PROLOGUE
Enterprises are comprised of a plethora of disparate systems that need to be conjoined to enable processing of information.
Traditional systems that manage product data, enterprise systems, and customer relationships need to correspond with more agile and real time systems that are used for marketing, customer service, operations management. More recently cloud provisioning for big data, AI/ML based predictive analytics, distributed ledger and compute platforms for engineering and analysis provide the basis for a more holistic view of enterprise operations.
We call the process of interlinking systems in an enterprise “Connecting the Dots”. This can be achieved by coordinating people, processes, and technology to effect communication, optimization, and harmonization of activities.
In this article we detail the Digital Twine, its explicit composition, its guided institution and its progression to create blueprints for initiatives in Industry 4.0 and beyond.
DIGITAL TWINE WORLD MODEL (DTWM) CONSTITUTION
The Digital Twine is our reference architecture to:
- integrate between disparate and heterogeneous systems,
- coordinate digital threads comprising of historical and real time data, and
- manifest digital twins to enable physical-digital interrelationships, and
- manage the governing of people, process and technology
This would enable blueprinting of initiatives in Industry 4.0 and beyond to enable processes to be automated, intelligent and connected.
DIGITAL TWINE MANIFESTO
The guiding principles for creating a blueprint utilizing the Digital Twine reference architecture consists of:
- Connectedness
- Interoperability
- Multi-modal basis
- Analytical
- Cybernetic underpinnings
Utilizing our Digital TwineTM Reference Architecture for process automation, here is a compendium of all our use cases that blueprint the initiatives so that solutions are based on a holistic understanding of system interactions, pull-and-push of data, and the needs of building an operating governance model.
USE CASE DEFINITION
Use Cases are scenarios of system behavior and express a business need. They are defined broadly in this context and consume information and data independently from each other.
Herewith, we discuss several use cases blueprinted with a different starting basis. Sometimes it is the ERP system that defines the modality of the initiative, or it could be the Product definition, or a Customer perspective. Depending upon the initial basis and the subsequent interactions we have represented dynamically in our blueprints how the connected dots representing the interaction of people, process and technology intertwine to provide for the right coordination and clear perspective of how needs, requirements and implementation can be staged in a harmonious progression to meet the objectives.
In a series of whitepapers, we had discussed how digital transformations had changed the way we interact and communicate and how new avenues like on-line and mobile have come into existence. Moving beyond Digital Transformations to a fully connected enterprise building smart products is the goal of ecosystems in Industry 4.0 and beyond. We plan to enable this using existing and emerging technologies to their fullest and integrating information moving to the paradigm of not only making data work but also for delivering intelligent pertinent information and actionable outcomes.
USE CASE EXAMPLES
- Predictive maintenance: using machine learning algorithms to predict when equipment is likely to fail, allowing for proactive maintenance and reducing downtime
- Supply chain optimization: using data analytics to optimize the flow of materials and products through the supply chain, improving efficiency and reducing waste
- Customer service automation: using chatbots and other AI-powered tools to handle routine customer inquiries, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex tasks
- Quality control: using machine vision and other sensors to monitor production processes in real-time and identify defects or deviations from standards
- Energy management: using IoT sensors and analytics to optimize energy consumption in manufacturing and other industrial settings
These are just a few examples of the many ways that Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies can be used to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase competitiveness in a variety of industries. It’s important to carefully consider the specific needs and goals of an organization when identifying and implementing Industry 4.0/5.0 use cases.
USE CASE ARTICULATION
Here are some additional questions that might be useful to consider when defining and analyzing your use cases:
- What are the primary stakeholders for each use case? Who will benefit from the successful completion of the use case, and who may be impacted by it?
- What are the risks and potential challenges associated with each use case? How can these be mitigated or addressed?
- How does each use case fit into the broader context of your organization’s business objectives and strategies?
- What resources (people, technology, data, etc.) will be required to successfully implement each use case?
- How will you measure the success of each use case? What metrics or KPIs will you use to track progress and determine if the use case has been successful?
- How will you ensure that the use case is sustainable and can be supported over the long term? What ongoing maintenance or support will be required?
By considering these questions, you can ensure that your use cases are well-defined, feasible, and aligned with your organization’s broader goals and strategies.
USE CASE CLASSIFICATION
Use Cases for the future (in the realm of Industry and Services 5.0) can be assumed to fall into 4 domains (McKinsey) as shown in the following graph:
USE CASE TEMPLATE
In our articulation of use cases, we have broken down the structure of defining use cases into four areas:
- Objective
- Pre-Conditions
- Core Functions, and
- Post-Conditions
The objective of the use case is the overall goal or purpose of the use case. Pre-conditions are the conditions that must be in place before the use case can be initiated. Core functions describe the steps or actions that must be taken to achieve the objective of the use case. Finally, post-conditions describe the state of the system or the outcomes that result from the successful completion of the use case.
We have defined a unique template to represent the high level blueprint of the use case with the center portion showcasing dynamically how the digital threads and digital twins interact to ascertain the needs of fulfilling the initiative represented by the use case. This template is represented below:
FROM ChatGPT
Here’s an example of how these components might be defined for a simple use case:
Objective: To process an order for a customer
Pre-Conditions: The customer has an account with the company, the customer has selected the items they want to purchase, and the customer’s payment information is valid.
