The concept of the "smart factory" is today one of the most discussed topics in industry, although it does not always have a concrete definition. Carlos Mugeiro, plant manager at Purem, clarified on the Work Around podcast, in partnership with Gi Group Onsite, that having modern factories is not enough if they continue to operate in isolated islands. The recipe involves three essential ingredients: real-time connectivity between machines, systems, and people, with impact in areas such as quality, maintenance, and productivity.
At Purem, this interconnection enabled the implementation of projects such as production traceability and predictive maintenance based on real data from each piece of equipment. Carlos Mugeiro highlighted that in the group's more than 20 factories, the production day now begins with a dashboard and not with a clipboard and a sheet of paper.
This transformation also changes the skills being sought. Tiago Pacheco, senior business director at Gi Group Onsite, emphasized that digital literacy, interaction with machines, and understanding dashboards are increasingly necessary skills for factory floor operators. Added to this is the scarcity of technical profiles in robotics, mechatronics, and data, which are difficult to find in the market.
The biggest challenge, the experts point out, lies in people and leadership. Carlos Mugeiro warned that the biggest mistake is believing that the smart factory is merely a technological process, arguing that the true investment is in giving people time and trust. Purem restructured its training center to address this new reality, valuing the knowledge of its more experienced workers and giving them tools to lose their fear of new technologies.
