Industry 5.0 is the new emerging trend and the next industrial revolution.
“Next industrial revolution!” you might say, “I’ve just gotten accustomed to adapting the industry 4.0 best practices!”
Well, that’s okay because industries 5.0 and 4.0 complement each other.
Industry 4.0 – the fourth (previous) industrial revolution – refers to the continued automation of manufacturing and industrial practices using technological advances.
What then is the meaning of this industry 5.0 and why do we need it?
Reportedly, industry 5.0 originates from the concept of Society 5.0 which is said to balance economic development with solving social issues.
In a nutshell, while industry 4.0 focuses on technology, manufacturing automation, and technological advancement, industry 5.0 embraces all the above while bringing the human factor back into the equation.
These days, we don’t question that technology is essential for enterprises’ advancement. However, sometimes we forget that it is run, continuously improved, and used strategically by none other but human intelligence. This new methodology insists that industrial processes focus on people and human capital, reminding us that technology is there for the worker – not the other way around.
Industry 5.0 is designed to benefit the industry by increasing its competitiveness, and the people by demanding that technology empowers them to become yes… even more efficient. But also, that it provides greater work satisfaction by improving the user experience and simplifying highly complex and technical processes.
But industry 5.0 is not meant to replace the methodology of industry 4.0. In this vein, our previous statement: “As you bring in smart technology and enterprise mobility, you’ll need to consider how you adapt the skills of your employees. Upskilling is going to be a key part of implementing industry 4.0.” appears to remain true in the industry 5.0 era.
Moreover, this new industrial revolution is expected to help enterprises redefine the rules between human and machine interaction. “Human-centric” appear to be the two most descriptive words of the industry 5.0 methodological intention.
A few years ago, in a CBS story, Elon Musk admitted that Tesla’s Model 3 production process was too technical. The electric car maker admitted that in some cases robots can slow down production and more people (human workers) are required. Musk tweeted, “Yes, excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake. To be precise, my mistake. Humans are underrated.” The giant’s admission accurately represents the core industry 5.0’s mindset – it’s not humans vs. robots but humans and robots.
While we, at On Device Solutions, haven’t had the chance to work with Tesla yet, we recently partnered with a leading car manufacturer’s South African team, providing them with the ODS native mobile enterprise solution myJobCard. Our product enabled this manufacturer to become less reliant on paper-based systems. Moving to myJobCard, the highest-rated mobile work and asset management mobile application on the SAP store, was a significant step towards fulfilling the industry 4.0 best practices. To find out more about how our product helped this client, download the case study here.
In addition, our easy-to-use and highly customisable software enabled the advancement of connected worker strategy in their manufacturing. That and other industry 4.0 characteristics are strongly embedded in and further enhanced by the industry 5.0 practices.
Environmental sustainability and creating profits through sustainable manufacturing, too, are significant markers of the industry 5.0 mindset. Enterprise Mobility, Digitisation, and Sustainability will continue to play an important role in this industrial revolution.
In summary, industry 5.0 appears to be the emerging trend and the future of man and machine collaboration. It demands that, while pursuing profits, enterprises respect the environment and place the connected industrial workers’ well-being at the center of the production process.
We, at ODS, share the above-mentioned sentiments and eagerly observe where this new industrial revolution takes us. Click here to read and better understand Industry 4.0 and to recap previous industrial revolutions.
Alternatively, contact On Device Solutions to find out how we can help your enterprise move with the times. We are an IT consultancy specialising in enterprise mobility and an SAP Gold partner.
