Manufacturing

Hybrid working is a natural progression for forward-thinking manufacturers who are digitising their industrial processes and harnessing edge computing, 5G connectivity, internet of things and smart-factory technology. Where manufacturing was once a purely “hands-on” sector, technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and digital twins can create information-rich, immersive and interactive environments that allow manufacturing personnel to remotely control, monitor and optimise manufacturing processes and machines.AR/VR can also be used for training, simulation, and visualisation purposes in manufacturing. For example, AR/VR can allow workers to learn new skills or test new scenarios virtually, in a safe and realistic way. Meanwhile, digital twins (real-time digital representations of physical objects or systems) can enable workers to remotely observe the status and performance of manufacturing machines or products through a dashboard or a 3D model. Digital twins can also enable workers to perform virtual experiments or optimisations on digital models before applying changes to a physical machine, process or system.These technologies not only improve the user experience and production efficiency in smart manufacturing, they also help overcome some of the main barriers to hybrid work adoption within the sector.

Rolls-Royce’s hybrid working team wins
a multi-billion-dollar contract

The Virginia-based arm of UK aerospace and defence supplier Rolls-Royce
PLC is just one of many multinational manufacturers to embrace hybrid working.
Since early 2022 most of the firm’s 6,000 workers have been able to decide
on a day-to-day basis where they want to work, without being mandated to
the office on any specific days. Since adopting the policy, Rolls-Royce engineers
working remotely have digitally modelled the US Air Force’s iconic B-52
aircraft and won a $6.2 billion contract to integrate new engines into the
bomber’s airframe. Rolls-Royce North America CEO, Tom Bells, said: “A
maintenance person could put on an augmented reality headset and
see how to physically maintain that engine, how to access the panels, etc.
For such an old airplane and unique application, it was ground-breaking.”

HP recommends
Enhancing hybrid teamworkManufacturing has traditionally been a hands-on sector which has relied on physical presence, so working in a virtual space can come as a culture shock. With HP Anyware, however, teams can access files and data from any location. The solution supports even the most demanding manufacturing and engineering simulations including computer-aided design, solid modelling, simulation and visualisation applications. Meanwhile, HP Presence is a suite of scalable, bundled options with hardware and services for meeting spaces of any size. It works with Zoom and Microsoft Teams rooms, interacting intuitively with users to provide an intelligent meeting experience and deliver useful real-time analytics back to IT. Facilitating the secure flow of informationManufacturing teams need swift
access to information, while keeping data secure. Paper-based and/or manual processes introduce inefficiencies that can reduce productivity and increase costs. HP Intelligent Workflows, facilitates data sharing while enabling manufacturers to track and analyse documents and processes as well as enforce compliance standards, provide
audit information and document privacy
and security. Protecting manufacturing IPManufacturing process IP – how companies make their products – is one of the most valuable assets manufacturers own. HP Wolf Security protects this data with full-stack security, featuring layered resiliency
from hardware to cloud. It also delivers sophisticated endpoint isolation and equips printers with advanced detection and
self-healing capabilities. HP’s solution achieves this without disrupting user productivity, enabling a work-anywhere-without-worry mindset.

73%

of manufacturers said they planned to invest in new
technology to facilitate remote work, according to a survey
by ERP software specialists SYSPRO.¹

According to a survey by the Manufacturers Alliance and Aon,
80% of manufacturers² expect to formalise a flexible remote
and in-person work model for employees during the next 12 months,
a nearly seven-fold increase from the pre-pandemic level.

1
SYSPRO, “Manufacturers and Distributors Gear Up for Digital Transformation in the New Normal,” October 2020 https://eu.syspro.com/press_release/manufacturers-and-distributors-gear-up-for-digital-transformation-in-the-new-normal/
2
Manufacturers Alliance, “The Future
of Flexible Work in Manufacturing,”
https://www.manufacturersalliance.org/research-insights/future-flexible-work-manufacturing