With a growing number of digital manufacturing solutions available for manufacturers to increase operations efficiency, a connected factory floor with networked OT equipment is quickly becoming a necessity to remain competitive in American manufacturing. As more manufacturing equipment is connected to a network, the risks and vulnerabilities grow. Most manufacturing companies lack the IT and cybersecurity resources to understand the cyber threats and how to prepare for a connected shop floor. Manufacturers are not sure where to start, what cybersecurity tools they need, or how to implement them effectively in their operations.

As manufacturing environments increase in complexity, scheduling systems must be able to respond dynamically to unexpected changes and disruptions such as equipment downtime due to a component failure or a manpower shortage. Improvements in production scheduling can directly impact operational performance in the form of increased throughput or more efficient machine utilization rates.

Digital manufacturing greatly benefits from the use of data from various points on the factory floor. When aggregated, data can be utilized for a broad range of use cases such as identifying improvement opportunities. Traditionally, these data streams have been sent securely and with high integrity via hardwire in the factory. As the digital transformation advances, the use of sensors and other data sources will be relied upon at an increasing rate. Connecting with data sources via hardwire is no longer resource-effective and new wireless protocols must be adopted. The manufacturing industry needs guidance on wireless solutions that allow flexibility, mobility, and security.