Industry 4.0 to 5.0: What it means for Meat Processors and Manufactures

Industry 4.0 to 5.0: What it means for Meat Processors and Manufactures

Feb 8, 2022 | Agri, Article, Data, Decision Intelligence (DI), Explained

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Wondering what Industry 4.0 and 5.0 is all about? We’re here to explain.

Currently, we are living in the 4th industrial revolution – Industry 4.0. This is the age of information technology (IT), machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI). Industry 4.0 brought about the autonomous exchange of data among smart machines without the need for human intervention. Organisations benefit from the data retrieved and analysed by smart technology and the delivery of actionable insights for better decision-making.

But at the same time, we are already transitioning into Industry 5.0. What changes will this bring? Most importantly, what does your organisation need to do to stay ahead?

Industry 4.0 is here and now

Industry 4.0 is about connectivity to enhance efficiency and productivity. It has given us AI and ML, along with cloud-based computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies have created networks of smart sensors that communicate with each other rapidly and feed data back to us. It has allowed for the development of smart robots to take over menial tasks previously done by humans, freeing up human intelligence to focus on more advanced tasks.

What Industry 4.0 has in turn created is big data – large amounts of up-to-date data that is available at our fingertips, and growing every day due to continuing advances in ML and AI. This massive influx of data requires more advanced analytics capabilities than ever before. We touched on this topic in our article on Smart Farms and how this influx can create new challenges to overcome. 

This is where Business Intelligence (BI) systems come in. Thanks to BI, we can receive all of this advanced data via automated, real-time reporting. BI is the driving technology that organises and analyses large amounts of data, delivering actionable insights that simplify the decision-making process for business leaders.  

What this all means is that in Industry 4.0 we have the ability to harness the technology that drives data-driven decision-making for any organisation’s growth and advancement.

Organisations go through what we call a data maturity curve, where they move from working manually with Excel reports at the base level, all the way through to a Decision Intelligence solution. Each phase drastically improves upon the next, and it is critical to progress through the phases consecutively to build on the previous foundations.

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Industry 5.0 balances tech with human input

What Industry 5.0 introduces is a greater collaboration between humans and machines. 

Industry 4.0 is currently giving us the technology and machine power to make incredible advancements in meat processing and manufacturing. We can improve our workflow processes and maximise productivity and efficiency. ML and AI have freed up more time for humans to focus on the bigger picture by automating menial tasks. 

Industry 5.0 is the next step forward, with greater human interaction with machines in order to apply human creativity and critical thinking to machine output. It’s 4.0 with a human touch, perfectly balancing modern tech with human input. 

Some fear that machines will replace humans as workers, but that is the opposite of what Industry 5.0 is about. It is about a synergistic relationship that utilises the efficiency of machines but relies on humans to oversee and make critical decisions. Machines cannot replicate human judgment and empathy, nor the ability to shift from short-term to long-term thinking.

Machines plus human workers provide endless opportunities for businesses that take advantage of the advances. Robots will become “cobots” (“co” for collaboration), safely working alongside humans while intelligently learning about their environment to continually adapt. Manufacturing and Meat Production constantly become smarter processes. 

Even Elon Musk admitted that excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake, and that “humans are underrated.” The speed and consistency of robots increase productivity, but the human skills of creativity and critical thinking are necessary components of a collaborative manufacturing relationship to maximise productivity. 

So are BI systems ready to keep pace with Industry 5.0? BI itself is undergoing a concurrent evolution as Business Intelligence evolves into Decision Intelligence (DI).

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How can your business adapt?

What exactly is DI? Much as the evolution from Industry 4.0 to 5.0 involves greater collaboration between humans and machines, the evolution of BI to DI combines human decision making with Business Intelligence and Machine Learning.

DI relies on AI and ML to learn and improve upon decision-making models to optimise decision-making. This enables some decisions to become automated while providing humans with precise insights to make higher quality, faster decisions for those that require human input. DI provides the technology necessary for humans to utilise the mountain of available data effectively to drive better decision-making and thus better business outcomes.

In short, DI is the link between human decision-makers and machine learning. It makes sense of all of the data provided from a BI system, giving your organisation actionable insights gathered from AI- and ML-generated data.

