Cloud Computing in Production Management

In today’s business world, digitalization is no longer just a trend: It’s a fundamental necessity. To remain innovative and competitive, companies should regularly evaluate their existing processes and assess the benefits of new technologies.

A key element of this digital transformation is cloud computing. Cloud providers not only offer computing power and storage space but also a variety of business applications and platforms for various tasks and functions.

In sectors such as financial services, retail, and healthcare, cloud computing has already brought about fundamental changes.

And the impact of cloud technology is not bypassing industrial production either: In complex production environments, where optimizing production processes and monitoring manufacturing lines are crucial factors for success, cloud computing opens up new avenues for more efficient production control and process monitoring.

Below we take a look at the most important advantages of cloud platforms in industrial production management:

Reduced hardware and operational costs
Scalable infrastructure for large data volumes
Worldwide access via web browser
Increased innovation capabilities
Security measures and data recovery

1. Reduced hardware and operational costs

Shifting services to the cloud not only reduces costs for physical hardware, data centers and software licenses but also maintenance, management, and IT personnel.

Instead, companies pay for the usage of cloud resources and applications, which usually can be scaled as needed.

In complex production environments, the cloud thus offers the potential for significant cost savings—especially when utilizing cloud platforms that combine numerous functions within a single solution.

2. Scalable infrastructure for large data volumes

The number of potential data sources in production environments is vast: Machine controllers, sensors, and software systems provide large amounts of production data that can be analyzed and processed in various ways.

Cloud platforms offer a scalable infrastructure for this purpose and provide capacities that can be instantly adjusted to changing conditions.

For modern production management, cloud computing therefore means a high degree of flexibility and the ability to effortlessly handle constantly growing data volumes.

3. Worldwide access via web browser

With cloud platforms, teams anywhere in the world gain access to production data and systems with the only requirement being a working internet connection.

This accessibility not only allows for remote monitoring and management of production processes but also enables faster responses to unforeseen events. Additionally, it facilitates (global) collaboration between different locations.

Location-independent access is already known as one of the greatest benefits of cloud computing in other industries—yet in distributed production environments, it is downright revolutionary for the reasons described above.

4. Increased innovation capabilities

The innovation capability of a company can also benefit from the utilization of cloud platforms. Due to the scalability mentioned earlier, cloud platforms offer the opportunity to implement new ideas or projects without significant investments in hardware and infrastructure.

Furthermore, cloud technology provides the foundation for many applications and technologies based on processing larger data volumes—such as Predictive Maintenance and Machine Learning.

5. Security measures and data recovery

Data security and integrity are crucial in the interconnected business world, and industrial production is no exception.

Cloud providers are aware of this and invest significantly in security measures to protect their customers’ data. Common measures include encryption, access controls, and regular security audits.

In addition, cloud services offer robust solutions for data recovery in case of data loss.

However, it’s important to note that when using cloud offerings, sensitive data is often managed by third-party providers. Choosing a trustworthy provider is crucial and manufacturing companies should thoroughly review any potential solution.

Conclusion

Various types of cloud solutions are bringing about fundamental changes in industrial production – especially regarding the setup of the IT infrastructure. In addition to the potential cost savings, location-independent access is one of the most important advantages and enables not only 24/7 monitoring of production processes, but also the possibility of intervening in production in a controlling manner.

With our manubes platform, we have developed a cloud solution that is tailored for use in industrial production environments. manubes users are able to collect production data from different production sites and a wide variety of sources, organize and store them in the cloud and visualize any area of a production in real-time. Additionally, processes can be automated via drag-and-drop using the manubes Workflow Designer.

manubes is characterized by simple operation (no-code) and a comprehensive security concept. You can find more detailed information on the features here or in our video: