From the field to the data: how connected technologies are tackling the hidden waste of the manufacturing industry

The article discusses the challenges faced by European industries and how connected technologies and artificial intelligence optimize flows, reduce waste, and support performance.

Europe has never been more enthusiastic about artisanal bread. The premium segment of the European bakery market is growing by about 5% annually. However, for industries that must meet this demand, the pressure is significant. Caught between rising raw material costs and a persistent labor shortage, they can no longer afford the hidden costs associated with inefficient material flows that turn premium ingredients and finished products into waste.

The Impact of Intelligent Operations: Manufacturing report reveals that managing material flows is a major concern for industries. More than two-thirds of executives believe this area requires urgent improvements, with nearly 80% stating their desire to strengthen stock access and control. Among respondents, 35% aim to reduce material damage and loss, 36% seek to lower operational costs, and just over half want to improve efficiency. Industries that have improved their material flows have, on average, recorded revenue growth of over two points higher than others.

Mobile Terminals and RFID: Connecting the Field

To address these challenges, industries identify mobile terminals and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies as the best investments. They improve daily work by connecting the field and optimizing workflows. Key benefits include real-time access to stock data, reduction of manual errors, and smoother communication.

RFID enhances equipment and material visibility through automated stock tracking without the need for direct line of sight. In the bakery sector, this means better monitoring of fermentation times, precise control of ingredient use, and a drastic reduction in waste. By eliminating thousands of manual entry points, it ensures the integrity of each item from the warehouse to the production line.

Deployed with mobile terminals, RFID acts as a true multiplier effect. Previously, a baker could spend his morning manually counting flour bags using a clipboard. Today, with real-time inventory accessible on a mobile terminal, he is alerted as soon as a fermentation temperature deviates by a single degree, allowing him to avoid wasting a batch. The technology does not replace expertise, but enhances it.

Industry 4.0: Towards Convergence of Advanced Technologies

Other advanced technologies aimed at improving material flow management are also gaining traction. Staying within the bakery realm, several examples illustrate this momentum:

– A bakery sector solutions provider achieved annual savings of €20,000 by installing scanners on forklifts, improving palette identification and freeing up time for higher value-added tasks. – A robotics specialist integrated industrial vision into robotic picking to handle 25 to 30 semi-transparent bags of various shapes per minute without damage, reducing overall costs by 75%. – A major bakery product manufacturer reduced forecast errors by up to 30% using AI-based demand forecasting, enabling 20,000 employees to maintain consistent quality levels across the chain. Today, 20% of industries consider AI essential for material flow management, compared to 13% two years ago.

The modern journey of bread illustrates the challenges faced by many specialized industries: increased precision requirements, high waste costs, and reinforced quality expectations. Whether in bakery, electronics, or pharmaceutical products, the stakes are enormous.

Integrating data and automation on the production site is no longer an option. It is now the key differentiating factor for industries that will thrive in the next decade.