Decision Intelligence is critical to Industry 5.0

If this is all overwhelming, let us put your mind at ease. The beauty of DI is that you don’t have to understand how any of it works.

A DI system provides your organisation with all of the technological tools needed to help you achieve the best outcomes. DI assesses data along with the chain of cause and effects of decisions for you. You can then implement the right decisions at the right time to enhance productivity and efficiency while decreasing costs. 

Basically, you don’t have to worry about the process. The end results are delivered to you so that you can make higher quality, faster decisions with less effort.

Summary: We make it easy for you

To sum up, Industry 4.0 looks to connect and centralise all the data sources within the manufacturing process for improved analytic decision-making, and Industry 5.0 creates a coexisting relationship between humans and machinery to further improve the capabilities of the organisation.

DI is the key to unlock these capabilities. The team at Toustone are experts in DI and ready to bring your organisation up to speed with Industry 4.0 and prepare you for Industry 5.0, no matter where you are at currently. We are passionate about leveraging DI to improve the processes of any size business no matter how large or small.

You don’t have to be a data scientist – that’s what we are here for. Contact our team today to see how a DI system can help your manufacturing business access data-driven insights to make better business decisions.

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What if Santa partnered with a DI company?

What if Santa partnered with a DI company?

Dec 1, 2021 | Article, Data, Decision Intelligence (DI), News

Smart Farm: What you need to know

Santa’s a busy guy – the whole year rests on getting one night right.

Santa has a lot on his plate. He has to manage the production of millions of different gifts every year! Analysing the ever-expanding naughty and nice list, wish list and delivery locations whilst ensuring his elves are maintaining an efficient work environment.

What if Santa decided to level up his operations by becoming more data-driven to create a more productive work environment – where would he start?

1. Define and identify

If we were working with Santa on this project, we’d begin by defining with him his operations data-driven objectives and identify the relevant data sources required to achieve these. This is the beginning of shaping Santa’s data-driven culture so it can be adopted within his operations. Here, Santa has to lead by example. For the elves to effectively adopt this new approach within their manufacturing process, Santa has to be clear and precise on what he wants to achieve.

2. Build a solid foundation

Once we know what reporting Santa needs to keep his operation in check, we go about extracting, transforming and loading his data into a secure data warehouse. This is the most crucial part of the process – setting a solid data foundation that is aligned to his operations. This step is crucial to streamlining the reporting process to make those meaningful decisions, getting this part right means the success of the project!

This foundation has to be secure too, we don’t want anyone from the naughty list changing their category so by utilising the cloud we can give Santa complete governance over who can access what list and also allows him to access reports where ever he may be in the world.

3. Maintain the data-driven culture

Adopting a new process takes time so maintaining motivation is key for successful adoption. Remember the elves have been doing the same process for years now so a new way of doing things may come as a shock! Santa needs to be ready to listen and respond to the team if they have any issues.

4. Make informed decisions

Presentation is everything, especially for tracking presents! We’d create a clear, automated visual reporting dashboard to make Santa’s data come to life. It would seem like magic, even to Santa. This removes the manual handling of data that took days to produce reports – which were outdated by the time they were produced – allowing for more reliable and accurate information to inform his decisions.

Outcome?

Santa is now working off a real-time dashboard that displays the information that is relevant to him. He can now make more informed decisions that yield the best outcome for his operations. The elves have moved from manually producing reports to working of automated reports that assist them in refining their manufacturing process to produce more gifts and make more time to look after the reindeer. 

Santa has a lot of data but these-days, managing large volumes of data is easy when you have a foundation in place to support your data-driven goals. So Santa, if you reading this – contact us today if you’re interested in discussing how your organisation can benefit from being data-driven.

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5 Steps to Becoming a Data-Driven Organisation

5 Steps to Becoming a Data-Driven Organisation

Aug 17, 2021 | Article, Data, Solutions

Smart Farm: What you need to know

We have talked about what it means to be data-driven. When data drives the decisions and actions of your organisation, you are data-driven.

We have also talked about what being data-driven looks like. All of the data you need is presented at your fingertips in automated, visual dashboard reports. Insights are presented to you so you can decide what action to take. No more guesswork or searching for reports. Your entire team works from one source of truth, relying on data to guide decisions resulting in consistent, confident decision-making across the organisation.

