Technology readiness levels

1. Many programs fund or otherwise support projects at different stages of development. These are the 9 technology readiness levels, with 1 being the least ready and 9 being already used in real-life conditions.

MQTT vs HTTP for IoT: Detailed Protocol Comparison

1. As the IoT explodes with connected devices, selecting the right communication protocol is all-important to building efficient and scalable IoT solutions. MQTT vs. HTTP are frequently discussed protocols in this regard. Both have their own advantages and ideal applications.

2. Consider a manufacturing plant that uses a real-time asset monitoring solution based on MQTT. On the other hand, a smart home setup might use HTTP for periodic data uploads from smart devices. However, HTTP is not limited to periodic data transfers, nor is MQTT reserved only for real-time asset tracking.

3. Let's review each protocol’s features and how it works in different IoT settings to determine the best uses for each protocol. This article compares MQTT vs. HTTP for IoT applications based on benchmarks. Here, we'll explore the pros and cons of each protocol and discuss their ideal applications.

"Optimizing Universal Access and Service (UAS) Projects: Strategic Disbursement, Grant Management, and Effective Monitoring"

1. Effective disbursement strategies are crucial for the success of Universal Access and Service (UAS) projects, ensuring that funds are allocated efficiently to bridge connectivity gaps. 

2. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) outlines various methods for making and managing disbursements & monitoring in UAS initiatives.

The MQTT Protocol: An Introduction for IoT Beginners

1. Automated factories, smart home systems, self-driving cars: Different as they may seem, all these technologies have something in common. They rely on devices that communicate with each other. In other words, they share data.

2. For that data to do anything—whether that’s executing an order on a smart CNC machine or tracking a shipping container—your devices must send and receive messages according to the same rules.

3. These rules are codified by messaging protocols. During the early days of IoT, a lot of competing protocols were floating around. You might find IoT systems based on:

• DDS (Data Distributed Service)

• CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol) 

• AMQP (Advanced Message Queue Protocol) 

• QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) 

• And others

4. None of these technologies offered the ideal blend of features for IoT, which requires a protocol that excels at:

• Sending small amounts of data over unreliable networks;

• Operating with limited bandwidth and connectivity;

• Using a minimal overhead and small code footprint;

• Functioning well in devices with limited processing power, memory, and battery life.   

5. Luckily, such a protocol was developed in 1999. It’s called MQTT, and it’s become the de facto standard for IoT communication—both in consumer devices (wearables, smart home products, e-mobility, etc.) and industrial IoT, or IIoT (smart factories, asset tracking systems, smart utilities, and lots more). Why is MQTT becoming the dominant IoT messaging protocol? Is it the right technology for your IoT/IIoT deployment? And if so, what do you need to build an IoT system that uses MQTT?

RAMI 4.0 Reference Architectural Model for Industrie 4.0

1. The RAMI 4.0, Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0 (Industry 4.0), was developed by the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) to support Industry 4.0 initiatives, which are gaining broad acceptance throughout the world. 

2. Industry 4.0 (also termed Industrie 4.0) is a holistic view of manufacturing enterprises, started in Germany, with many worldwide cooperative efforts including China, Japan, and India. Industry 4.0 concepts, structure, and methods are being adopted worldwide to modernize manufacturing.

Industry 5.0: towards a collaborative manufacturing environment

1. In just a decade, Industry 4.0 has revolutionized the day-to-day operations of many companies in the manufacturing sector. Thanks to the technological advances that have emerged over the last few years, these organizations have been able to increase their efficiency and productivity. Now experts are opening the door to a new concept: Industry 5.0. 

2. Manufacturing is one of the biggest drivers of the European economy. Proof of this is that, between 2009 and 2019, it accounted for around 20% of the EU’s GDP. Moreover, according to 2020 data, it is a sector that employs more than 35 million people.

3. Yet, while European industry has decades of experience and is one of the most competitive in the world, it is exposed to an increasingly complex and volatile geopolitical and economic landscape. It is these constant challenges that push it to continually innovate, to further improve its efficiency at different points in the value chain; to be more flexible to the changing demands of the global consumer, and to work to maintain its leadership as a global benchmark for quality.

4. To a large extent, this innovation effort is reflected in the intensive use of new technologies, essential tools for automating, interconnecting and optimizing industrial processes. Indeed, the fourth industrial revolution represents the sector’s ambition to adopt and implement technological advances to cope with an increasingly changing world and economy.

5. Now, after a decade in vogue, it seems that what we know as Industry 4.0 is clearing the way for a new concept that goes beyond pure technological change in the factory. We are referring to Industry 5.0, a vision that is beginning to gain prominence and that has come to place, at the center of the industrial revolution, its capacity to have a positive impact on society.

Manufacturing-X

 1. Manufacturing-X is a data ecosystem and industry, academia and policy initiative that aims to optimize and modernize industrial supply chains and production processes.

