When working with customers, I’ve observed that adopting new technologies often results in an increasing number of disparate systems that don’t communicate well with each other. The main reason for this is that acquired systems don’t fully meet all the needs of manufacturing. Consequently, companies try to fill these gaps with smaller applications and inefficient Excel tools, which are prone to human error and can impair the overall data quality. Since a team is only as strong as its weakest link, relying on these kinds of manual spreadsheets and analytical tools threatens the flexibility and performance of the entire manufacturing IT system. This issue is especially prevalent among small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are striving to digitalize their operations and remain competitive globally. One emerging technology to address these challenges is low-code, which can help these businesses create smart applications to complement existing software services. Revolutionizing development with low-code In short, low-code development democratizes application creation by enabling businesses to build custom applications without extensive coding expertise. This is achieved by providing a visual development environment with prebuilt components and functionalities, allowing users to drag and drop elements and configure them to their specific needs, significantly reducing the need to write complex code. This leads to faster development cycles and stronger business-IT collaboration. As a specialist in Eviden’s software development and low-code team focused on manufacturing, I have been working with the Mendix low-code platform for two years and I have experienced how it can help companies meet the unique needs of the manufacturing environment in a flexible and cost-effective way. Mendix offers a variety of tools to streamline shop floor processes, automate manual tasks, and create data visualization dashboards. Additionally, Mendix applications can seamlessly integrate with existing manufacturing OT/IT systems through industry-standard protocols and interfaces such as REST, SOAP and OData, improving real-time data access. Mendix enables SMEs to customize their workflows and implement the newest technologies, like machine learning (ML) features, to their existing systems whilst keeping the core clean. These capabilities make it an effective solution for SMEs to develop fully integrated, highly automated IT systems that cover all aspects needed to digitalize their manufacturing systems. Harnessing the power of GenAI with low-code It is widely agreed that the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has the potential to revolutionize the world in various ways, including manufacturing. In industrial companies, the DNA of the manufacturing environment lies in the data that is collected from machinery, materials and processes, among other data sources. The effective utilization of this data is therefore crucial to optimizing operations, improving efficiency, and driving innovation. However, effective data analysis is needed to unlock this potential. This is where AI can make a significant difference. I have recently paid more attention to how AI could be used to enhance Mendix applications and improve data-driven decision-making in manufacturing. Mendix facilitates AI/ML integration with both external cognitive services and embedded machine learning (ML) models, allowing the deployment of these models directly into low-code applications. This makes it an effective platform to embed AI capabilities, such as ML features, to existing software systems. The following use cases show where Mendix machine learning capabilities can be used to upgrade your manufacturing capabilities: Forecasting: AI/ML capabilities enable the utilization of existing operational data to predict upcoming events. This way, Mendix apps can be employed to predict inventory needs and potential machine failures, thereby minimizing downtime and optimizing maintenance schedules. Detecting inconsistencies and root causes: Mendix ML features can be used to detect deviations from manufacturing data. This can help in tracing root causes of product defects and inconsistencies in supplier materials, ensuring consistent product quality and eliminate waste. Object detection: With Mendix ML capabilities, it is possible to embed machine vision features into any platform to improve the quality of visual inspection operations. As a result, devices such as smart phones can be harnessed to detect and classify defects of products in the production line. Sustainable manufacturing: Low-code applications equipped with GenAI can analyze energy consumption patterns to identify optimization opportunities, promoting energy-efficient practices and sustainability goals. In summary, low-code and GenAI are a powerful combination to automate traditional manufacturing processes by enabling the creation of smart, data-driven applications while keeping the core systems clean. Leveraging low-code and AI/ML capabilities, manufacturers can embed intelligent technologies to their existing software services to attain more efficient, sustainable, and intelligent manufacturing. AI/ML and low-code in action At Eviden, we are focused on helping businesses on their digital transformation journeys by offering a broad range of solutions and expertise. With the Mendix low-code platform, our experts can develop customized solutions addressing your unique business needs while harnessing the power of AI. Contact us today and start your journey towards a more efficient and competitive manufacturing environment. Learn more about Eviden’s low-code solutions