Industry 4.0 requires factories to adopt major innovations in order to become true Smart Factories.

Traditional ERP systems are unable to interface into the transactional world of production departments. In a typical manufacturing environment, on average approx. 77% of users do not use an ERP system and this creates a significant gap between structured data (such as data sheets and bills of materials) and the unstructured data that drives production.

Industries that introduce an MES system into their production processes create a Digital Twin management model that follows the entire product lifecycle in parallel, from design to manufacture, with an interweaving of two worlds (real and digital) that until now have always struggled to integrate, enabling what is called a "Closed Loop Manufacturing” approach.

The introduction of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence technologies makes it possible to amplify the functionality of MES systems and their related benefits, helping manufacturing companies cut costs, improve production quality and make them more flexible.

A very large amount of data is generated every day in all sectors of the manufacturing industries. Leveraging Machine Learning models, Retelit helps manufacturing companies boost productivity by discovering hidden patterns in their data.

By processing and inputting their data into appropriate Machine Learning models, the following valuable applications can be accessed:

• Forecasting the performance of machines and operators
• Predictive maintenance of equipment
• Possible preview of demand for products

• quality inspection by image recognition
• Optimisation of production scheduling
• Energy consumption forecasting

Data is the most valuable asset for a company so it is necessary to manage it and convert it into value by leveraging these advanced technologies.

The use of wearable devices such as smartwatches or Hololenses is becoming more widespread in manufacturing departments.

Smartwatches provide a convenient and user-friendly solution for data capture, particularly for reading codes that confirm progress and provide traceability of the various production steps. By using them, operators can carry out operations more quickly, improving their productivity and efficiency.

Hololenses are ergonomic holographic devices that offer a range of benefits through integrating with mixed reality applications.

• Reduce downtime by mitigating risks at the beginning of the production cycle
• They help field operators to avoid making mistakes interacting with the machinery

• Reduce costs and any delays in taking action, thanks to the ability to track the process remotely
• They are a valuable support for internal training: it is possible, in fact, to be able to train staff either through the use of guides or through remote assistance tools

Finally, Hololenses have a positive environmental impact as they make it possible to solve problems for which, until recently, physical presence or a trip were absolutely necessary.