Digital Spare Parts Supply Chain: An Integrated Solution of Spare Parts Inventory Management and Predictive Maintenance

传统上，人为干预在制造业和工业环境中一直并将继续盛行，以连接和控制各种生产过程和系统。这一可行性研究项目旨在加深对如何应用新的信息技术和基于互联网的创新以消除人为干预并改变生产维护业务中的库存控制和供应链管理的理解。NBT集团有限公司是一家总部位于英格兰东北部的具有112年历史的家族企业，它与其研究项目合作伙伴Senseye Ltd，一家总部位于英国的领先工业软件企业，以及来自诺森比亚大学的学术专家，将评估在智能工厂环境中应用智能系统的潜力。NBT集团有限公司目前提供一系列跨工业和非工业环境的创新技术解决方案，以管理复杂的供应链。它使组织能够有效地管理他们的维护部件，允许客户通过自动化的自助库存管理技术专注于他们的核心业务并提高运营效率。NBT的目标是改变传统B2B供应链的工作方式。它不断寻找机会促进公司之间的更大合作，应用新的创造性思维和创新来消除阻碍业务和生产力增长的行政和手工任务。这项可行性研究项目将评估制造工厂背景下的新的和新兴的“智能”技术，以优化维护库存管理和供应链流程。第一个感兴趣的领域是了解使用基于智能的技术将Senseye的机器人安装的预测维护软件连接到NBT及其供应链合作伙伴库存软件的可行性，该软件是一个平台，为工业维护人员提供工厂机器上需要更换的部件的指示，而不需要人工干预。将这些系统数字化连接，可以消除在客户现场进行人工干预的需要，减少不必要的和可能过时的库存，从而释放生产空间和降低成本，并在更广泛的制造供应链中创造效率，并改善客户工作调度。这一可行性研究项目将为通过数字转型改变行业4.0标准之旅奠定基础。获得的成果和知识将用于展示和提供新知识，潜在地为密集的研究和开发提供信息，最终目的是利用新技术为英国经济带来产量增加、更高技能的角色、利润和收入。

Traditionally, human intervention has and continues to be prevalent in manufacturing and industrial contexts to connect and control various production processes and systems. This feasibility study project aims to develop understanding of how new information technology and internet-based innovations could be applied to remove human intervention and transform inventory control and supply chain management in production maintenance operations. NBT Group Ltd, a 112-year-old family business based in North East England, along with it's research project partners Senseye Ltd, a leading industrial software business headquartered in the UK, and academic experts from the University of Northumbria, will assess the potential for applying intelligent systems in a smart factory context.NBT Group Ltd currently provides a range of innovative technology solutions across industrial and non-industrial settings to manage complex supply chains. It enables organisations to manage their maintenance parts effectively allowing the client to focus on their core business and drive operational efficiencies, via automated self-service stock management technology.NBT's goal is to change the way traditional B2B supply chains work. It continually seeks opportunities to foster greater collaboration between companies, applying new creative thinking and innovation to remove administrative and manual tasks which hinder business and productivity growth.This feasibility study project will evaluate new and emerging 'smart' technologies in a manufacturing factory context to optimise maintenance inventory management and supply chain processes. The first area of interest is to develop an understanding of the feasibility of using intelligent based technologies to connect Senseye's robot installed predictive maintenance software, a platform that provides industrial maintenance personnel with an indication of what parts will need replacing on factory machines, to NBT's and its supply chain partners stock software without human intervention. Connecting these systems digitally could eliminate the requirement for manual intervention on a client site, reduce unnecessary and potentially obsoleted stock holdings, thereby freeing up space for production and driving down costs, and creating efficiencies amongst a wider manufacturing supply chain, and providing for improved client work scheduling.This feasibility study project will lay the foundations for what could prove a game-changer in the journey of Industry 4.0 standards through digital transformation. The outcomes and knowledge acquired will be used to demonstrate and provide new knowledge, potentially informing intensive research and development, with the ultimate aim of exploiting new technology to deliver increases in production, more highly skilled roles, profits and revenues for the UK economy.