our phones, tablets, or computers, or even check our watches, there are upgrades waiting to be installed for the apps we have, and new and improved apps on offer to replace those.

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) is moving from a future promise to real-world strategy as manufacturers seek to transform sensor data into actionable insights. In fact, research firm MarketsandMarkets predicts that the worldwide IIoT market will grow to $195.47 billion by 2022.

It is said that “necessity is the mother of invention.” It is an idiom that has been adopted from the more specific insight of Greek philosopher Plato. In Republic, Plato writes, “A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem.”

Hexagon President Norbert Hanke will explore Hexagon's vision for the future of manufacturing.

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the growing trend in which a wide range of objects—sensors, switches, video cameras, tools, thermostats, lights, microphones, speakers, etc.—are given unique identifiers and the ability to communicate with each other over a network without requiring human intervention.

Learn how to implement smart manufacturing and build a connected enterprise at annual event hosted by Rockwell Automation.

According to a recent article, the factory of the future is “the product of fast-changing, disruptive technologies hitting manufacturing like a cyclone.”