Skip to main content
How Can We Help?
IT Services
Back
IT Consulting
Back
IT Strategy
Assessments
Audit Readiness
IT Governance & Security
Professional Services
Back
Project Implementation
IT Staff Augmentation
Development
Managed Services
Back
Managed Networking
Managed Data Center/ Cloud
Managed Security
Managed Collaboration
Managed IT
Technology Solutions
Back
Collaboration
Back
Unified Communications
Contact Center
Conferencing
Networking
Back
Enterprise Networking
Mobility & WiFi
IoT Network
Software Defined Networking
Data Center
Back
Data Center Networking
Compute
Converged Hyperconverged
Data Storage
Data Protection
Cloud Solutions
Cybersecurity
Back
Network Access Control
Endpoint Protection
Cloud Security
Identity Management
Threat Intelligence
Industries
Back
Healthcare
State & Local Government
Education
Manufacturing
Service Provider
Retail
Financial Services
Learning Center
Back
Blogs
Videos
eBooks
Tools
Pricing
About
Back
Our Company
Our Process
Why IE
Customer Experience
Corporate Social Responsibility
Partners
Events
Careers
Contact
MyIE Login
IE Managed Services Login
How Can We Help?

The Evolution of Manufacturing Operations

Supply chain disruptions including spoilage, shrinkage, and delivery delays, have become common challenges for manufacturing firms. And with the recent draw down in inventories followed by labor and material shortages, meeting consumer demand has become difficult. To better prepare for these issues in the future, leading manufacturers are looking for ways to automate production. 

This requires a digital manufacturing process, and not just CRM and ERP systems. Successful manufacturers are incorporating cloud computing and IoT sensors to analyze, automate, and accelerate "Just-in-Time" production while monitoring for anomalies that may cause production downtime. And with any new technology comes risk. Manufacturing firms are seeing their attack surface expand as IoT and Machine to Machine (M2M) communication increases. In today's advanced threat landscape, manufacturers must leverage the efficiencies of new tech while also keeping them secure.

The Manufacturing Revolution

Do you have the flexible, intelligent and autonomous technology required for a data-driven manufacturing environment? These solutions are crucial for Industry 4.0 initiatives and enable real-time monitoring of machine health to reduce downtime.

  • Industry 4.0

IE_Manufacturing_Module Image_5

Industry 4.0

Manufacturing and industrial practices have evolved with the invention of IoT sensors and M2M communication. Together, these systems can keep operations on the floor running smoothly and can even diagnose and resolve issues without human intervention. The goal of Industry 4.0 is to create a more resilient factory floor through flexible, automated systems that are immune to disruptions from labor availability, or major events. 

IE_Manufacturing_Module Image_5
IE_Manufacturing_Module Image_4
RECOVER QUICKLY

More Uptime, Faster Mean Time to Repair (MTR).

When every second costs you, getting back online is crucial.

When production runs 24x7, shouldn't your IT? Each plant has its own set of requirements, so to fortify your environment, you need a contingency plan.

Managed IT Services, like our OnDemand Assurance, provide you with 24/7 technical support, so someone can diagnose your disruption before you amass costly downtime. We provide SLAs and pride ourselves on industry leading customer satisfaction. When time is money, you want the best on your team. 

Learn More

IE_Manufacturing_Module Image_4

Upgrade Your Manufacturing Tech

Identify deficiencies and accelerate your workflow to streamline operations, free up staff, and maintain production continuity.  

Automation & AI Business Continuity Data & Connectivity

Enhance Operational Efficiency.

Automation & AI

Do more in your manufacturing plant with less manpower.

With an industrial ethernet network, you can develop custom, automated scripts that automatically program your production systems and alert you of any issues to reduce mean time to recovery. When combined with sensors and monitoring software, you can rapidly detect anomalies and even pre-program appropriate responses, allowing machines to take corrective action in a fraction of a second.

AI 

An increase in the number of IoT sensors and M2M communication flows can generate more data than a human can analyze. By incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI), your system can learn and respond to incidents without human interaction. Deploy smart bots, security devices, and anomaly detection sensors to respond to incidents or alert you when anything is out of the norm. Visual quality inspections powered by AI can reduce shrinkage and accelerate production without additional staff. These solutions can materially improve manufacturing operations and justify the investment of a hardened, industrial ethernet network.

  

Learn More about IE's Networking Solutions Build a Network to Support Your Operations.

Maintain Your Supply Chain.

Business Continuity

Operational Resiliency is crucial for digitizing processes for Industry 4.0.