2. The Manufacturing-X concept represents a new generation of manufacturing technology, incorporating Industry 4.0 approaches and merging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and data analytics. 

3. The objective of the Manufacturing-X concept is to ensure more efficient, flexible, and cost-effective production processes while establishing a highly adaptive manufacturing environment capable of responding to individual customer demands and real-time market needs.

Grantmaking Best Practices

1. In the last case, grantmakers have only one chance at a first introduction, and that’s very often when grant seekers enter your grant application process. Will the moment be a heartwarming meet cute or a bucket of red flags? Will the right people and nonprofits feel a connection, or will you instead attract bad fits for your mission? 

2. Grantmakers have only one chance at a first introduction, and that’s very often when grant seekers enter your grant application process. Will the moment be a heartwarming meet cute or a bucket of red flags? Will the right people and nonprofits feel a connection, or will you instead attract bad fits for your mission? 

What Is Poka-Yoke And Why It Matters In Business

1. Poka-yoke is a Japanese quality control technique developed by former Toyota engineer Shigeo Shingo. Translated as “mistake-proofing”, poka-yoke aims to prevent defects in the manufacturing process that are the result of human error. 

2. Poka-yoke is a lean manufacturing technique that ensures that the right conditions exist before a step in the process is executed. This makes it a preventative form of quality control since errors are detected and then rectified before they occur. 

3. Fundamentally, poka-yoke is a lean manufacturing technique that ensures that the right conditions exist before a step in the process is executed. This makes it a preventative form of quality control since errors are detected before they occur. 

4. Of course, some process errors cannot be detected ahead of time. In this case, the poka-yoke technique seeks to eliminate errors as early on in the process as is feasible. Although the poka-yoke technique became a key part of Toyota’s manufacturing process, it can be applied to any industry or indeed any situation where there is potential for human error. 

Digitization vs. digitalization: Differences, definitions and examples, and Digital Transformation

1. In the case of digitization and digitalization, two letters make all the difference. This is not merely a matter of wordplay — it’s a matter of scope and potential value to your business. Understanding the distinctions between these two approaches is critical as the digital transformation gains momentum and businesses move toward digital technologies to enhance visibility and eliminate inefficiencies in their operations.

2. Here, we’ll give a straightforward explanation of both digitization and digitalization, offering examples of each. Then we’ll explore why we designed TruQC as a strategy for process digitalization.

EVT (Engineering Validation Test), DVT (Design Validation Test), PVT (production validation testing) & NPI (New Product Introduction)

1. Explain the differences between EVT, DVT and PVT, or the engineering validation process.

2. Manufacturing overseas adds additional complexities and risks as geographic, communication, and cultural barriers can sabotage the product launch process.

3. This is where a New Product Introduction (NPI) team can make a substantial impact on commercializing a new product.  

Impact of service level agreements on a manufacturing organization & ISO 27001

1. Managing a service level agreement (SLA) is a continuous process and should be constantly monitored, updated, and improved to meet the business needs of the manufacturing organization.

2. A service level agreement (SLA) with a cloud service provider (CSP) is a live document that must be well-understood and negotiated between the cloud service customer (CSC) and the CSP so the manufacturing organization (CSC) can manage and satisfy all security and regulatory compliance requirements in the cloud. When the manufacturing organization signs the SLA as a legally binding agreement with the CSP, it should not stop here because things are not done. They are actually never done.

Malaysia National Trade Blueprint (NTBp)

1. The NTBp is a blueprint commissioned by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (‘MITI’) and developed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (‘MATRADE’).

2. The NTBp outlines a 5-year (2021-2025) development strategy and initiatives to enhance Malaysia’s competitiveness in the export of merchandise. The NTBp framework is guided by four strategic priorities, three strategic themes and eight strategic thrusts with 40 recommendations to improve and enhance Malaysia’s trade competitiveness.

3. Based on statistics by the World Trade Organisation, Malaysia has slipped from 23rd place in 2015 to 26th place in 2019 in the global export rankings; having been overtaken by our ASEAN neighbours, Thailand and Vietnam.

4. According to the Executive Summary, the contribution by Small and Medium Enterprises (‘SMEs’) to total exports has stagnated in the past five years, with the average growth being slower as compared to the country’s overall export growth and exports by non-SMEs.

5. Hence the NTBp was developed to provide clear directions and initiatives to enable the country to regain its competitiveness in trade, even as global trade becomes increasingly complex and competitive.

Big Data Analytics: What It Is, How It Works, Benefits, And Challenges

1. Big data analytics describes the process of uncovering trends, patterns, and correlations in large amounts of raw data to help make data-informed decisions. These processes use familiar statistical analysis techniques—like clustering and regression—and apply them to more extensive datasets with the help of newer tools.

2. Big data has been a buzz word since the early 2000s, when software and hardware capabilities made it possible for organizations to handle large amounts of unstructured data. Since then, new technologies—from Amazon to smartphones—have contributed even more to the substantial amounts of data available to organizations.

