GP Progetti is continuously evolving in the field of tools for industrial management. The proposed software packages are designed to improve the productive efficiency of companies and are able to meet the needs of different sectors. GP Progetti’s solutions are able to follow the analysis phases, customer and supplier order inventory coverage, supply and more. The centralized management of production flows is the basis of a process that offers quality products or services: this is why it should involve all professionals whose priority is the streamlining of production phases, the limitation of various wastes and the general improvement of all planning stages. Thanks to the workflow management systems it is useful for keeping track of workload, all documents and all data; a correct methodology for implementing the tools for industrial management can be summarized in five main steps:

1. Identify the process to be analyzed
2. Define input and output exchanged between the protagonists of the process
3. Define the activities and procedures that control the progress
4. Define expectations
5. Define the responsibilities of the process

The production scheduler: planning methods

Thanks to the production scheduler it is possible to manage all company resources whether they are workbenches, operators or external resources. GP Progetti has created ten scheduling software packages and three data collection modules: they are completely customizable data collection and production monitoring programs that become a real monitor for real time planning supervision.

Would you like to improve your business using tools for industrial management? Contact us for a fact-finding meeting.

A series of technological changes have taken place within the business sphere for several years which materialized in projects supported by Industry 4.0 Plan 2018.
The digitalization of business processes has increasingly developed in every sector with the successful involving of Italy, so much that it has become necessary to draw up a series of benefits for companies, not just tax but also on the training necessary for the beneficial use of digital technologies.

The 4.0 business plan was approved by the government at the end of 2016 in order to provide companies with practical tools to operate properly with technological tools: in the meantime, the needs of the companies themselves and the aims of the Industry 4.0 national plan have undergone some changes; now the plan is analyzing how the issue will be addressed next year.

Industry 4.0 2018

So far, the reality of industry 4.0 is not a real trend on a large scale: only large companies have taken the “challenge” by applying the new systems to individual projects of internal renewal.
However there were some very successful results thanks to the application of the 4.0 policies.
The data emerge from a survey developed by the Ministry of Economic Development on the dissemination of new methodologies according to which:

• about half of the companies over 250 employees have already adopted at least a 4.0 technology
• more than a third of the companies between 50 and 250 employees have chosen to apply 4.0 technologies for their production processes

It turns out, however, that only 24.4% of the companies under 50 employees (therefore the small and medium enterprises) have already experimented with this type of solutions.
The gap remains if the trend of the “phenomenon” is projected in the future year. In the coming months it is expected that only 10% of medium-sized Italian companies will implement at least a 4.0 technology (compared to the three-year period), but the percentage rises to 35.1% among those over 250 employees and significantly decreases to 7.9% among those with ten employees.

Some of the innovations of Industry 4.0 2018 concern the drop shipping activity – a sales model that is gaining ground lately. The new solutions are presented at the same time for the GDO, construction companies and shops in general, from clothing to furniture.
Innovation often starts “silently” as a leader within the big groups in order to spread at a second moment with great enthusiasm: nothing worrying in the extrapolated data.

If you are interested in knowing all the news concerning incentives for Industry 4.0 of 2018, contact us to find out if you are eligible for tax incentives.

Italy towards the turning point 4.0.
The market of Industry 4.0 projects in Italy in 2017 – between IT solutions, enabling technology components on traditional production assets and related services – reaches a value between 2.3 and 2.4 billion euro, of which 84% realized towards Italian companies and the rest as exports, showing an increase of 30% compared to last year which: read in a multiannual perspective, ratifies the almost doubling of the market in just three years. The 4.0 projects include an induction of around 400 million euros in “traditional” digital innovation projects.

These are some of the results of the research of the Industry 4.0 Observatory of the School of Management of the Milan Polytechnic. The Industrial IoT (referring to the only components to connect the machinery to the network) confirms itself as the most widespread 4.0 technology, with a value of around 1.4 billion euros (60% of the market, + 30% on the previous year).
Following Industrial Analytics with 410 million euros (20% of the market, + 25%) and Cloud Manufacturing with 200 million euros (10% of the market, + 35%), but among the first for growth.
8% of the market is represented by Advanced Automation solutions (145 million euros, + 20%), while the Advanced Human Machine Interface, even with a low total value (around 30 million euros), is the first for growth compared to last year (+ 50%).

Among the IT solutions, enabling technological components and related services, the project market has a value of 2,400 million euros.
90% covers industrial IoT, Analytics and Cloud Manufacturing.
The national plan is bearing fruit. Now focus on SMEs.
The photograph taken by the Industry 4.0 Observatory of the School of Management of the Milan Polytechnic

The level of knowledge increases on Industry 4.0: only 2.5% of the companies say they do not know the topic (two years ago it was almost 40%); 15% are in the exploratory phase, while 55% say they have already implemented 4.0 solutions: numbers that bear witness to the ferment of the Italian scenario of Industry 4.0, in which a good level of basic technology “literacy” (on average 90% of companies know the individual Smart Technologies).

