Tag Archive for: Digital transformation


Manufacturing companies around the world are in the process of digital transformation. Industry 4.0 is fundamentally changing the models of industrial markets and increasing the competitiveness of their members. Thus, the level of digitalization determines the growth prospects of any manufacturing company.

Understand the benefits of digital transformation

Now, more and more manufacturing enterprises are investing not only in the automation of existing processes, but also in the implementation of new, breakthrough business models and technologies based on Industry 4.0, to improve their capacity in integration and maximize the use of their digital platforms. This kind of aggressive approach will only help in improving their digital ecosystems and allow companies to get in-depth analytics of big data, and wider implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT).

According to the

McKinsey Global Institute

by 2025 the Internet of Things (IoT) applications could have a total economic impact of $11 trillion US dollars annually.

Implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies should be a priority for all manufacturers. By integrating production machines, business systems and their legacy systems, manufacturers can achieve much greater productivity and efficiency and become more agile and lean. The principle of Industry 4.0 is based on the massive introduction of information technology into industry, as well as large-scale automation of business processes.

The main goal of Industry 4.0 is to make manufacturing – and its related industries such as logistics – faster, more efficient, and more customer-centric. At the same time, moving beyond automation and optimization and discovering new business opportunities.

Manufacturing Digital Transformation and Prejudice

Many factories are lagging behind the rapid growth of new technologies. This can be explained by the cost of the equipment (which is very expensive to change to a new one), as well as by the fear of changing their production processes. Despite outdated technology and old machines, they still work and play a main role in the entire manufacturing business.

Often, manufacturing executives think they cannot do anything with their old equipment, which may have been made even before the Internet. Therefore, they continue to use these bulky and expensive to maintain production machines. Moreover, older technologies cannot provide complete real-time data.

The lack of real-time information makes it difficult to make decisions and prevents executives from successfully developing further and competing on an equal footing with more technologically advanced competitors in the market.

Meanwhile, the erroneous assumption about the need to replace all equipment drives them away from increasing productivity and taking full advantage of the integration of new technologies into production. We have a solution that can help any factory and any production!

Transformation of Legacy Systems with FactoryEye

All factories have different resources, strengths and weaknesses, and unique capabilities. However, there are proactive and proven solutions that can be applied across all industries, even with legacy systems and old equipments, to accelerate IT transformation.

FactoryEye is a unique solution capable of fully integrating all IT systems in your company (ERP, CRM, PLM, MES, WMS, SCM) with manufacturing production machines. It provides complete visibility and analysis of operational processes in real time.

With FactoryEye, all critical and disparate data is visible and accessible in real time. Most importantly, you do not need to change existing manufacturing machines, existing systems and infrastructure to do this.

Why transformation of legacy systems is useful in the Manufacturing?

Reduces operating costs. IoT sensors monitor hard-to-reach parts and signal hazards, record fuel consumption, monitor equipment temperatures, and automatically alerts when something goes wrong.

Reduces labor costs. Employees receive the necessary data using sensors and cameras. They don’t have to go anywhere anymore to take the readings off the equipment or request information from colleagues.

Reduces the risks of accidents and, accordingly, the costs of eliminating the consequences. Devices and sensors have learned to predict abnormal situations or accidents.

In other words, the optimization of processes and productivity is the first advantage that manufacturers enjoy. In addition to cost savings, increased profitability, reduced waste, automation to avoid errors and delays which results in a faster production.

Look for an IT service provider with hands-on experience.

To help in such concept implementation, a manufacturing company should team up and partner with service a provider who can share their own experience in implementing digital transformation projects for manufacturing world, based on Industry 4.0

An experienced IT provider with such an engineering expertise, will be able to define project path and actions, recommend the best procedures and services, and help you find the best way to transform your factory to gain new benefits. If the project is planned and executed correctly, it will lead to increased profits and quicker ROI.

To learn more about how our solutions can help your business overcome manufacturing challenges, contact us today

Industry 4.0 whitepaper

This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.


What is Industry 4.0?

Industry 4.0 is the leading trend of the fourth industrial revolution taking place before our eyes.

The main focus of Industry 4.0 is to fully automate production facilities where all processes are controlled in real-time while considering the ever-changing external conditions.

In Industry 4.0, Internet-based technologies play a crucial role in facilitating communication between personnel and machines.

Industry 4.0

The “Industry 4.0” program was discussed for the first time, in 2011 at an industrial exhibition in Hanover, where the German government set a goal to expand the use of information technology in manufacturing. A highly professional team made up of business and government representatives worked on the creation of a program to modernize the country’s industrial enterprises in this direction. The objective of the program is to preserve and increase the competitive advantages of the country’s enterprises.

