IU Magazine on the tracks of “The Human Factor” in the Smart Factory
The last person to leave turns out the lights – and then the production hall belongs to the machines. What is actually already happening in some factories is what some think is the future of automated production: completely machine-controlled factories in which humans are superfluous. The irony of it: We ourselves put ourselves in this position; the human-free factory is a human invention. Questionable or even frightening? – Not necessarily. Because the reality of Industry 4.0 does not reflect this scenario. Yes, production will change. And with it, job profiles will change too. Automation, but most of all software, will play an even more important role. As we humans will too. We will do what we have been doing for centuries – we will evolve. And we will play on our strengths: intelligence, creativity and social thinking.
The Smart Factory needs us to shift our knowledge back into the center of focus again. Simple manual operations are a matter for machines. However, when it is a matter of judgment, emotions and values, humans will also be in demand in the future. What we need are smart machines that interact with each other independently. And smart people who design, think ahead, control and provide direction. “Smart working” is the key phrase.
In addition to the Spotlight chapter on “The Human Factor”, our readers can also expect a range of other exciting articles: In our security Q&As, you find out what security precautions we offer with zenon, and our experts also report on the trends of HTML5 and Reporting in the cloud in the new IU. Our tip: Take a virtual tour through our new showroom in the COPA-DATA headquarters – simply scan the QR code on page 56 in the magazine or use the link there.
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