The first step in this project has been the elaboration of a shared reference vocabulary for Italian textile machinery manufacturers, which resulted in the creation of a conceptual model of machine and process production management data that can be useful for textile manufacturers in identifying and calculating related productive KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). This model was developed by the Manufacturing Group of the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, under the scientific guidance of prof. Marco Taisch, an international expert on digital transformation processes in the manufacturing sector, and within the bounds of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, supported by researcher Elisa Negri.

Alessandro Zucchi, president of ACIMIT, explained how this project arose: “A group of member companies felt the need to propose to their customers machinery that can communicate with each other in a common language, facilitating the integration of data between these machines within their customers’ operating systems (ERP, MES, CRM, etc.). We therefore turned to prof. Taisch to define a project together that could be useful to all manufacturers in the industry, accelerating their digitization process.”

As stated by Marco Taisch, “New technologies are being developed today that will become increasingly critical for manufacturers. The ability to conduct predictive analytics, using sensors capable of reading data, and the capability of connecting machinery (the so-called Internet Of Things - IOT) are technologies based on the concept of information that allow for the collection of data, their analysis and the ability to use such data in business processes. The goal of this project by ACIMIT is to work together and exploit a competitive advantage proposed to its member companies, in turn allowing for a rethinking of KPI measurement systems adopted within each individual company, and adapting them to a standard language shared by a wider community.”