Sustainable Manufacturing and the Importance of Data

Data plays a very important role in the manufacturing world. Analytics are one of those things on which leaders in sustainability operations rely to tell them where improvement is required. Moreover, with the increased importance of sustainability, businesses are under pressure to cut energy waste, lower energy emissions, and operate more effectively. Analytics provide the necessary guidance for the sustainability manager to attain these objectives. Using the appropriate data tools, they can go further into how their facility consumes energy and make informed decisions toward continuous improvement.

Manufacturers who don’t adopt data tracking may find themselves lagging behind their competitors, facing challenges not only in efficiency but also in meeting regulatory standards and consumers’ expectations. 

Energy Data Analytics: A Critical Tool 

Energy data analytics plays a vital role in shaping a successful sustainability strategy. Without clear and actionable insights into energy consumption across facilities, identifying waste, inefficiencies, or areas for improvement becomes an enormous obstacle. Without proper oversight, you risk wasting energy, driving up costs, and harming the environment.

Through the use of advanced data analytics, sustainability managers can identify the equipment that leads to energy waste and inefficient processes, allowing them to pinpoint where operations can be improved.

For example, using Edgecom Energy’s dataTrack™ software, manufacturers can monitor energy use and understand how and when energy is being wasted. This data-driven approach offers the opportunity to fine-tune operations, from optimizing machinery settings to scheduling energy-intensive activities during off-peak hours when it is cheaper.

Using Data to Set Benchmarks and Goals 

Once the manufacturer has obtained this specific energy usage information, the next logical step will be to set benchmarks and develop clear, measurable sustainability goals. Whether it is lowering energy consumption and emissions or reducing waste, quantifiable data will be critical in monitoring achievable progress so that all stakeholders within the facility are on the same page. Setting these goals allows a company to monitor its progress toward its specified sustainability target and make necessary changes to its strategy.

Continuous Improvement in Sustainable Manufacturing

Sustainable manufacturing is a journey that requires a lot of effort and continuous improvement. As operational goals shift and new technologies emerge, it’s crucial for manufacturers to constantly monitor their performance. This ongoing process ensures that sustainability efforts don’t stagnate but instead evolve and improve over time, driving even greater efficiency and environmental performance. 

At Edgecom Energy, data is at the core of driving sustainable practices in manufacturing. Our edge-computing data analytics solutions, such as dataTrack™ and pTrack®, are engineered to arm sustainability managers with the necessary tooling to drive energy efficiency efforts, monitor their performances, and beat their sustainability targets.

Contact us now to learn more about how you can start saving and reducing your energy waste now!