Active interest over the past years in Industry 4.0 for both government and business in Germany is easily explained.

Back in 2015, Roland Berger, a global strategy consulting firm in its Digital Industry Transformation report, predicted that the EU economy could lose 605 billion euros in the coming years if it ignores the development of Industry 4.0. But if they are fulfilled, the potential profit can reach 1.25 trillion euros.

Not surprisingly, other countries follow the example of Germany, for example, in Japan, the “Japan Institute for Promotion of Digital Economy and Community (JIPDEC)” was created.

In 2014 the largest US companies – AT&T, Cisco, GE, IBM, and Intel – created an open non-profit group – the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC). The main objective of the Consortium is the creation of an ecosystem of companies, research centers and government agencies favorable for the implementation of the industrial Internet.

Internet of Things (IoT) – The key Technology of Industry 4.0

A key technology in Industry 4.0 is the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of things is a network of physical objects that have built-in technologies that allow them to interact with the external environment, transmit information about their condition and receive data from the outside.

In other words, in this technology, the Internet is used to exchange information not only between people but also between all kinds of “things”, i.e. machines, devices, sensors, etc. On one hand, objects equipped with sensors can exchange data and process them without human intervention. On the other hand, a person can actively participate in this process.

What is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)?

An integral part of the Internet of Things and its main driving force at this stage of technology development is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

The IIoT opens the direct way to the creation of fully automated industries or as we call it now– the Smart Factory.

In the IIoT approach, the key components of an equipment are: sensors, actuators, and controllers; The collected data is processed and sent to the appropriate services of the company, which allows staff to quickly make informed and prudent decisions. But the goal of IIoT is to achieve a level of automation of the enterprise, in which machines dispersed in multiple sites, work without the participation of people. The role of personnel, in this case, comes down to monitoring the operation of the machines and responding only to emergencies.

Challenges Faced by Industrial Enterprises to Adopt Industry 4.0

As discussed above, Industry 4.0 is about connecting people with machines, devices, and data to allow humans to act upon data in a proactive manner, to improve decision making and optimize business processes.

Here are the main challenges that many manufacturers face when considering new Industry 4.0 business models:

  • Budget – expensive solutions that often involve investing in (expensive) new systems and processes.
  • Long implementations – management time burden and reduced efficiencies before an eventual improvement.
  • Finding the right people with the appropriate level of expertise
  • Not knowing where or how to start

Book a FREE one-on-one consultation session with our in-house experts.


Steps Towards Industry 4.0

Managing digital transformation in manufacturing enterprises, often referred to as Industry 4.0, involves integrating digital technologies into all aspects of the manufacturing process to create a more connected, efficient, and data-driven operation.

To efficiently adopt a new technology 4.0 and transform your production into a smart factory you should follow the following steps:

Connect and Integrate

To achieve operational excellence and ensure your competitive advantage, you need real-time connectivity of all company departments into a unique business system. Automate business processes and orchestrate workflows to synchronize and streamline data from multiple sources.

Implement Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors to gather real-time data from machines and processes.

Collect and Manage

You must be able to collect and manage all your company’s critical information about operations, order fulfillment, sales, marketing, accounting, etc. in one place with no data gaps.

Visualize and Analyze

Stay on top of errors and inefficiencies by receiving alerts before they affect your business. This can be done with FactoryEye, a smart solution designed specifically for manufacturers. FactoryEye visually displays your processes, demonstrates all the results, and helps you better understand data, trends, and forecasts in real-time, allowing you to act efficiently.

Identify and Optimize

Proactively identify process intervention points, enabling live, informed decision-making to optimize business results.

Cybersecurity Measures

Implement robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and intellectual property. Regularly update and audit security protocols to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.

Collaboration and Partnerships

Collaborate with technology vendors, industry partners, and research institutions. Foster an ecosystem of innovation and knowledge-sharing to stay updated on emerging technologies.

Digital Transformation in Manufacturing with FactoryEye

FactoryEye is a highly productive, flexible, low-code and hybrid platform that seamlessly integrates between manufacturer’s legacy core IT systems, cloud systems, and factory machines, collecting and analyzing large data from multiple repositories.

Smart Factory and Industry 4.0

FactoryEye provides production managers and operators (using IoT technology) real-time data about “what’s goes on” on the shop floor. It does that by presenting the information on desktops, tablets or smartphones, enabling a fast reaction to irregularities. The effect is an increase in the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), thus a reduction in production costs. FactoryEye is fully integrated into the customer’s ERP enabling the automatic transfer of work orders to the shop floor and delivering real-time data from the shop floor to the ERP system for further usage.

