Industries and processes are always evolving. The 21st century often termed the Digital Age, is characterized by the evolution brought about by computers and IT. Every business function and product are dependent on IT software and technology in one way or another.
Industry 4.0, the new industrial revolution aiming to integrate automation, cloud computing, data and machine learning into industrial processes. Needless to say, that such a revolution affects all industries and sectors including the Furniture industry.
We’re listing down 5 such changes brought about by digital trends in furniture manufacturing.
No longer do people follow each other’s steps. Being unique, having unique tastes and different preferences has become the new trend. People all over want their furniture to reflect themselves and their values. As a result of this customized furniture and interior decor have picked up the pace. Businesses are trying to capitalize on this trend by offering to produce customized furniture to customers.
In a way, cloud computing and easy availability and access of data have fueled this trend. Augmented VR has enabled 3D designing of furniture which can be designed by the customers themselves as per their preference. Through virtual reality, customers can also see how the end furniture will look and whether or not it meets their expectations.
In early 2020, countries-imposed lockdowns which meant everyone was restricted to their homes. Offices, banks, shops, malls all shifted to work from home to counter the restrictions. The impact of such restrictions was heavily felt across the manufacturing industries and factories.
To safeguard against any future disruptions in the manufacturing and supply chain, furniture manufacturing shifted from a minimal digital process to a process heavily dependent on smart machines and systems. These changes come as the need to reduce repetitive tasks and replace human decision making in such tasks with computerized commands is at its peak.
Our team of experts at STC India assists businesses to establish lean manufacturing. We formulate a customized thorough plan taking into account the organization structure and develop the work SOP. The team is well qualified and provides quality consultancy for optimizing data and information flow. We streamline the production process and also help set up an ERP system and provide standard templates for production data-keeping.
Data has become pervasive, its presence felt by every individual as well as every business. Integration of AI with DevOps has resulted in levelled functioning and collaboration of different business functions and departments. Similarly, the increased use of data to derive and analyze industry and customer trends has also made business more result-oriented.
The furniture industry has capitalized on automation by using machine learning and artificial intelligence. This has effectively reduced the unproductive time of factory employees which can now be applied to high priority and labor-intensive tasks. The use of data has made customization of furniture as well as the production function. It has also improved the after-sale services making furniture manufacturing more personalized and customer-oriented.
STC India helps businesses establish factories and production processes that are customized according to the client’s needs. We help set up and identify the right processes, machines, techniques, technologies, and systems for the businesses. Right from designing the plant layout to installing the machines, we consult our clients to establish factories that are result-oriented and comply with regulatory requirements.
Thanks to the introduction of the internet and other IT services, customer waiting time has significantly reduced. Be it for any product or service the customer experience has become fast-paced and quick. Take internet banking for example, with a few clicks’ money can be transferred from one part of the world to another within a few minutes.
The furniture industry too needs to make their process fast-paced to capitalize on this trend. Few companies are already doing this through quick and customized production of furniture. Furniture manufacturing thanks to computer-physical systems and smart factories are able to produce furniture within days of receiving the order.
With industry 4.0 the aim will be to digitalize as many processes and industries as are possible. Industries are aiming to become more efficient, effective, profitable and sustainable to meet the current needs. By digitalizing the production process wastage of resources, redundant tasks, energy resources and costs have been significantly reduced.
For furniture manufacturing digitalizing the production process means that fewer raw materials will be wasted and the left raw material can be recycled or reused as a by-product. It also makes the research design a smoother and accurate process. Various technologies such as automated sensors and robots can be used to make the supply chain resilient and reliable.
The digital presence of the business is also crucial for increasing the reach and turnover of the products. It doubles as a marketing strategy and enriches the customer experience. A lot of businesses use VR to give a virtual tour of the products to customers on their websites, furniture manufacturing too can optimize on this trend.
Furniture manufacturing businesses should capitalize on technologies to revolutionize their products, process and customer experience. Digitalization and automation of processes offer many benefits including, reduced cost, increasing economies of scale and increasing profits. The change also becomes necessary to avoid any disruption in the supply chain, just like the one we saw during the covid-19 pandemic.
Industries and processes will continue to change so as to achieve cost-effective, efficient and sustainable processes. To ensure that such sustainability is attained STC India offers quality consultations to businesses for establishing factories and transforming them into smart factories. We have experts who will provide solutions catered to answer specific client queries. Let us optimize your processes for you.