3. With the explosion of data, early innovation projects like Hadoop, Spark, and NoSQL databases were created for the storage and processing of big data. This field continues to evolve as data engineers look for ways to integrate the vast amounts of complex information created by sensors, networks, transactions, smart devices, web usage, and more. 

4. Even now, big data analytics methods are being used with emerging technologies, like machine learning, to discover and scale more complex insights.

Knowledge Management for Manufacturers

1. Many operations already have systems in place to manage their tangible knowledge; that’s reports, presentations, papers etc. However, they often overlook the knowledge and experience of their people. 

2. A highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce is often a company’s most valuable and unique asset, so shouldn’t something be done something to safeguard this knowledge as well?

3. But effective knowledge management is often easier said than done – and this fact has been detrimental to the progress of many organizations. This is especially true for those in manufacturing industries, including general manufacturing, information technology, telecoms, chemicals and consumer goods. 

4. In such companies, an aging workforce and largely manual processes have inhibited the effective transfer of knowledge and caused a massive skills gap to emerge. And this has hobbled one of the greatest economic drivers in the U.S.

5. Here’s how to implement knowledge management in industries across the board to close the skills gap, save money and bring your organization into the future.

Key Metrics To Track Industry 4.0

 1. The following are the most valuable types of metrics for managing manufacturing operations today:

- Financial metrics that are based on real-time data monitoring from the shop floor 
- Customer responsiveness and satisfaction metrics
- Supplier and product quality metrics
- Efficiency-based metrics
- New Product Development & Introduction (NPDI) time-to-market performance

2. Operations teams are also designing their smart factory IT and Operations Technology (OT) systems to capture real-time data when possible on the following types of metrics:

- Asset and maintenance metrics including preventative metrics
- Inventory management, turns, and velocity
- Compliance metrics

3. The following are the valuable metrics to manufacturers as they plan, pilot, and launch smart factories.

Challenges and Implementing Big Data

1. Manufacturers today seek to achieve true business intelligence through collecting, analyzing, and sharing data across all key functional domains. In this architecture, production systems are not only more efficient but can also respond in a timely manner to changing business needs, including signals from partners and customers.

Integrating EBOM/MBOM into PLM systems

1. A BOM can define products as they are designed.” Most people now acknowledge the role of another critical enterprise business system to manage product design, which is product lifecycle management or PLM software.

2. The concept of an engineering bill of material (EBOM) was introduced in PLM systems, since there is very rarely a single tool that fully defines the design intent of a product. This is most commonly due to the increasing number of products that require mechanical, electronics, and software engineering — also referred to as mechatronic products.

3. Each of these engineering disciplines have different design tools that are used. When this is the case, the PLM EBOM addresses individual design tool limitations by synchronizing the CAD design structures from multiple tools to items in a single product’s EBOM.

Implementing BOM into ERP System

1. Poor master data management is often a hindrance to using an ERP system well. Bills of Material, BOMs, are a key piece of that ERP master data. Let’s look at a BOM to understand how it can be used and managed in your ERP system.

2. A BOM is organized by levels and includes all the parts that are used to build your product. Level 0 is the final product sold to your customer. Level 1 might be one or more subassemblies used in level 0. There is no limit to the levels but generally you want as few as possible to keep things simple.

3. Within a BOM level are a list of part numbers and the quantity needed to make up the next level. 

4. Part descriptions, units of measure, procurement types, etc. are often thought of as parts of a BOM but they really are items in the part master file which is a different ERP master data item. 

5. Those values will affect how the BOM works in your ERP and they are very important.

Creating An Effective Bill of Materials (BOM)

1. A bill of materials (BOM) is a comprehensive list of parts, items, assemblies, and other materials required to create a product, as well as instructions required for gathering and using the required materials.

2. The bill of materials can be understood as the recipe and shopping list for creating a final product. The bill of materials explains what, how, and where to buy required materials, and includes instructions for how to assemble the product from the various parts ordered. 

3. All manufacturers building products, regardless of their industry, get started by creating a bill of materials (BOM).

4. Because the bill of materials pulls together all sorts of product information, it is common that several disciplines (design and engineering, document management, operations, manufacturing, purchasing, contract manufacturers, and more) will consume data contained within the BOM record to get the job done right. 

5. In fact, engineers and manufacturers rely so heavily on BOMs that their own special subsets called the engineering bill of materials and the manufacturing bill of materials.

6. The BOM guides positive results from business activities like parts sourcing, outsourcing, and manufacturing, so it is important to create a BOM that is well organized, correct, and up-to-date. 

7. And for companies that outsource manufacturing activities, it is especially important to create an accurate and revision-controlled bill of materials. Any time the BOM is handed off to a contract manufacturer (CM) or supplier, it should be correct and complete to avoid unnecessary production mistakes and product launch delays.