Medical device manufacturers face many challenges these days, especially with recent supply chain snarls and snafus. A balance must be achieved between bringing a product to market quickly and ensuring products are reliable and effective. 

Despite current challenges, enterprising medical device manufacturing companies can create lots of opportunities by enabling a “factory of the future.” 

Managed IT can help medical device manufacturers by enabling automation, upgrading legacy systems, enhancing lean manufacturing systems, and supporting globalization.

Today’s Challenges for Medical Device Manufacturers

All manufacturers face challenges such as managing costs and inventories, and with supply chains disrupted, today’s challenges are even tougher than before. Medical device manufacturers must navigate these challenges as well as overcome additional responsibilities of healthcare: creating devices that are safe, reliable, and meet regulatory requirements. Issues can include:

• Finding ways to be flexible in production operations to deal with supply chain shortages and quickly meet new market requirements.
• Being prepared to adjust existing products and introduce new ones as opportunities develop. (And with potential pandemics and new or recurring health crises, being able to move quickly is critical.)

• Ensuring life-saving products do what they are supposed to while solving real short- and long-term healthcare needs.

• Navigating highly regulated environments that require comprehensive documentation and top-to-bottom quality control.

The biggest challenge is often navigating the above issues while mitigating costs...all while remaining competitive in the market.

The Technology of the Factory of the Future

Manufacturing has been evolving via technology, and now medical device manufacturers can improve production and operations via a focus on developing a “factory of the future.” Speeding up production while maintaining a consistent, error-free manufacturing system is typically one of the main goals.

To achieve this, factory automation systems and tools can be implemented, but the factory of the future is more than just automation. 

Tomorrow’s (or today’s!) medical device factories will be smart, agile, and data-driven. With real-time monitoring and reporting, managers will be able to keep an eye on what’s happening while enhancing performance. 

Factories of the future will be connected. This encompasses and goes beyond just a simple application of the Internet of Things (IoT). The new name for connected manufacturing is Industry 4.0 aka i4.0 or the “fourth industrial revolution.” 

What Is Industry 4.0?

In short, Industry 4.0 is the digital transformation of industrial and manufacturing companies. “Digital transformation” in manufacturing, aka digital manufacturing, can include:

• Internet of Things (IoT)
• automation
• robotics
• predictive maintenance
• manufacturing simulation (computer-based modeling)
• additive manufacturing
• IoT analytics and business intelligence

Connectivity is what can really make the factory of the future shine. Individual machine components can be connected to networks to enable cross-device communication, monitoring, analytics, and intelligence. This information can also be coordinated via a cloud-based solution to offer redundancy and visibility to manufacturers and executives. 

Managed IT and the Factory of the Future

Medical device manufacturers offer diverse products, from diagnostic equipment to implantable devices, but all need an error-free manufacturing process. Managed IT can help by instituting the underlying technology systems to manage product development and manufacturing. With the right software, production can be constantly analyzed to identify any issues or problems, including:

• production bottlenecks 
• slow workflows 
• failing equipment
• manufacturing errors

Managed IT can also help with:

• enabling automation, by securing and optimizing internal networks
• upgrading legacy systems to improve workflows and productivity
• enhancing lean manufacturing systems and supporting best practices

• supporting globalization through cloud-based storage, document sharing, and analytics

Managed IT support is delivered by a third-party provider such as Blue Technologies. As a managed technology services provider, Blue Technologies has advanced knowledge of network and cloud solutions that can promote digital transformation.

Managed IT for Medical Device Manufacturers

Blue Technologies is a leading Managed IT solutions provider dedicated to enabling innovation in manufacturing. We can help medical device manufacturers with instituting a factory of the future by establishing the necessary underlying IT infrastructure. From network setup and maintenance to secure cloud storage, Blue Technologies is your trusted partner for Managed IT.

Get help transitioning to the factory of the future. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant to schedule a comprehensive technology assessment.