Smart Is Not A Binary Concept
“Smart” is not simply an “on” or “off” state. Just like people, some solutions are “smarter” than others; as we see from the various ways of measuring intelligence within humans, there are many kinds of “smarts.” When looking to invest in a smart manufacturing strategy, the playing field is more complex than it may appear. We should first understand and define what “smart” means, to what extent it exists, and the other requirements and dependencies that are needed to get the best value from investment.
Perhaps we should start with the IQ test, a measurement of intelligence attributed to people. Could we not have a scale for the intelligence of smart processes? As an adjective, “smart” sets expectations, but there is a huge gamut of actual intelligence or cleverness that can pass for smart. Perhaps we can create an AIQ (artificial intelligence quotient) scale to help us.