Importance of Data Science in Manufacturing Companies

Data science with the help of AI is said to have changed the manufacturing industry drastically by helping it achieve its goals.

Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses various scientific methods, maths, statistics, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to gain knowledge about structured and unstructured data across a broad range of application domains. The modern manufacturing industry, also known as industry 4.0 uses data science for increasing its productivity, reducing energy costs and boosting production. Data provides manufactures with valuable insights for profit maximisation, risk minimization, large scale processes and speeding up execution time.

Let us look into how data science is bringing drastic change in the manufacturing industry:

Product design and development

Big data help manufacturers to understand their customers, their tastes and preferences to fulfil customers' demands and satisfy their needs. Data is also needed to design the product to attract customers and assess the risks of competition to introduce a new product in the market or improve the existing one. Data management tools are also used to take proper insights while modelling, planning and decision making. Data science is also used to take customer feedback and idea generation.

Predictive analysis

Data is used to analyse the present data to forecast and avoid future problems. They analyse the challenges they are facing now and work accordingly so that they don't make the same mistake in the future. Manufacturers use data to its full potential for a monitoring company function, performance and finding out possible solutions to overcome difficulties and prevent them from hindering future opportunities by using predictive analysis.

Fault predictions and preventive maintenance

Manufacturers use data science for forecasting the failure of equipment to perform the task. As a result, these failures can be prevented from happening or reduced to an extent. This is only possible by predictive techniques. To prevent such failures, manufacturers use preventive maintenance methods like time-based and usage-based methods. The aim task is proper planning. The manufacturer may plan a break or shut down for repairing concerning future troubles with the equipment. Such breaks often help to avoid delays and failures.

Price optimization

Manufacturers need to keep several factors in mind before setting up a price for the product. The price of a product consists of the price of raw materials, manufacturing cost, distribution, maintenance cost etc. Manufactures opt for price optimization for finding the best price to be charged from the customers i.e., not too high and not too low and it would also be profitable for them. This increase profit efficiency. Data science helps analyse pricing and cost data from both internal and internal sources and achieve a competitive edge to derive optimized price variants.

Automation and robotization

The manufacturing sector largely uses robots to perform routine tasks and activities which might be difficult or dangerous for human workers. Every year manufacturers invest huge sums of money in robots and automation. Data science helps in the programming and smooth functioning of robots to increase the quality of products. Every year new robots come in to revolutionize the production line. Manufacturing robots have become affordable for manufacturing sectors than ever before.

Managing supply chain

Manufacturers use data science analytics for managing supply chain risks. The supply chain has always been complex, usage of big data analytics in this regard has proved to be beneficial. With help of data science, manufacturers analyse potential risks or delays and calculate the probabilities of problematic issues. This helps them make plans accordingly and identify backup suppliers. To keep up with the changing world, real-time data analytics is crucial. For managing the supply chain, predictive analysis and preventive maintenance are required for operating a successful manufacturing business.

Demand forecasting and inventory management

Demand forecasting involves the analysis of data and work of accountants and. It has a strong relation with inventory management and provides a lot of benefits to the manufacturing industry by analysing the market, availability of raw materials, use of AI, technologies used etc. To help in controlling inventory better and restrict the storage of useless products. Online inventory management software helps in collecting data required for future analysis. This helps in improving the supplier-manufacturer relations to regulate stocks and the supply process.

Warranty analysis

Manufacturers also spend a huge amount of money on warranty claims based on the quality and reliability of the product. Data in regard helps to analyse defective products and help to reveal early warnings. Using data science, manufacturers can understand the defects of the product and use the data to improve the existing products or develop a new one. Warranty analytics along with AI helps manufacturers to process huge volumes of warranty-related data from various sources and discover warranty related issues.