Smart Factory IIoT

This smart solution, made for manufacturers, lets you focus on improving your business. Real-time visualization of all production data and predictive alerts that prevent problems before they occur.

Industry 4.0 – Call on the Experts

We implement FactoryEye according to the priorities identified together with our client. Our holistic approach draws on best practices and a strategic alliance with Magic Software, a global company that empowers manufacturers with smarter technology to make the smooth transition to Industry 4.0 and maximize business opportunities.

If you want to learn more about how FactoryEye can help save on costs and improve your factory’s efficiency, contact us today

Industry 4.0 whitepaper

This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.

 


One major advantage of the digital transformation and the massive adoption of the cloud, is the initiation of a serious discussion between business owners and executives from one side and their IT service providers from another side, for an outsourced IT services based on the best technology available today, at a reasonable price.

IT-outsourcing in the Digital Transformation era

Companies are more and more outsourcing their IT services to service providers. This process was motivated by customers’ desire to optimize their IT costs. There are different outsourcing models: hardware, software, data warehousing and storage, …

EDI2XML as a serviceFor many years we have seen the growing interest of the market towards a model called Software as a Service (SaaS). Although the term SaaS means only “software”, in fact, it is the most developed (to date) model of IT outsourcing, combining all the components listed above

What is Software as a Service?

Software as a service (SaaS) is one of the forms of cloud computing, a service model in which subscribers are provided with ready-made application software fully serviced by the provider. The vendor in this model manages the application, giving customers access to functions from client devices, usually through a mobile application or web browser.

The advantage of the SaaS model

The main advantage of the SaaS model for the consumer is the absence of costs associated with the installation, updating, and maintenance of the equipment and software that is being used by the company.

In the SaaS model:

  • The application is adapted for remote use
  • One application is used by several clients (the application is communal)
  • Payment is charged either in the form of a monthly subscription fee or on the basis of the volume of transactions
  • Technical support of the application is included in the payment
  • Updating and upgrading the application is quick and transparent for customers.

As with all forms of cloud computing, customers do not pay for ownership of the software, but for renting it (i.e. using it through a mobile application or Web interface).

Thus, as opposed to the classic software licensing scheme, the customer has relatively small recurring costs and does not need to invest heavily in the acquisition of the application program and the necessary Software and hardware for its deployment, and then maintain its performance, for the years to come.

EDI translation software in the Digital Transformation

Many entrepreneurs realize that using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a necessary condition to do successful business. Even in some cases, there is no choice, it is mandatory to be EDI compliant in order to trade with big channels like Walmart, Costco, Canadian Tire or Target. Businesses are looking for the most profitable and cost effective EDI solution to implement.

Read: EDI X12, EDIFACT, CSV, XML – Why is a conversion necessary?

 

EDI benefits are obvious in business. One of the major advantages of EDI, is that it can quickly improve and develop an enterprise bottom line.

If the company is EDI compliant, it will be able to expand its turnover without a significant influx of new employees. Certainly, another advantage of EDI is that it reduces human errors, increases efficiency and the quality of information.

Read: EDI converter: Benefits of converting between EDI and XML

 

What are the advantages of using EDI as a Service?

EDI2XML as a Service is an ideal solution for companies of all sizes and from various industries who seek to implement an edi solution to comply with their trading partners and want to simplify the entire integration of their EDI in their Systems and processes.

With EDI2XML as a service, edi is converted to xml and from there, it can be transformed to any format that our client is capable of working with and integrate into his own CRM/ERP.

There is no need for our clients to install any software or hardware. We manage the entire workflow of integration, from setting up new partner, configuring and testing EDI documents and certification with the trading partner. We can even go farther by integrating directly into our clients’ ERP or CRNM systems using certified connectors from the Manufacturer (i.e. SAP, JDE, Microsoft AX…). As a result, our clients have a quick and painless fully integrated solution, and continuous streamlined EDI and data flow between all partners.

Choose to outsource your digital transformation projects

Whatever EDI converter you are looking for: edifact to xml, convert edi to xml online, convert x12 to xml online, etc. We have the best EDI Solution for your business. So, do you want to exchange electronic documents with customers, suppliers, and business partners, with a cost effective and optimal way? Then you have to check EDI2XML as a Services live.

Contact us today for more information and free EDI Consultation.

Free EDI consultation


This post was updated to reflect current trends and information.


Oracle’s quality and reputation in the industry has made Oracle one of the most popular software vendor on the market. According to Statista, it is one of the largest companies in the world in terms of market value and one of the world’s leading providers of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

What is Oracle JD Edwards?

