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Remote Monitoring and Management in Industry 4.0

The phenomenon of globalization is centered around innovatively shortening distances without physically reducing them. This includes important business decisions such as offshoring (relocating manufacturing to other countries for strategic advantages). With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate culture has shifted even further towards remote work. Owing to these factors, the remote working world also needs remote monitoring capabilities. Industry 4.0 practices enable remote monitoring  and management for manufacturers to operate through computer vision and cloud computing.

Cloud Computing:

Manufacturers can combine two Industry 4.0 components to make remote industrial monitoring possible. Cloud computing is the main catalyst in the remote monitoring process. Cloud servers enable the flow of large amounts of data collected by computer vision services and make it accessible to remote workers. Operations managers not present on site are notified in real time as live data is transmitted to the cloud.

The extensive IT architecture and perfection of cloud platforms over the years have made it possible to perform AI-powered processing.

AI algorithms running on powerful cloud servers process the data gathered through computer vision services and provide insights on the specified metrics. If security is a concern due to third-party cloud hosting, then data-processing can also be done in-house and then relayed via cloud.

Remote Site Safety Implementation:

Lost productivity from injuries and illnesses costs companies $60 billion each year (OSHA). To address the various site safety concerns manufacturers face, computer vision based industrial monitoring systems supervise and assist in safety protocol implementation.

Computer vision enabled equipment observes employees’ location at the work site and notifies managers in case of unauthorized entry. Managers are also able to ensure that all employees are in proper gear through safety gear detection instead of doing repeated manual checks. The equipment sends automatic alerts when workplace accidents such as hazardous spillages occur. Prompt detection and communication enables an efficient response even remotely and helps minimize damage.

Defect Detection:

Quality control is being redefined through Industry 4.0 practices. The quality check process is no longer about sampling and testing each product physically. Computer vision based ‘visual inspection’ detects errors with at least 94% accuracy at high speeds without interrupting production lines. Moreover, the data is collected and uploaded to the cloud in real time. So, operation heads are able to observe the production process continuously and ensure higher quality standards for remote monitoring and management.

The immersion of computer vision in quality control significantly reduces human involvement and hence greatly reduces human error caused by inexperience or negligence.

Through deployment of computer vision services, the quality control process is effectively managed remotely, without compromising on standards.

Employee Efficiency:

To upgrade employees to the industry 4.0 standards, enhancing employee efficiency is of utmost importance. Computer vision equips employers with innovative capabilities to achieve this goal.

Computer vision enabled CCTV cameras installed at the workplace automatically detect if the employees are present at their workstations or not. In case an employee is not present on the post for longer than usual, the system sends alerts and maintains employee attendance records online. This enables easy remote employee management.

Similarly, computer vision-based software offers screen supervision as well. Through this capability, employers can remotely gain insights and provide guidance related to the speed and quality of employees’ work.

Through computer-vision based monitoring, managers have access to quick, unbiased, and quality information related to employee performance. The performance summaries generated by the monitoring system enable employers to easily identify problem areas. They can then communicate effective feedback to boost employee productivity.

Data Driven Decision Making:

While 91% of companies acknowledge that data-driven decision-making is important for their growth, only 57% of companies base their business decisions on their data (Bi-survey). This lag in maneuvering insights to drive intelligent decision-making accrues costs and drives down performance. A computer vision-based remote monitoring and management system enables managers to gather quality data related to employee performance and safety to make informed decisions in a remote setting.

Managers can analyze employee attendance records to gain insights related to burnout and absenteeism. This can help them in making crucial decisions to increase employee attendance and enhance performance.

For remote quality control; Computer vision can efficiently detect recurring defects on the assembly line. It can also enable employees to identify problem areas through gathered data and make smart decisions to avoid production delays.

Mangers can ensure employee safety through computer vision generated insights on frequency and nature of accidents. They can then take precautionary measures to avoid these accidents in future.

A Convenient Dashboard for Centralized Management:

While computer vision has powerful capabilities for a smooth remote monitoring experience, a dashboard helps streamline operations through quick and easy access to all end users. Users can also customize dashboards to incorporate manufacturers’ specified KPIs and display relevant information up top.

The AI powered dashboard not only summarizes significant information but also offers intelligent insights. It helps managers make growth-oriented decisions in a time efficient manner.

Conclusion:

As manufacturers adapt to globalization, remote working and management on the move is becoming the norm. From defect detection to site safety implementation, AI-powered remote monitoring ensures smooth connectivity and a high level of productivity.

Xavor Corporation excels in providing remote industrial monitoring services based on intelligent computer vision algorithms. These algorithms enable manufacturers to streamline internal processes, monitor potential hazards, and build mechanisms for constant improvement. Xavor’s specialty is providing All-In-One Industrial Monitoring Automation services that empower organizations to use computer vision in their organizations for unparalleled progress.

Get in touch today and level up your industrial operations with artificial intelligence.

Visit https://www.xavor.com/contact or email us at [email protected] to find out how.

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