But how do you get to that point? Here are five steps to becoming a data-driven organisation.

1. Foster a data-driven culture

Shaping your workplace culture to be data-driven comes from the top down, but it also has to be adopted from the bottom up.

Leaders need to lead by example. Use data when discussing strategy. Walk the walk – don’t let your opinions cloud your judgment but instead commit to relying on the data. Develop data storytelling skills to present a narrative that lets the data lead to your strategies and decisions. As your staff see you leading this way, they will gain confidence to do likewise.

2. Make data accessible and reliable

It is impossible to be data-driven if people don’t have easy access to data and business reports. This applies whether they are in or out of the office. Frustration in accessing the business reports they need to get their job done is one of the top ten complaints from remote workers.

When working from home, accessing office networks is cumbersome. Typically staff need a VPN to access the reports they need on a day-to-day basis – it’s not the same as working from the office. This creates barriers that frustrate staff and slow down productivity.

By utilising the cloud with automated reporting, staff can have easy access to reports from any location. This provides a consistent user experience whether working from the office or at home, removing barriers to productivity.

When rolling out a DI solution, choose one area to start with. You might start by focusing on sales and you can have a reporting solution up and running in 4-5 weeks. Then, you have the opportunity to use feedback to continue to enhance the solution. This helps staff to see the immediate benefits of a DI solution and gets them on board and engaged as you focus on the next department.

3. Maintain a data-driven culture

Based on our experience, if people face roadblocks when faced with organisational change, they quickly revert back to old habits. People are naturally resistant to change. They may need time to adjust to relying on their dashboard information instead of reverting to their old ways.

The key here is strong leadership. Listen to people’s frustrations and respond. Reassure them that if they have an issue with something, it can be resolved. Stay consistent with your commitment to data and embed this in the culture.

Guide people away from building reports to analysing them. Visual dashboards are designed to be easy to use and staff will soon realise they are able to access the information they need much more quickly. Once you go live with your DI solution, be hyper-supportive in responding to and fixing problems quickly before your staff revert to old ways of working. 

4. 80% data, 20% gut

Becoming data-driven doesn’t eliminate the need for human input. The human element is necessary to put the insights from data into action. Your team’s experience, reasoning and creativity are needed to make decisions and take action.

Being data-driven means moving from 80% gut and 20% data to 80% data and 20% gut. You still need people to make decisions, but now they are more fact-based.

Quick automated reports put accurate information in the hands of your decision-makers, enabling them to deliver fact-based decisions for better business outcomes.

5. Don’t slow down now; speed up!

By now your staff are getting more comfortable with the new technology and seeing its true value. You’ve led a successful cultural change and are starting to see results. However, this is not the time to get comfortable. Don’t slow down, speed up!

You have deployed solutions for each department. Now is the time to bring them all together to create fully integrated reports and dashboards that streamline your entire business. By doing this, you get a complete overview of your organisation, highlighting KPI’s across the business.

Continue the flow of communication with your staff. Talk to people, maintain motivation and before you know it you’ll have an organisation built on a culture of being data-driven.

How can Decision Intelligence benefit you?

At Toustone, we are passionate about helping every business realise the value of their data and become a data-driven organisation. We work across industries from health care to the meat industry and with businesses large and small. We are excited to see how we could help you harness the power of data and hope these 5 steps gave you some valuable insight into how to be data-driven. Contact one of our team members or request a free demo today.

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Data-driven: What is it and why does it matter?

Data-driven: What is it and why does it matter?

Jul 21, 2021 | Article, Data, Explained, Technology

Smart Farm: What you need to know

We constantly use data to make decisions in our everyday lives. What products we buy, which route we choose to take to our destinations, the content we read and the conclusions we draw from it.

Yet in business, too many decisions are made based on gut feeling. A recent global survey reported that 58% of respondents say their companies base at least half of their decisions on gut feeling or experience rather than data and facts. While we may have developed great instincts over time, our opinions can be biased, influenced by emotion and often fail to assess the entire picture.

This is where the term “data-driven” comes into play. In a data-driven organisation, strategies are developed based on facts. The guesswork and emotional aspect of decision-making is removed as insights from data present clear ways to move forward in every area of the business

Why does being “data-driven” matter?

