Trends within the industry

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The industry is a dynamic sector that is in full swing in the digital age. More than ever, the demand and specific wishes of the end customer dictate the production process and the practical design of the supply chain. Innovation, sustainable developments and global trends also mean that the industry has to constantly reinvent itself. Three major trends are currently predominant. We will explain them briefly.

1.   Industry 4.0

A first important trend is the movement towards industry 4.0, a phenomenon often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution. This revolution is increasingly turning the industries we know into “smart factories”, organisations that integrate advanced IT solutions into the full life cycle of a product or process.

This digital transformation is taking shape thanks to a number of groundbreaking technologies:

Industrie Trends Appronto

  • The transition to the cloud ensures that end users and employees have access to applications and software anytime and anywhere via an internet connection.
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) makes computers and applications smarter. They recognise patterns and make predictions and recommendations based on concrete data. In addition, you can use AI to discover patterns and trends in large, unstructured data sources.
  • The Internet of Things (IoT) connects machines to the internet to perform predictive maintenance. This data only becomes really interesting when you combine it with other data, for example with a workflow that ensures that a maintenance technician receives a notification to replace a machine part. A customer portal in Mendix is ​​perfect for combining this data.
  • Robotisation enables companies to automate production processes and repetitive actions.
  • With 3D printing, production companies can print their own parts. The advantage: faster production with fewer tools and at lower costs.

Pim van der Noll

2.   Efficient processes

Working efficiently and preventing waste are important areas for attention within the industry. The smart factory focuses on creating efficient processes by giving you optimal insight into schedules, purchase orders, delivery reliability and stocks. Smart technology and digitalisation form the foundation on which efficient processes rest.

3.   Chain integration

A third important industry trend is chain integration. Chain integration is the collaboration within and between the successive links within an organisation or business column, from suppliers to the customer. All organisations and departments in the chain that successively play a role in the production or service process work together in this way.

The aim of close cooperation is to respond quickly, properly and at the lowest possible cost to the demand of the client or consumer. Chain integration strives to achieve the best possible customer journey while simultaneously reducing costs for all parties involved. A nice customer case that ties in with this concerns Secrid:

Secrid

Secrid, a company from The Hague that makes beautiful and innovative wallets, uses multiple systems and databases that have to be linked together. The company also has a portfolio of very specific products that are difficult to capture in a standard software solution. Additionally, Secrid has large numbers of suppliers managed in Mendix.

With the help of Mendix and Boomi, Appronto has built a supplier portal for Secrid. This portal is the platform that helps Secrid and its suppliers to work better together. How? By making stock and planning more transparent for all parties. By continuously sharing insights, information and knowledge, one chain and one universal version of the truth is ultimately created.

Does your organisation need help automating your production process?

Appronto has extensive experience in digitalising various processes for our customers.

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Solutions

There are a few pain points and challenges that are common in the industry. For example, how do you create more efficiency in production so that you can deliver more output in the same time frame? It all starts with digitalisation. By reducing the number of manual actions in a process, you reduce the number of errors and you gain in terms of time, costs and efficiency.

Customers

In collaboration with Mendix and Boomi, Appronto offers versatile solutions for companies active within the industry. We have created a few striking examples to share with you.

Within the industry we know a few specific subcategories in which Appronto has a lot of experience. On these pages we inform you about the most important trends and show you specific solutions that we have built for our customers in this sub-sector.

Mobiliteit

Mobility

The size and nature of urban mobility is changing at a rapid pace. Continuing urbanisation, digitalisation of society, new modes of transport and transport services—these (and more) are all developments that influence our mobility and transport choices.

FMCG & Retail

FMCG & Retail

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and retail are part of the consumer products industry. The manufacturing industry is confronted on a daily basis with the capriciousness and demanding nature of consumers and is forced to distinguish itself from competitors. This makes customisation important.

Verpakkingen en plastics

Packaging and plastics

Today’s packaging is more than disposable wrappers that protect products. They are also advert and marketing tools that distinguish a brand. It is therefore not surprising that companies are investing more and more time and money in inviting and high-quality packaging. The plastic industry is in full swing!