The dynamic disruption of technical advance isn’t finished with the design, development, and manufacturing sectors.
One of the things that we’ve been exploring and discussing over the last year or so is the impact that modern tech has on how we design, develop, and make things. Although we are used to the introduction of novel core technologies and how they need to be commercialized and integrated into the latest solutions, we are still getting on top of the impact that advances have had on the process.
The last big advance in manufacturing arguably occurred in the last few years, the technical manufacturing migration to what the market has labelled Industry 4.0. This represented the final integration of software- and logic-empowered automation solutions into the physical manufacturing processes. Intelligent tools, driven by advanced logic systems and guided by sensory feedback, have revolutionized manufacturing.
However, it is becoming apparent that there is still a way to go before disruptive technology is done with the product development process. The current world of Industry 4.0 is being evolved further by the integration of collaborative design and development software and hardware that extends the oversight and management of the creative process from the initial idea through manufacture, and even into the field via over-the-air software management.
Originally perceived by many as more of a convenience for widespread development teams than a true development force-multiplier, advanced collaborative software design tools are creating a new creative paradigm. These tools have been available for some time now, but the recent explosion in remote work, leveraged by the ability to integrate them into Industry 4.0, has brought them into the limelight.
Initially used just for file sharing and coordination of the design effort, companies are now discovering how advanced software tools can impact the entire development process. Some of the advantages, at first glance, include the ability to create a Bill of Materials far more easily, ensure proper oversight of tasks within the development process, and the ability for team members to work together, using the same tools simultaneously, remotely.
However, more and more companies are taking the next step in the application of real-time design and development technology and are working on a product’s design throughout the manufacturing process. Where once a product’s design was pretty much set into stone by the time it got to the manufacturing floor, today more and more companies are using the ability to design on the fly to tweak their product even as it is being made.
This is not a small thing. Often in manufacturing design issues and/or improvements are found, and in the old days it was nearly impossible to integrate the needed changes without completely revamping how things were done. Today, now that everything in the entire process can be tweaked, design changes can be integrated in a smooth and intuitive manner while a product is already being made.
The most visible company developing their products on the fly while they are being created is SpaceX, which has made multiple changes to their rocket designs even as they are assembling them for launch. Old-school development would involve a larger number of prototypes with fewer design iterations between them, while SpaceX often incorporates multiple last-minute design changes in each test flight.
Going forward, the companies that integrate these advanced collaborative hardware and software tools will be able to outperform their competitors. They’ll have the speed and flexibility to create more optimized products in a faster and more effective manner than those who don’t have an integrated development environment.