You need to make a marketing decision. You open a spreadsheet with historic sales figures, another with past campaign results and spend five minutes searching for the most up-to-date financial report. You find three different versions – which one is correct? Which one did your staff use? Can the numbers be relied on? Frustrated, you decide to go with your gut. If it’s worked before, it will work now, right?

Imagine instead that all of the data you need is presented in automated current reports. With a few clicks, you can dig deep into the numbers and understand the story behind them. Actionable insights are presented based on the data, guiding your decisions. There is no guesswork. Your entire team works from the same source of data, from IT through to operations.

This is what a data-driven organisation looks like. There is one single source of truth instead of multiple versions. The risk of making decisions based on outdated information is eliminated. Data is accessible, at your fingertips, with insights generated for you.

Data is utilised to lead the decision-making process. The data-driven organisation has a mentality of constant improvement. Insights allow you to quickly make the best decisions for the business and predict future trends so you stay ahead of the game.

Smart Farm: What you need to know

Getting started with data

To be an effective data-driven organisation, a solid data foundation is critical. If the data you start with is inaccurate, how can you expect to make the best decisions?

A Decision Intelligence solution starts with building a data foundation from quality data. The data is then mapped and stored in a data warehouse where queries are run to build automated reports. Reports are delivered directly to the user, and can be accessed anytime from anywhere with an internet connection.

Toustone sets this all up for you with minimal disruption to operations. You don’t have to understand how it all works. We’ll work with you to understand your organisation’s needs and provide a solution.

Empowering your staff with reliable, accessible data means everyone can make confident, consistent decisions. You control who has access to what, so your staff only sees what they need to see. This protects the security of your data while allowing each department to focus on what is relevant to them.

Any organisation stands to benefit from being data-driven. Every department can rely on data, from finance to customer service, to make the best decisions.

To get your business started on the path to being data-driven, contact our team at Toustone today.

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Five more advantages of being data-driven

Five more advantages of being data-driven

Jul 20, 2021 | Article, Data, Solutions

Smart Farm: What you need to know

Data is utilised to lead the decision-making process, utilising it properly creates clear advantages. Insights allow you to quickly make the best decisions for the business and predict future trends so you stay ahead of the game. This is why there are so many advantages, so much so we have previously spoken about some key areas where an organisation can see them. So, here are five more key advantages:

1. Confident decision-making

Your data is presented in automated visual dashboards, providing a current picture of your business. Available in the cloud so you have access any time, from anywhere, you are always prepared to make a quick, data-driven decision.

2. Save time

Insights are gathered and presented to you, saving time spent compiling and understanding reports. Automated reporting and analysis frees up your time to focus on strategy and growing your business.

3. Consistency across the organisation

Every department becomes data-driven, working from one single source of truth. This removes silos and enables real teamwork to drive your business forward.

4. Combine human expertise with factual data

The beauty of data is that it does not replace the human element, but it enhances it. Your skilled staff assess insights and take action based on the data plus their strategic thinking.

5. Enhanced business performance!

A data-driven organisation benefits across the board with data connectivity – increased efficiency and productivity, improved KPI’s, and more focus on action instead of analyzing. You have the ability to quickly adapt to changing environments.

If your business isn’t effectively using data, you are falling behind. Research shows that relying on data makes decision-making five times faster for businesses. A 2021 survey showed that 46% of businesses are currently using data to drive their business with a Decision Intelligence solution, as Covid caused an acceleration in adoption over the past year. If this isn’t you, it’s your competition.

Getting started with data

To be an effective data-driven organisation, a solid data foundation is critical. If the data you start with is inaccurate, how can you expect to make the best decisions?

A Decision Intelligence solution starts with building a data foundation from quality data. The data is then mapped and stored in a data warehouse where queries are run to build automated reports. Reports are delivered directly to the user, and can be accessed anytime from anywhere with an internet connection.

Toustone sets this all up for you with minimal disruption to operations. You don’t have to understand how it all works. We’ll work with you to understand your organisation’s needs and provide a solution.

Empowering your staff with reliable, accessible data means everyone can make confident, consistent decisions. You control who has access to what, so your staff only sees what they need to see. This protects the security of your data while allowing each department to focus on what is relevant to them. 

