Cloud Connectivity for Digital Factory Transformation
Manufacturing companies have challenging demands: they need to increase production, reduce cost, and improve product quality. They rely on hard-working, dedicated employees while using new technologies and cloud applications that increase the pace of their production. These new capabilities, like machine communications and industrial IOT, demand reliable high-performance cloud connectivity that provides fast and persistent data transfer between the factory and mission-critical cloud applications.
While the traditional MPLS networks have met the secure site-to-site connectivity needs of manufacturers in the past, the modern “smart factory” requires a more intelligent and scalable cloud connectivity solution. This is why the manufacturing world is moving from MPLS to SD-WAN.
SD-WAN Streamlines Supply Chain Connectivity and Ensures Production Efficiency
With the drive to improve efficiency and increase productivity, manufacturing sites need up-to-the-second access to supply chain status and production rates. Real-time, accurate machine performance analytics can be analyzed by cloud-based applications to trigger repairs that promote safer working conditions and extend the life of factory equipment. With digital transformation increasing efficiency throughout every facet of manufacturing, smart factory production lines require always-on connectivity because if the connection drops, the production – and revenue – stop.
SD-WAN is a great cost-effective solution that creates unbreakable cloud connectivity using any combination of available links – fiber, cable, DSL, wireless, or MPLS. Network edge devices are installed at each manufacturing site, and a cloud-based SD-WAN controller automatically establishes and maintains network connectivity to the cloud and between the plant sites. Any site in the manufacturing supply chain can easily be added to the SD-WAN network to ensure every smart factory, warehouse and corporate office has secure, agile connectivity for the non-stop flow of communication and production across the entire enterprise.
SD-WAN connectivity results in boosted operational efficiency and increased production rates with lower risk of unexpected factory downtime. With access to production statistics and status at all sites, manufacturing leaders have instant insight and control of the processes building their products:
- Order management automatically confirms production resources with scheduling
- Supply chain ensures production lines receive the necessary materials and components for assembly without unnecessary delays to Quality Control
- Quality Control collaborates with shipping to reduce the costs of storing manufactured goods on the shipping dock.
By leveraging SD-WAN to power their digital transformation, manufacturers can ensure all sides of the business know what is happening at any instant and can collaborate to resolve any unplanned challenges.
Get Frictionless Smart Factory Connectivity with SC//Connect™ Enterprise
Managed SD-WAN provides added benefits for manufacturers because they can spend less IT effort on network connectivity and focus their IT resources on digital factory innovations. SC//Connect™ Secure SD-WAN solutions make it simple by providing powerful SD-WAN solutions that are delivered by certified Managed Service Providers. This allows manufacturers to enjoy the benefits of SD-WAN to increase factory production, without the risks and hidden costs associated with a do-it-yourself SD-WAN deployment.
SC//Connect Enterprise is a flexible, cloud-controlled SD-WAN solution that reduces operating costs by enabling remote site turn-up and management. As the business needs more production facilities, new locations can be added to the corporate network quickly and easily without any on-site IT expertise required by the manufacturer. With SC//Connect Enterprise the business enjoys the confidence of a managed service and no longer has the IT headaches of establishing and maintaining network connections.
While offloading network management to the service provider, SC//Connect Enterprise brings additional cost efficiencies. By seamlessly aggregating traffic across multiple low-cost broadband connections, the solution provides increased bandwidth to any site while lowering the cost per megabit. The SC//Connect solution automatically recognizes and prioritizes application traffic flows, avoids network congestion, and provides seamless failover which ensures production continues even through unexpected link outages. SC//Connect Enterprise includes a network of intelligent cloud gateways to optimize quality for cloud-based services, while providing end-to-end encrypted transport to corporate data centers. The result is persistent, low-latency connections designed to support real-time collaboration throughout the entire manufacturing operation from the factory to sales, planning, distribution, and customer care.
Conclusion
SC//Connect Enterprise provides secure, reliable, and professionally managed high-speed cloud connectivity that allows manufacturers to focus on production without the worries, headaches and costs of managing their network connectivity.
Whether you’re looking to increase production or wanting to improve operations of your cloud-based applications, a fully-managed SC//Connect Enterprise solution can help. Scale Computing partners with numerous certified service providers who are skilled at tailoring SD-WAN solutions to fit your business goals.