The impact of the National Industry 4.0 Plan appears very positive: on a sample of 236 companies, 92% know the measures (84% a year ago), half say they have already used hyper and super-amortization for the renewal of their assets and one in four plans to do so shortly.
The distribution of investments that exploit these forms of incentive is varied, with 25% of the companies investing more than three million euros and 20% that has appropriated less than 200 thousand euros. With reference to the tax credit foreseen for 4.0 training, six out of ten companies declare that they will want to take advantage of it.

“Over the past two years, the market for industrial digitalisation has almost doubled, driven by a modern industrial policy and reinforced by incentives, while the awareness of Industry 4.0 and the knowledge of new technologies are now widespread in almost all the productive realities of the country – explain Alessandro Perego, Andrea Sianesi and Marco Taisch, Scientific Managers of the Industry 4.0 Observatory – Now it is necessary that every company align this digital maturity to its business objectives, starting from the fact that new technologies are the foundation of Industry 4.0 and not its point of arrival, rethinking processes and organizational models in the difficult balance between operational management, continuous improvement and radical innovation “.

“The National Plan has played an excellent role as an accelerator of the transformation 4.0 so far, both by spreading their knowledge and by favouring private investments in fiscal terms,” Perego, Sianesi and Taisch continue, “but it is likely that their stimulus can not continue. indefinitely: the next big challenge to consolidate and keep growing in the market will be to identify the right path to involve SMEs, which represent the true heart of Italian manufacturing, in the digital transformation. ”
Source: CORCOM

Industry 4.0, the boom of orders. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the “Ucimu – Sistemi per produrre” index, with regard to the association of the Machine tools, robot and automation Italian manufacturers, registered an increase of 21,5% on an annual basis. The foreign orders grew by 6,2% compared to the October-December 2016 period, while on the domestic field Italian machine tool manufacturers registered an increase in order collection of 86,2% compared to the fourth quarter of 2016.

During 2017, the total index registered an increase of 13,7% compared to 2016. The foreign orders grew by 4,7% to the total recovery of the setback registered last year, while domestic orders were increased by 45,9%.

The evolution in order collection in 2017 proves two phenomena that are decisively positive for manufacturing: on one hand, the index shows the recovery of contracts across the border, with a disappointing result in 2016; on the other hand, it registers the excellent investment performance in systems and software to improve production in manufacturing companies that operate in Italy where users, with an increasing pace in 2017, have acquired the latest technology for their companies.

“On the domestic market, –says Massimo Carboniero, president of Ucimu, the impact that the measures contained by the Industry 4.0 plan, and in particular Super and Hyper depreciation, have had on sales and the order collection is obvious”.

Satisfaction was expressed by the Minister of Economic Development, Carlo Calenda. “The increase of over 45% of the domestic orders of Italian machine tools in 2017 compared to last year, registered today by Ucimu is an excellent result because it represents not only an increase in business investment and domestic demand, but also the new path taken by Italian industry increasingly directed towards new products, the streamlining processes and more advanced technologies – says the Minister – Ucimu’s leap in equipment, robot and automation orders is certainly the result of a favorable economic situation and the increased propensity of our entrepreneurs to compete at an international level, but it is also the outcome of the new incentive system – no longer banned but automatic, simple and focused on innovation – launched with the Business Plan 4.0, in particular with the measures of super and hyper depreciation”.

Source: CorCom

The industry 4.0 is certainly an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises, but we must also consider that the whole European Plan revolves around a simple concept: making factories and machines smart, thus improving the manufacturing output thanks to software for production process optimisation.

This was discussed at a conference held in the lecture hall of the Faculty of Economics in Brescia, where a study of generations and responsibilities was presented, also with an eye to the importance of the values that are handed down from previous generations. In fact, the focus of the debate was on generational change, which could be encouraged precisely thanks to the Industry Plan 4.0 and the incentives promoted by a super and hyper-amortisation at 250%.

Production and governance, operating margins and investments, production process optimisation, innovation and marketing. The list of issues to be discussed at the time of handover of responsibilities in the management of a family business could go on and on.

For the vast majority of the 98 small and medium-sized enterprises analysed in the area of Brescia (all active in the manufacturing sector), the values handed down through generations are the basis on which continuity can be built. The presence in a company of several generations at once, which sometimes can even become a problem, is possible by training younger members, both at the company premises and externally, for example with experiences abroad, degrees or specialised courses.

As there are no established good practices on generational change, the problem arises when each small company has to decide for itself on the matter.

Continuity should therefore be seen as an investment, as those made in innovation and technology, where it is essential to understand the times required and which people to delegate to ensure adequate innovation for the company, so it can optimise production processes also through software geared towards the Industry 4.0.

Contact GP Progetti formore information.

Source: survey conducted by Professors Achille Fornasini and Alberto Mazzoleni of the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Brescia, in collaboration with the management and strategy consulting firm Sei Consulting of Brescia and Banca Patrimoni Sella.

It is also thanks to manufacturing industry software if Brescia is now at the tiptop of Europe. The latest data define it as a cutting-edge industrial system in Italy and a flagship for exports, green manufacturing and innovation, as well as a magnet for industrial investments abroad and a major global investor. This is the snapshot of industrial Brescia according to research conducted by AIB, the Edison Foundation and the Symbola Foundation, aimed at illustrating its records but that, above all, intends to become a model.

