A Common Misconception
Many factory managers evaluating smart-manufacturing investments carry a yardstick in their heads: how many robotic arms have been installed, how many routes the automated guided vehicles run, how many points the sensors cover. The longer the equipment list, the "smarter" the factory seems to be.
But walk into many factories that have been adopting automation for years and you'll see a paradox. Plenty of equipment has been bought, yet the production line hasn't really gotten smarter. Machines run on their own, data sits in separate systems, and changeovers still depend on veteran workers' experience to call a stop or a go. Money has been spent and efficiency hasn't kept pace. There is even a pile of assets that need servicing and maintenance and often sit idle.
This isn't automation's fault. It's a case of confusing "automation" with "intelligence."