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The importance of Internet redundancy in 24/7 factory locations

Expereo team

With high production targets, ensuring maximum uptime in a factory is critical. The ultimate goal is uninterrupted operations and a relentless 24/7 factory environment. Meeting stringent production schedules, maintaining quality control, and supporting complex logistical functions requires a robust, “always on” connectivity strategy. Therefore, Internet redundancy can be seen as a crucial element for business continuity.

By providing a backup pathway, Internet redundancy ensures seamless operations even amidst potential Internet disruptions. We’ve pulled together eight use cases for why Internet redundancy is indispensable for 24/7 factory settings in the age of Industry 4.0.

In short, Internet connectivity is the backbone of modern factory operations. A stable Internet connection ensues a factory can enable:

A single outage can halt production lines, disrupt automated processes, and lead to significant productivity losses.

Redundant Internet connections act as a critical fail-safe, providing an alternative link if the primary connection fails. With this in place, you can minimize downtime, prevent production delays, and keep the factory operational around the clock.

In a 24/7 factory, you need to be able to effectively communicate with the right tools to coordinate all activities, manage staff, and troubleshoot any issues as quickly as possible.

Internet redundancy ensures continuous access to those vital communication tools like email, VoIP, and instant messaging platforms. With uninterrupted communication, you can coordinate between different departments, facilitate remote troubleshooting, and enable quick decision-making. All of which are crucial elements for maintaining operational efficiency.

There are roughly 18 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices being used, and that number is estimated to almost double to 32 billion by 2030.

IoT devices are vital to modern factories to monitor and control machinery, track production metrics, and manage inventory. But most importantly, these systems depend on a stable Internet connection to function effectively.

Redundancy ensures that real-time data from sensors and control systems remain accessible, allowing your devices to consistently monitor production parameters, detect issues, and provide prompt responses to anomalies. Ultimately, this safeguards product quality and operational stability.

Today, just-in-time inventory management, order processing, and logistics coordination are dependent on a fully-connected supply chain.

Internet redundancy helps maintain the continuous flow of information between suppliers, the factory, and distributors, all of which is crucial for managing supply levels, scheduling deliveries, and avoiding bottlenecks in the production process.

Redundant connections ensure that supply chain integrations remain active, preventing disruptions that could lead to production delays and inventory shortages.

Many 24/7 factories require remote oversight of operations, particularly during different shifts. Remote managers and technical staff need to be able to access factory systems without interruption, even if the primary connection goes down – in fact, especially if the primary connection goes down.

Internet redundancy supports remote troubleshooting, system updates, and real-time oversight, enhancing the factory's responsiveness to issues and maintaining continuous operational control.

Redundant Internet connections also contribute to cybersecurity resilience. Depending on what kind of back-up connectivity solution you use, they can segregate different types of traffic or provide backup pathways in case of a cyber-attack on the primary connection.

In the event of an attack or Internet service disruption, redundancy ensures that the factory can switch to a secure backup connection, reducing vulnerability to data breaches and minimizing operational risks and potential downtime.

Many factories need to adhere to regulations that require continuous data collection and reporting on various aspects of production and their environmental impact.

Redundant Internet connections help ensure that data logging and reporting systems remain operational, avoiding non-compliance due to Internet outages. This continuity is essential for meeting legal obligations, maintaining transparency, and avoiding penalties.

There are initial setup costs for Internet redundancy, however, it is a very cost-effective measure long term. The potential financial impact of production stoppages, missed deadlines, and lost revenue far outweighs the expense of maintaining redundant connections.

Not only that, Internet redundancy mitigates the risks associated with connectivity failures. So your factory is protected from significant financial losses and overall operational reliability is enhanced.

The investment in Internet redundancy ultimately fortifies your factory's ability to adapt to challenges and sustain uninterrupted operations, crucial for success in today's competitive manufacturing landscape.

In the high-stakes environment of a 24/7 factory, Internet redundancy can be the difference between uninterrupted operations and failing to hit your production targets.

If you’re looking to enhance your resilience, maintain consistent operations, and uphold your commitment to continuous production and high-quality output with redundant Internet options, get in touch with Expereo today.

Expereo’s Fixed Wireless Access, mobile 4G/LTE/5G Internet coverage, is available everywhere you need to do business. We provide quick and easy deployment for “always on” connectivity designed for your 24/7 factory locations.