Any organisation stands to benefit from being data-driven. Every department can rely on data, from finance to customer service, to make the best decisions.

To get your business started on the path to being data-driven, contact our team at Toustone today.

 

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What is the Cloud?

What is the Cloud?

Jul 8, 2021 | Article, Data, Explained, Hosting, Solutions

Smart Farm: What you need to know

It seems times were simpler when the Cloud was just a fluffy white object in the sky that indicated rain or inspired artists and photographers. These days, everyone talks about storing data and photos ‘in the cloud’ or ‘computing in the cloud.’ If the concept is a little difficult to grasp, we’re going to explain it all for you, including the benefits of the cloud and whether or not it is the best option for your business.

Now before we dive into the technical side of the cloud, it’s worth mentioning that you don’t need to be a tech-head to adopt cloud technology. A good provider will assist you all the way through so you don’t need to stress about it. But if you want to understand it a bit better, read on.

What exactly is the Cloud?

In the most simple terms, the cloud is a collection of services that are accessed via the internet. They store data, provide software applications, enable computing and other networking and infrastructure solutions. In physical terms, the cloud is made up of data centres full of services and networking equipment all over the world.

When something is stored in the cloud, it’s accessible over the internet. You don’t need to be at a specific computer or location to get to your data – you can access it from anywhere you can get online.

The cloud has revolutionised the way we store and share information, going beyond the limitations of our physical servers to the combined power of multiple servers. A network of servers hosted in the cloud makes it possible to store and process data much faster and more efficiently than hosting your own server or hard drive.

‘SaaS’ – software as a service – refers to cloud-based software and services. PaaS referers to a platform as a service where tailored solutions can be built without having to worry out the infrastructure. IaaS refers to the virtual hardware that can be provided in the cloud without having to worry about the physical hardware. With all those different XaaS cloud options someone else is helping you by abstracting everything to the level you want to work out. This will allow you to focus on what you do best, with you only having to worry about using the software, platform or infrastructure. Some common examples are Google Drive, Dropbox, and Salesforce.

Integrating Cloud technology

Hosting your data in the cloud means you free up a lot of time from an IT perspective. You don’t have to buy or maintain hardware or software, worry about setting it up, patching in software or upgrading. The host provider does all of that for you in exchange for a subscription fee.

Transitioning to the cloud happens rapidly, with minimal impact on your organisation and low cost associated with setup. Scaling happens on-demand – if you need more resources, you can get more resources in minutes. Your data is backed up automatically and protected in the event of a disaster like flood or fire, so it’s worry-free.

Yes it is. From a manager’s perspective, there are 3 key benefits to moving to the cloud.

1. Cost reduction. Because your back end is managed off-site, you eliminate the costs of maintaining hardware and software, replacing it with a regular subscription fee. Your IT staff have more time to focus on the business’ goals without having to worry about maintaining your servers and systems.

2. Security. End-to-End encryption codifies your data so that anyone looking at it would only see gibberish. Plus, if your computer fails, you won’t lose your data.

3. Accessibility. Cloud-based hosting means you can access your data at any time, from anywhere. You can also control who sees what within your organisation, so only those who need access to certain data and reports have it.

From a technical perspective, the cloud offers:

1. Centrality. Everyone operates from one single source of truth, creating consistent and accurate reports.

2. Support. 24/7 monitoring and support from the host mean you can be automatically alerted to outages and see problems resolved quickly.

3. Flexibility. Access to more resources allows for rapid scaling, within minutes, taking the pressure off planning.

The cloud has the capacity to maximise your organisation’s Decision Intelligence potential. Having up-to-date, accurate and easily available data will allow you to make rapid, data-driven decisions.

Toustone Cloud Hosting

The team at Toustone have extensive experience in hosting big data. Our hosting solution, combined with Yellowfin’s analytics and AWS capabilities, offer a superior Decision Intelligence solution for your business.

Built on a scalable environment with networks across multiple zones, we are able to cater to small, medium and large organisations. Our support team manages all of your backups and thoroughly tests new patches before upgrading your software. We are automatically notified of any outages or problems in service on a 24/7 basis, so we can usually fix the issue before you are even aware of it.

Toustone can set up your cloud-based hosting within hours, causing minimal disruption to your operations and with the highest level of security. Get in touch today to start the process.

 

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