Core Functions:
- Display the order summary to the customer for review.
- Verify that the customer has sufficient inventory of the items they are purchasing.
- Process the payment for the order.
- Generate and send a confirmation email to the customer.
- Update the customer’s order history in the company’s system.
Post-Conditions: The customer’s order is recorded in the company’s system, the customer has received a confirmation email, and the customer’s payment has been processed.
BROWN-GREEN-BLUE INITIATIVES
We have 20+ use cases that we have dynamically created with interacting systems to enable the harmonization and optimization of processes in Industry 4.0/5.0. They are broken down into:
- Brownfield initiatives wherein the existing processes are retrofitted with smart sensors coupled with data gathering devices to enable protocols like predictive maintenance and quality control measures to reduce time and optimize operations.
- Greenfield initiatives wherein the entire infrastructure is lifted-and-shifted to migrate to a completely new platform.
- Bluesky initiatives that bring about change by disruption – bringing about entirely new and different solutions.
Brownfield, Greenfield and Bluesky initiatives need to have the correct basis to enable synthesis and reduce technical debt to be able to enable re-engineering, innovation, and/or disruption.
A brownfield initiative is designed to improve the performance of an existing system. The goal of a brownfield initiative is to make the existing system more efficient, more effective, and more resilient.
A greenfield initiative is designed to create a new system from scratch. The goal of a green-field initiative is to create a system that is more efficient, more effective, and more resilient than the existing system. This approach is sometime desirable by starting afresh by building a platform from ground up. An example of this green-field development in the recent past is how Tesla Motors, a new entrant in the auto industry who after only 10+ years in the domain has become a trillion-dollar company, wealthier than all of the other automotive companies combined. Albeit not perfect – they still have a lot of issues when it comes to service and support – they initially created a master plan and have followed it for two versions to stick to their purpose of building compelling next products following a theme of “the machine to build the machine” as how Elon Musk “eloquently” puts it.
A bluesky initiative is designed to explore the potential of a new technology. The goal of a blue-sky initiative is to identify the potential applications of the new technology, and to design a system that will utilize the new technology. For our forays into Industry and Services 5.0, we will follow this approach wherein there will be a tight coupling between the process of creating and the products and services that issue. As such, all of our solutions will conform to the same DNA so that all aspects of make, manage, move, market. and maintain are coordinated.
AUTOMATION USE-CASES
We have used our Digital Twine reference to create dynamic blueprints for several enterprise digital transformation use-cases to conform with our theme for building robust, scalable, and resilient ecosystems in Industry 5.0. These comprise of several projects that we were involved in in our past to transform enterprises from brick-and-mortar to on-line, coordinating marketing and commerce using middleware orchestrations (digital decoupling), enabling personalization, and targeting using Big Data, Predictive Analytics, AI/ML and more recently enabling industrial automation and customer centricity.
The goal of the Digital Twine is to conform to the theme of Industry 4.0 and moving forward to Industry 5.0 to facilitate hyper automation and connected processes utilizing the power of emerging technologies, robotic processing, and enabling the future of work in the setting of what we call custom manufactory wherein industrial operations will be meshed with human-centric participation.
Each Digital Twine blueprint has a unique ledger number associated with it that corresponds to its build sequence and enables its detailed composition and interaction between systems to form the basis for articulating the needs of the use case.
SUMMARY
In our progression with brownfield, greenfield and bluesky initiatives at Numorpho Cybernetic Systems (NUMO) we will always be mindful of the rate of how change should be implemented, and its appropriateness based on the initiative. We call it graded ascension because it’s not about build it and they will come, but understanding current state and pivoting in phases accounting for re-engineering, technical debt or prospective disruption.
Here are some of the examples of use cases we have implemented.
UC02 – Dynamic Lift and Shift Migration of an ERP System from on-prem to cloud. This was a 8-month project that I was involved with for Georgia Pacific – paper manufacturer, a Koch Industries company that had then (circa 2017) invested in a new ERP called Infor M3. Koch now owns Infor.
UC05 – Applied Financial Services – These are several projects that I did for Global Wealth Management at JPMC, The Northern Trust, Bank 0f America and American Express
UC06 – Life Sciences and Health Care – These are an aggregation of projects that I did at Thermo-Fisher, Invitrogen and Sigma-Aldrich
UC07 – Balanced Supply Chain – This is mostly related to what I am doing at the DoD funded org MxD, my talks with a VC company (RefashionD) in this field, and experience with CNHI, the tractor and industrial equipment company and the 3PL work at Libbey Glass
NITIN UCHIL Founder, CEO & Technical Evangelist
nitin.uchil@numorpho.com
ChatGPT Summarization:
It sounds like your company, Numorpho Cybernetic Systems (NUMO), has a thoughtful approach to implementing change and is mindful of the potential impacts of different initiatives. It’s important to consider the current state of a system or organization and the potential challenges that may arise when introducing changes, such as re-engineering, technical debt, or disruption. Graduated ascension, or phasing in change gradually, can be an effective way to manage the risks and challenges associated with introducing new technologies or processes. This approach allows you to test and validate new ideas before fully implementing them, and can help to minimize disruptions and technical debt. It can also be helpful to involve stakeholders in the planning process to ensure that the change aligns with the needs and goals of the organization.