Digital production systems create efficiencies and accelerate workflows, but you’ll need the security posture to protect them. Cloud services, IoT integrations and M2M communications can be difficult to monitor and are thus susceptible to cyber-attacks. But, you can avoid downtime by proactively designing redundancy and resiliency into your infrastructure and integration SecOps into your business.

Redundancy 

Just like your manufacturing lines, you want to identify single points of failure in your IT systems. By identifying which systems are impacted by outages, you can perform a cost-benefit analysis to right size your IT investment. Interruptions increasingly come from software bugs, programming errors, service provider interruptions, and cyber criminals as communications hardware is generally reliable. 

Prevent and Prepare 

Get started with a Business Impact Analysis (BIA), Security Risk Assessment, or a Network or Data Center Assessment. You'll want to identify infrastructure gaps and vulnerabilities, so you can build a plan to address them. You'll also want to closely examine your Disaster Recovery processes from Backup and Recovery capabilities to who is responsible for declaring a disaster and information is required to make that decision. 

Learn More about IE's Cybersecurity Solutions Prevent and Protect.

Connect, Protect, Compute.

Data & Connectivity

IoT and M2M integrations, 5G, and edge computing are revolutionizing manufacturing.

IoT & M2M Integrations 

IoT & M2M integrations create efficiencies, provide automation opportunities, and harvest the data needed to make big decisions. IoT sensors produce a lot of data, which is why machines are often better suited to analyze and execute data-driven decisions. By setting parameters ahead of time, your IoT and M2M systems can accelerate production and reduce downtime, enhancing product margins. 

Edge Computing 

With all the data produced by IoT sensors, you may wonder how you'll get that traffic to your data center and back to the machines that need it. Edge computing systems were designed for this purpose. With Edge Computing, you can reduce response time save bandwidth by placing compute and storage near the point of data generation. 

5G 

You may have production locations where reliable bandwidth for IoT devices is unavailable or cost prohibitive. 5G is the next generation mobile network that will connect machines, IoT devices, and other objects, making it the perfect upgrade to accommodate AI and efficient supply chain operations. 

Learn More about IE's Data Center Solutions Move Your Plant Operations to the Future with an agile Data Center foundation.

Compliance in Manufacturing

Our risk assessment can help you address compliance obligations and protect intellectual property. 

Website_DFARS_Icon

CMMC Readiness

Learn More

Business Impact Analysis

Business Impact Analysis

Learn More

Website_Icon_Security Risk Assessment

Security Risk Assessment

Learn More

Optimize, Automate, and Protect Manufacturing Ops with IE

There’s more to a seamless supply chain experience than technology. You need expertise and strategy to optimize your environment.  

IoT and Machine to Machine (M2M) Communications  

We are passionate about the benefits of IoT and hold several advanced IoT certifications. We can help you monitor and automate time-consuming operational tasks and improve your supply chain continuity and resiliency. We have the expertise to review your environment and recommend the devices that we think will help you improve your operations.  

25+ Years Experience with Manufacturing 

We’ve spent 25+ years perfecting our approach to supporting manufacturing operations with IT solutions and services. Our OnDemand Managed Services are designed to support 24x7 operations; locally or abroad. We can help you create a strategy for IoT and M2M integration while ensuring your communications network is resilient and secure. 

Top-tier OEM Partnerships 

You need connections to the latest tech to keep up with the competition. Our Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) align well with the manufacturing industry. Along with our partners, we have the solutions to improve your operational visibility and velocity, reduce Mean-Time-to-Repair and help you build agility and resiliency across your business. By working with IE, you'll be better prepared to compete as Industy 4.0 is adopted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Have a Recommendation for Industrial Grade Switches?

How Can We Ensure Minimal Downtime?

Additional Resources

Image

Blog

A New Chapter: Internetwork Engineering Joins Forces with Presidio

Discover how our recent acquisition by Presidio is set to enhance our offerings and accelerate growth. Learn about the expanded capabilities, new opportunities, and shared values driving this exciting partnership, positioning us to deliver superior solutions and services to our customers. Read more in our latest blog. 

Read Blog

Image

Blog

Internetwork Engineering has achieved the 2024 Cisco Environmental Sustainability Specialization in USA

Hot off the press! IE has achieved the Cisco Environmental Sustainability Specialization in the USA again! Learn more here.  

Read Blog

Image

Blog

The Role of Data Flow Mapping in Cybersecurity

Discover how data flow mapping can enhance cybersecurity by identifying risks, ensuring compliance, and strengthening security controls to protect sensitive information effectively.

Read Blog

Build a Future Ready Factory Floor

Implement a data-driven manufacturing environment so you can optimize your facility's operations with intelligent, agile, and automated technology solutions.

Upgrade Your Manufacturing Facility