the smart shoe factory: the challenge of Tuscan craftsmanship towards the future of automation, robotics and ICT management
Smart Shoes project wants to bring the production process of Tuscan footwear into the future, creating a Smart Factory equipped with innovative ICT systems, robotic production systems, and advanced e-commerce tools. Having the priority of preserving the skills of our craftsmen, the project introduces a revolution in the Tuscan footwear sector, traditionally crafted in management, production and marketing, enhancing the added value provided by the quality of the product and resulting from the modernization of the process and from the evolution of the services offered. The goal is to make the footwear factory a Smart Factory, computerized, based on the awareness that investment in infrastructures and Information Technologies are the most important lever to ensure over time the efficiency and effectiveness necessary for the development of Italian companies compared to the world competition: the entire production phase is reorganized through a new management software, completely integrated into the company and developed so as to be able to control every phase of the process, from product design, to receiving raw materials, to production scheduling, up to e-commerce system, thus optimizing production times and costs and making the company flexible and able to respond promptly to market fluctuations. In addition to this, the production itself is deeply innovated introducing an advanced robotization, that is a system able to identify and realize the best combination of coupling based on the actual geometry of the pieces, detected through 3D scanner systems: the mechatronic challenge is that of incorporate and replicate the experience of specialized technicians. Finally, a new market is created thanks to an innovative and extremely attractive e-business tool, as it is equipped with an on-line configuration system that, collecting and processing information released by users, propose models of shoes faithful to personal characteristics and allows the personalization of the individual elements of the shoe. From here, the integration with the e-commerce system allows you to save and purchase products through a normal online transaction and start production directly.