What Is Industry 4.0?
Occasionally, in the business world, new buzzwords will bubble up in the popular discourse and start to take on a life of their own. “Big Data”, “machine learning”, “the Internet of Things.” Like snowballs, these catchy terms will collect new implications, connotations, meanings, and significance as they are tossed around like hot potatoes in articles, blogs, webinars, and whitepapers. One of these terms that has taken root in the past few years is “Industry 4.0”.
Industry 4.0 is a catchy, simple phrase that attempts to synthesize a whole bunch of not-so-simple ideas. It’s useful to have phrases like this to share ideas quickly and efficiently. But it can also be worthwhile to spend some time breaking down what the “Big Idea” is into its smaller components. That’s what I want to attempt in today’s article.
So, let’s talk about what people mean when they say “Industry 4.0” and what it means specifically for the printing industry.
Industry 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0
To understand Industry 4.0, we need to first see how we got here. That’s because the idea of Industry 4.0 only makes sense within the context of a broader idea of how the industry has evolved.
Breakdown time.
Industry 1.0:
Often referred to as the first industrial revolution, this occurred in the 18th century and brought about the advent of mechanization. The power of steam and water was harnessed to perform previously tedious tasks with newfound efficiency and speed. Now we can create goods and travel long distances without relying solely on human or animal energy.
Industry 2.0:
Electricity strikes! In the 19th century, electricity enters the picture and enables mass production and assembly lines. This new form of energy displaces water and steam and amps up every aspect of industry in the process. Less input for greater output.
Industry 3.0:
In the late 20th century, the information age began. This revolution gave us electronics and computing power. Now the mechanical processes of assembly and production can be automated and enhanced. This new boost of efficiency brings wave after wave of innovation and creation to industries across the globe.
Printer’s Point of View
Because all these industrial revolutions revolve around breakthroughs in energy usage and production techniques, they apply to all industries dealing with the production of goods. Food, medicine, transportation, and, of course, printing.
Printing started out as a very manual process. We’re talking the Gutenberg printing press here. That in and of itself was a revolutionary invention but it was still a highly labor-intensive production process.
The first industrial revolution brought steam and Friedrich Koenig found a way to bring that power to printing.
Then industry 2.0 comes and everything is faster and better thanks to electricity and innovations in manufacturing.
Last, but not least, we had the information revolution of the late 20th century and all the computer-powered innovations that came with it.
In this way, the print industry can be examined as a microcosm of what these industrial revolutions mean more generally for automation, efficiency, and output in the global economy.
What Comes After Automation?
The big question that we’re left with after looking at these first three industrial revolutions is: where does it go from here? What big transformative shift is there left to make after computer-controlled manufacturing has optimized every process within the scope of production?
The answer is not one thing but a convergence of many factors. In fact, you could get away with calling Industry 4.0 the Convergence Revolution. Unlike previous industrial revolutions, the one we are undergoing now cannot be summed up with one word like “steam”, “electricity”, or “electronics”.
To get our heads around what Industry 4.0 actually “is”, let’s frame it by defining what is made possible with Industry 4.0-level technology that wasn’t possible before. This revolution is all about going beyond the limits of improvements to product quality, efficiency, and speed and bringing greater value to the customer by connecting everything to everything.
Cloud computing, artificial intelligence, ubiquitous internet connectivity, big data: these are all tools that converge to bring infinite potential to bring value to the customer. It means printers can become as adaptive and agile as the market requires.
Let’s get a better picture of what these Industry 4.0 developments look like within the print industry.
Industry 4.0 in the Print Industry
We can identify three main pillars of advancement in the print industry thanks to Industry 4.0 technologies:
- Data
- Customer Experience
- Automation
Data is visibility. It’s the ability that tools like Web-to-Print and MIS systems give printers to track everything from inventory to demand to sales and more. Smart platforms record data on every process involved in a printer’s business and give life to that data in the form of analysis tools. Businesses can then use these tools to adapt and improve. Up-to-date, always-on access to useful information is the goal.
Customer experience hasn’t historically been a top priority for most of those in the print industry. In the old era, your goal as a printer was to deliver high-quality printed goods at competitive prices and speeds. Everything else was of secondary concern. Now, things are different. Modern print buyers want to work with solution providers that can keep up with their fast and tech-driven pace. They want on-demand, fully connected services that are intuitive, comprehensive, and self-serviced.
Automation can be boiled down to manual touchpoint reduction. It’s about minimizing the room for human error and holdups in all the processes involved in print, from ordering to shipment. This element of Industry 4.0 is most front and center in discussions regarding what printers need to be able to thrive in the thick of the Information Age. Print software is a booming industry-within-an-industry because of this pressing need to squeeze more and more efficiency out of every link in the supply chain.
What Does It All Mean?
So, now that we’ve explored the origins of the term “Industry 4.0” and the legacy of industrial revolutionary spirit it conjures, what does it all mean for printers of today?
Industry 4.0 is an evocative term that’s used to encapsulate and synthesize a range of ideas like computer-driven automation, big data, devices talking to one another, 24/7 on-demand online service, and so much more. Ultimately, it’s about transformative technologies and how they can come together to usher in new possibilities in both the printing industry and the global industry at large.
But, most importantly, Industry 4.0 is happening right now and its legacy is yet to be written.
