TECH & AI
Q. WHAT ROLE DO SENSORS PLAY IN THE EDGE-TO-CLOUD JOURNEY?
» Sensors are the starting point of the edge-to-cloud journey. They serve as the primary data generators within a smart factory, capturing real-time information on machine performance, environmental conditions, product quality, energy consumption and asset health. Without accurate and reliable sensor data, the rest of the digital ecosystem cannot function effectively. At the edge, sensor data is processed locally to enable low-latency, mission-critical decisions – such as anomaly detection, quality inspection or safety alerts. This ensures rapid response times and minimises downtime. As the data moves to the cloud, it is aggregated, contextualised and analysed at scale to power advanced analytics, AI models, digital twins and enterprise-level optimisation. In essence, sensors are the foundation of the edgeto-cloud architecture – they transform physical operations into digital insights, enabling real-time control at the edge and strategic intelligence in the cloud.
Q. WHAT KEY SUCCESS FACTORS HAVE YOU SEEN ENABLE SMART FACTORY INITIATIVES TO SCALE?
» We’ ve all seen pilot projects that demonstrated real potential but never scaled beyond individual sites. These experiences have reinforced an important lesson: efficiency and connectivity alone are not enough. What truly enables smart factory initiatives to scale is a holistic approach – one that brings IT and OT together, prepares and upskills the
workforce, strengthens cybersecurity and builds maturity around data, governance and operating models. We’ ve seen this approach deliver real results with global manufacturers, including a large automotive client where we successfully scaled smart factory capabilities across multiple sites, demonstrating what true smart factory impact looks like in action.
Q. HOW DO YOU APPROACH RETROFITTING OLDER ASSETS WITH IIOT CONNECTIVITY?
» Retrofitting older assets with IIoT connectivity starts with a pragmatic, value-driven mindset. Because most
106 April 2026