Industrie 4.0: Cisco perspective

Whilst many organisations struggle to come to terms with what Industrie 4.0 means to their business model, few have even begun to consider the supply chain implications.

In the short video you have just watched, Stephen Goodman (CTO for Industry and Infrastructure, Cisco Systems) shared a personal perspective on 3 key supply chain challenges for Industrie 4.0:

1. Cyber security
2. Product quality assurance
3. Ethics

Whilst Stephen believes that the technical solutions exist to support cyber physical systems both within a company and across the supply chain. It’s the trust, verification and commercial aspects that need to be considered if Industrie 4.0 is to become a reality beyond the bounds of a factory. He also picks up on the liability theme mentioned by Len and Cerys in relation to 3D printing. Stephen perhaps had a clearer view on where liability may potentially lie, in his Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) example, it was firmly with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). His third theme was around ethics and Stephen challenged us to think about the impact of the developing countries, that we have favoured for global low-cost production if we return to more localised production.

In his full presentation, Stephen refers to Industrie 4.0, as the Internet of Everything, and the potential for it to be the Emperor’s new clothes. He raises an interesting point when he suggests that many companies are just beginning to grapple with what the term actually means, and have yet to really consider the supply chain implications.

Talking point

• What are the potential threats from a cyber-security perspective?
• What do you think will be the impact of the cyber-physical age on global supply chain design?
• What are the ethical considerations?