WM5G, Intercity Technology unveil 5G support session for West Midlands manufacturers 

Just over two years after launching an accelerator to focus on the potential business applications of 5G across its catchment area, West Midlands 5G has announced a series of free sessions to help manufacturers understand how advanced connectivity tools can boost their customer offerings and drive greater productivity in their business.

WM5G said the integration of digital technology is crucial for manufacturers as business enters the age of Industry 4.0, and that the benefits are felt both by manufacturers, who will gain improved productivity and efficiency, and by the customer, who benefits from greater certainty of delivery and quality.

To tap into this potential, WM5G is offering a programme – Manufacturing: The Digital Journey – which it has said is suitable for manufacturing businesses of all sizes, and at all stages of digital implementation and expertise, to begin to gain the knowledge and skills needed to implement digital technologies into manufacturing processes.

The sessions are said to be must-attend for forward-thinking manufacturers, exploring how advanced connectivity can improve productivity and the customer experience.

They contain modules which span across five levels, designed to support manufacturers at all stages of their digital journey, from digital novice to digital disruptor.

WM5G said its team will be able to advise the best point at which to enter the journey based on an organisation’s existing knowledge and experience, ensuring manufacturers get the most worthwhile experience and are able to implement measures to deliver benefits for customers.

They will also act as a starting point for manufacturers to develop their own 5G-connected trials or use cases, with the opportunity to learn from other recent real-world examples. This will showcase the range of benefits achieved and demonstrate how digital connectivity has made a real difference, encouraging manufacturers to do the same.

Intercity Technology has more than 35 years of experience in defining and launching technology solutions, and in partnership with WM5G will aim to guide manufacturers in how to integrate innovative technologies into their operations. “Industry 4.0 has been revolutionising the manufacturing sector since 2011,” said David Owen, managing director of the communications division at Intercity Technology.

“With increasing connectivity, the lower cost of sensorisation and huge increases in computing power, the pace of change continues to accelerate,” he said. “One of the biggest challenges in the SME [small and medium-sized enterprise] space is how to automate and digitise processes where the learned knowledge sits in the heads of your workforce.

“Predictive maintenance, streamlining the supply chain, connected services and more will dramatically improve manufacturing outcomes, reducing waste, speeding up production, and improving yield and the quality of goods produced,” said Owen. “It’s not always about the race to develop digital twins – sometimes taking those smaller first steps can dramatically improve productivity.”

Riccardo Weber, manufacturing innovation lead at WM5G, added: “We are looking forward to coming together with Intercity Technology to equip manufacturers of all sizes with the knowledge and skills to begin their journey to digitisation. Equipped with the knowledge from these sessions, manufacturers can begin integrating digital technologies into their processes to achieve greater efficiencies and ultimately boost revenue.

“Not only this, but their customers will also benefit from an improved experience and the assurance that they are receiving the quality they expect,” he said.