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne is an integrated applications suite of comprehensive enterprise resource planning software (ERP) that that is developed and sold by Oracle. EnterpriseOne is the first ERP solution to run all applications on Apple iPad. JD Edwards EnterpriseOne also delivers mobile applications.

JD Edwards World is a unique platform solution that allows better collaboration both within and outside your business network. The Oracle JD Edwards ERP system is a popular solution for managing mid-size and large enterprises.


To learn more about the JDE Edwards world and EDI integration, you can read this article “What you need to know about EDI integration in JD Edwards World


Integration is the engine behind “Digital Transformation”

During the past few years, due to the important role of integration in information technology, there has been a modernization of information technology, especially in Big Data and Analytics, Cloud Computing, and mobile IT.

Businesses using Oracle JD Edwards are not exceptions. Companies often need to integrate other applications and systems such as EDI System, CRM, SCM, PLM, and eCommerce.

EDI2XML offers a complete integrated solution on both JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World, using certified connectors from Oracle themselves. Thanks to the Magic xpi Integration Platform and the partnership of Magic Software with Oracle for the connectors certification!

When Integration with JDE is essential?

There are several scenarios when a company would consider automation and integration, and it is beneficial:

a) Processes improvement

Companies are in a constant search for better ways to do business; integrating the company’s systems and process will benefit the company with the following:

  • Improvement of employees’ efficiency and their performance
  •  Reduction in human errors
  • Increase in the speed of data collection
  • Improvement of the quality of information within a company’s system
  • Obviously, at the end of the day, all of the above will have a positive impact on the company’s bottom line.

b) External trends

The development and the business need to accommodate “External trends” is another driving factor for integration:

  • Cloud-based systems and technology
  • Mobile applications
  • IoT (Internet of Things) projects

c) Answering to Clients’ or suppliers’ requirements and expectations

Often companies dealing with several important clients, cannot reject a request from a client to exchange information and integrate data electronically.

d) Companies merger, acquisition, and growth

It has been very common in today’s business reality, to see lots of mergers and acquisitions of companies. This kind of business operation will create an urgent need to consolidate data and perhaps centralize data from different sources.

The same need can arise due to the company’s growth and expansion, where data needs to be centralized, activities need to be orchestrated at the system level.

e) Heterogeneous systems

Another typical scenario where integration becomes crucial for a company is when it is overgrown with various systems and applications that are not interconnected. (i.e. CRM, ERP, e-Comm, PLM, WMS, etc.)

Magic xpi Integration Platform operates as middleware to allow data to be shared seamlessly between all systems of a company such as eCommerce, CRM, ERP, including backend financial and manufacturing systems in order to help companies in their digital transformation journey.

Your Digital Transformation Partner

Magic xpi Integration Platform is a code-free, enterprise-grade integration, business process automation, and data synchronization solutions.

Magic xpi for JDE extends the capabilities and usage of Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World ERP systems, integrating them with your company’s whole range of business processes.

Integration with Oracle JD Edwards

Magic xpi unites the disparate components of your business in different systems and applications, allowing you to better manage financial flows, employees, products, and information in your company.

Magic xpi has a code-free visual design studio, with more than 50 adapters, wizards, services, and methods, that enable to create and orchestrate business processes and integrate natively with JD Edwards, using its Oracle certified connectors.

Magic xpi features

JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World connectors of Magic xpi, let you extend the value of your ERP by connecting data and business processes across CRM and other Business Systems.

Below are some of the main features of Magic xpi:

  • Out-of-the-box certified Oracle JDE adaptor
  • A wide library of pre-built components
  • Drag-and-drop functionality for easy configuration
  • Visual Data Mapper transforms information, regardless of the format
  • Step-by-step wizards simplify complex integration
  • Intuitive graphical user interface
  • Online monitoring capabilities

 Oracle JD Edwards Connector Capabilities

  • Discover all the “native” Oracle business objects automatically
  • Handles exceptions and errors, reliably and seamlessly
  • Integrates financial data in real-time, near real-time, and at optimal intervals
  • Integrates non-JDE applications with your General Ledger
  • Integrates with new and existing e-commerce websites
  • Integrates order tracking and logistics management over the Web
  • Integrates CRM and sales force management
  • Handles service calls and tracks orders over the Web
  • Runs natively on IBM I systems
  • Consolidates your charts of accounts with other systems and companies

Participating in Digital Transformation

If you don’t have the expertise in-house to lead a JD Edwards integration, then talk to us. We have been providing integration and expert consulting for Oracle including JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and JD Edwards World.

 We understand complex integration challenges – this is what we built our business on!

Free consultation ecommerce JDE integration

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