Modern manufacturers receive massive amounts of data from various sources, including not only their own IIoT devices and machines, but also from their vendors, customers, and supply chains. This much data can be overwhelming and difficult to make sense of. That’s where Transformational Intelligence comes in.

In this article:

• A Treasure of Raw Data
• Transformational Intelligence
• Examples of Transformational Intelligence in Action

A Treasure Of Raw Data

Today’s manufacturers receive a treasure trove of raw data from sensors on manufacturing devices, data streams from suppliers in the supply chain, shipping data, customer data, internal analysis, financial data, market data, even weather data.

But in most organizations this data is still “raw data” — relatively unprocessed information that comes in various forms — sometimes streams of numbers, sometimes text, even a photo or video. Some is collected in real-time, while other data is delivered in batches at a later time. Almost none of it is correlated well with the other data, and so it cannot even begin to be analyzed.

One of the main challenges with raw data is that it’s not contextualized. It’s not clear how one piece of data — like a less-productive machine today — relates to other data, such as the status of raw materials, the operator’s speed, or even the weather. And often, when we do correlate our data, it’s days or weeks later… too late to act on it.

So while raw data is often vast, it’s usually late, disconnected and diverse in format, making it nearly impossible for manufacturers to immediately identify the patterns and trends relevant to their operations. Additionally, raw data can be siloed in different systems and may lack context, making it difficult to understand the relationships between different pieces of data.

But this data, even though it’s raw, is incredibly valuable if you can mine the important parts of it.

Transformational Intelligence

Transformational Intelligence is when you’ve turned troves of data into actionable insights. It’s the result of implementing an Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing system that can standardize, aggregate, analyze, and usefully present your data.

In contrast to raw data, Transformational Intelligence provides manufacturers with a powerful tool to turn that data into insights that matter to their business.

Transformational Intelligence platforms (like ThinkIQ) collect various types and streams of data. They then standardize it as needed. From there, AI and machine learning analysis — often in real-time — can provide centralized, contextualized intelligence.

Broadly, true Transformational Intelligence alerts manufacturers to the important patterns and trends in their data that they are currently missing. This leads to greater yield, safety, quality, and compliance, as well as cost savings and improved efficiency.

Moreover, Transformational Intelligence can help companies to automate decision-making and to identify new opportunities. This can help manufacturers remain competitive, giving them an advantage as they stay ahead of industry trends in 2023 and beyond.

Examples Of Transformational Intelligence In Action

ThinkIQ is the leader in Transformational Intelligence. Their Smart Manufacturing platform (aka Industry 4.0) is designed specifically to help manufacturers turn data into actionable insights. ThinkIQ helps manufacturers quickly and easily identify opportunities for improvement, predict maintenance needs, and identify potential issues before they become costly problems.

Here are some specific examples of how manufacturers can use a Transformational Intelligence platform to improve their operations:

1. Avoid Recalls: By identifying issues in their supply chain — such as a supplier's truck breaking down, variations in temperature of a product, or allergen contaminations from a supplier delivery issue — manufacturers can avoid dangerous, costly recalls.
2. Quality Control: By analyzing data from production processes, Transformational Intelligence can help manufacturers identify patterns and trends that indicate potential issues with quality. This can lead to improved yield, safety, and compliance, as well as increased customer satisfaction.
3. Production Optimization: Transformational Intelligence platforms can analyze an entire process and suggest optimization routes. ThinkIQ’s platform, for example, analyzed how a vegetable was being cut and suggested more efficient ways for a major food manufacturer.
4. Predictive Maintenance: By analyzing data from machines in realtime as well as historical data, manufacturers using Transformational Intelligence can predict when maintenance will needed, reducing downtime and increasing efficiency. This can lead to significant cost savings, as well as improved safety and quality.
5. Supply Chain Optimization: Analyzing data from suppliers, a Transformational Intelligence platform can help manufacturers identify potential issues in their supply chain, such as delays, variations in quality, even a contaminated supply.
6. Employee Safety: The newest AI with cameras can analyze employee movements and equipment usage to identify safety hazards, from incorrect lifting to items along a path, to improper forklift usage, to people in unsafe zones. This can offer dramatic results, legally, financially, and even personally.
7. Energy Optimization: By analyzing data from energy usage and production processes, a Transformational Intelligence platform can help manufacturers identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and costs.

 Transformational Intelligence platforms are customized to meet the unique needs of nearly any manufacturer, making results specific to their operations.

An analogy of the difference between raw data and Transformational Intelligence is raw dirt as compared with gold or diamonds. Just like raw ore, raw data is abundant and can be found in many places, but it is not particularly valuable in its raw form.

On the other hand, Transformational Intelligence is like a refined precious metal or diamond that has been refined to reveal its true value.

Just like mining for gold or diamonds requires a process of extracting, sorting, and refining, turning raw data into Transformational Intelligence requires a process of collecting, analyzing and acting on data. And just as gold and diamonds can be used for various purposes, Transformational Intelligence can be used to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and stay ahead of industry trends.

Transformational Intelligence provides manufacturers with a powerful tool to turn their data into insights that can revolutionize their operations, making them more efficient, cost-effective, and competitive. As the manufacturing industry continues to evolve and adapt to Industry 4.0, manufacturers who embrace Transformational Intelligence will be better equipped to navigate the future and reap the full benefits of this new era of manufacturing.

Start getting value from your data — Reach out to a ThinkIQ expert today to start an Industry 4.0 Smart Manufacturing transformation for your organization. You can also download our new eBook, “Using Computer Vision to Fill Manufacturing and Warehousing Blind Spots with Actionable Data” to learn more about how to gain greater visibility into your manufacturing process.