Real-time information boosts productivity

The fusion of IoT and digital displays offers a wide range of applications in manufacturing. For example, a manufacturer can install digital signage throughout its factory to deliver a variety of information to employees, including real-time updates on production line status. For example, by displaying the output of two different production lines, managers can encourage friendly competition between the two lines to motivate employees and increase productivity.

Sensors can also identify manufacturing processes that are lagging. By monitoring a digital display, employees will immediately know when to refresh dwindling inputs of raw materials, and managers can quickly pinpoint the cause of a slow-down and resolve production issues. Displays can even post immediate warnings about unsafe conditions, such as a contaminant leak, and direct employees toward the best evacuation routes.

No-lag inventory at a glance

IoT and digital displays offer a better solution to managing inventory. As products with sensors are removed from inventory, software keeps track of remaining stock in real-time and sends the information to display. Pickers and front-end employees can tell at a glance when there’s low or no inventory, and the software can send an alert to the production line or the purchasing department to inform them that inventory is running low and needs to be replenished.

Inventory information is always up to date, with no lags like in the old days of periodic inventory counts, and employees don’t have to take inventory physically. IoT and display can even provide information on warehouse conditions, providing alerts when temperature, humidity or other conditions approach or exceed established boundaries.

Tracking orders and delivery status

IoT sensors help enterprises track orders and delivery status. A display showing the statuses of critical shipments from suppliers or between facilities helps manufacturers plan production and respond to changing conditions. Applications in transportation logistics include real-time tracking of shipments, warehouse-capacity optimization, predictive asset maintenance, route optimization, and improved last-mile delivery.

IoT tracking also improves the customer experience, keeping them up-to-date on order status. For example, shipping giant Maersk installed IoT sensor in its shipping containers to enable its customers to track the location, temperature status, and other information about their shipments.

Improving your workflow

The manufacturing sector is lagging behind other industries in terms of making a digital transformation. Organizations building for a successful future will need to adopt IoT and digital signage to improve information flow and productivity, achieve digital operational excellence, and remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace. Quick easy access to reliable data is essential to productivity, and advances in LED and LCD technologies have made digital displays indispensable tools for delivering actionable, real-time information to employees and customers.

NEC Display Solutions is a manufacturer of computer monitors and large-screen public-information displays, and has sold and marketed products under the NEC brand globally for more than twenty years.