Sunita Shenoy Industrial transformation in the time of COVID-19

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The Impact of IoT on Industrial Transformation During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Today we are fortunate to have Sunita Shenoy, an expert with extensive experience at Intel, sharing her insights on the role of IoT in industrial transformation during this challenging period shaped by Covid-19.

Overcoming Barriers to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The industrial revolution occurs every 100 years or so, with a massive economic impact based on the technologies that arrive in the manufacturing space. Today, we stand at the cusp of the fourth revolution, a fusion of digital and physical paradigms. Sunita sheds light on the challenges we face in embracing this revolution and how IoT can bolster our attempts to overcome these barriers.

"Internet of Things has become a reality in all our daily lives. Everything around us is becoming smart, and it's achieved through IoT. This paradigm also applies to manufacturing, leading to what we call Industrial 4.0."

Barriers to Industrial 4.0 Adoption: People and Processes

Sunita highlights that while it is entirely possible, technologically, to usher in the era of Industrial 4.0, the barriers are the people and processes. Our comfort with routine and fear of disrupting working patterns are what slows down the progress of adoption. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, has accelerated the need for industrial modernization.

Covid-19 Disruptions and the Path To Industrial IoT

  1. Worker Shortage: The pandemic has highlighted the existing gap in skills across industries, more so in manufacturing.
  2. Demand Fluctuations: The unprecedented demand for certain goods (sanitizers, baking goods, etc.) during different phases of lockdown threw the manufacturing forecasts off kilter.
  3. Supply and Logistics: With flights and shipments being stopped, sourcing raw materials from different regions became challenging.
  4. Lack of Data: Limited access to data has hindered businesses in making effective decisions.

Embracing Change and Navigating The Next Normal

Covid-19 has underscored the need to accelerate our transformation towards automation, remote working, retooling of processes, and a sharper focus on worker health and safety. Yearning for the next normal, we must stay open to constant learning and improvement amidst relentless change.

"We need to start retooling ourselves constantly to stay at the top of the edge. Embrace change or be the change you want to see in the world." - Sunita Shenoy

Final Thoughts

As we navigate these trying times, let's remember this insightful quote by Andrew Grove – "Bad companies are destroyed by crisis, Good companies survive them. Great companies are improved by them."

By leveraging the power of IoT and staying open to constant innovation, we can transform these challenges into opportunities for industry-wide enhancements and sustainability. The key lies in accepting that change is inevitable and using this change as a stepping-stone towards a brighter, smarter, and more connected future.


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