“If, as Brescia did, we aim for innovation and quality, exploiting the strengths of the local area – as stated in the foreword of the research – and if we focus on research and sustainability, following the direction of a circular economy, Italy will be able to play a key role.”

As a matter of fact, Brescia, with its SMEs, 156,000 workers and more than 10 billion of added value in the industrial sector, is the third province in Europe. And this leadership deserves to be confirmed. In short, 2016 was a year of recovery and redundancy payments also decreased.

The data for 2016 looks promising, indicating a recovery (+ 3.2%) of industrial production in the manufacturing sector, confirmed by the use of systems, which has reached 75%. Positive signs have also come from the business services sector, which shows a recovery in sales and order books. Foreign trade is dynamic, too: “in the first nine months of the year, our exports were worth 10.8 billion euros – says Bonometti – a level of absolute excellence, confirming the ability of our entrepreneurs, even during the most difficult years of the crisis, who have never ceased to invest in innovation in order to improve the quality, sustainability and competitiveness of their products on international markets. Of course – says AIB president – there is still uncertainty, at a global level to begin with, but for 2017 we can expect global economy to grow, so we are also cautiously optimistic.”

The Industry 4.0 Plan will provide new opportunities for companies, especially those aiming to improve production with software specifically designed for the manufacturing industry.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, 15 December 2016; Bresciaoggi, 2 February 2017

The recent approval of the Budget Law for the year 2017 by the Italian Parliament introduced new strategies for the optimisation of production in the manufacturing industry.

One of the most interesting points in the Law is no doubt the availability of a sizeable tax concession on the purchase of software to improve the manufacturing industry, which is already known under the name of hyper-amortisation.

In other words, that concession whereby for every 100 euros you spend, you can deduct 250. In practice, it’s 75 euros less in taxes.

So, for the sake of simplicity: with the normal and the hyper-amortisation, the cost of the machinery or the software for the optimisation of industrial production will be covered by the expenses you deduct.

It has to be remarked that what enables the tax concession are not the technical aspects of the product (machinery or software), but the actual relevance of the product with the infrastructure of the company: it has to be regarded as an improvement in terms of production, as to make it coherent with the plan “Industria 4.0”.

To make an example: it won’t be possible to use the machinery for the information management system, for the collection of production data, as these interventions are not innovative elements. The National Plan “Industria 4.0” aims at stimulating companies to use industrial data to actively boost production of machines and software, also adopting strategies to increase the efficiency of one machine only and, consequently, of the entire industrial production.

GBProgetti invites all people who are interested to contact them for a meeting aimed at getting to know the newest updates in terms of management, operation and technologies and for information on the savings that can result from these tax concessions.

Companies may benefit from a 250% super-amortisation for the purchase of machinery and software to develop the potential of the Italian industrial production to optimise production in manufacturing companies.

This is a new valid instrument supporting companies. After the 500-million-euro plan in support of the companies having credits with the Civil Service, which was passed last month, Banca Valsabbina (whose chairman is Renato Barbieri, chief operating officer Tonino Fornari and deputy Marco Bonetti) has launched two more instruments that may help companies to achieve the aims contained in the project of the Government “Industria 4.0” (consisting in the implementation of intelligent machines, which are interconnected and have access to the Internet; in the connection between physical and digital systems; in complex BigData analyses). This will improve the productivity of manufacturing companies.

Among other things, INDUSTRIA 4.0 provides for sizeable tax concessions for companies, such as the 250% super-amortisation and the extension of the 140% amortisation: in the first case in particular, the objective is to attract investments in the industrial areas 4.0, along with technologies for precision agriculture and for the cutting down of energy consumption. To make the most of this important opportunity, the Brescia-based credit institute (Walter Piccini is responsible for the Resources Division) has created a 20-million-euro credit line for the loans that companies can take out to enjoy this benefit.

Industria 4.0, 20 million euro from Banca Valsabbina for innovation

Companies have time until 30 June 2018 for the purchase, on the condition that the order with the respective deposit is above 20% and is paid within December 2017.

“With the new tax concession contained in the plan ‘Industra 4.0,’ entrepreneurs can benefit from a bonus amounting to 250% of the cost,” — explains Paolo Gesta, manager of the Business Division at Banca Valsabbina. “In this way, the expenses for the purchase of any goods allowed for in the plan will be amortisable over the following years, reaching 250% of their value. For example,” adds Gesa, “something you buy at 1,000 euro can be amortised for 2,500 euro.”

“The two new products,” concludes the manager, “are also available on the same conditions for the 140% amortisation, which the bank was already sustaining with a special credit line.”

Specifically, what is being offered is realised through an unsecured loan amounting to between 2,000 and 200,000 euro, lasting up to 5 years, with a 3-month Euribor interest rate + 2.5%. The second instrument is an unsecured loan granted by MedioCredito Centrale, that can finance the purchase of goods for an amount between 20,000 and 500,000 euro, lasting up to 60 months as well as the former. The applied interest rate is the 3-month Euribor + 1.5%.

Source: Bresciaoggi, 16/12/2016