Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 — for SMBs, not just enterprises

Industry 4.0 is a vision of connected manufacturing: real-time data, vertical integration from boardroom to shop floor, traceability built in, autonomy where it pays off. ProdSys delivers the parts of that vision SMB manufacturers actually use — through one platform, one database, and one open API.

The short version

What Industry 4.0 means in our world

The original Industrie 4.0 vision came out of Germany in 2011: cyber-physical systems, IoT, real-time data, digital twins, AI. For a 30-person workshop or a 120-person component manufacturer, only some of that matters in practice — and the rest is buzz. We focus on the parts that move the needle for SMBs.

The principle behind our approach

An ERP that doesn't reach the shop floor is just an accounting tool with extras. An MES without ERP context is just a clipboard with a screen. The Industry 4.0 advantage comes from one connected stack — and that's what ProdSys is. Everything else — sensors, robots, dashboards, AI — plugs in through our open REST API.

Where ProdSys is strong

What we deliver natively

Six Industry 4.0 capability areas where ProdSys is fully built-in — not "available as a separate module" or "via partner".

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Vertical integration (ISA-95)
From order desk to shop floor to invoice — one system, one database. Every operator, planner, accountant and CEO reads from the same record. No middleware between ERP and MES, because both layers are ProdSys.
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Full traceability
Batch and serial number tracking through the entire production chain. Audit trail on every action: who, what, when, why. Certificates per delivered component. In-process inspections, NCR and CAPA built into the same platform — not a separate quality system.
ESG, CO₂ and energy tracking
Track energy consumption per machine and per production order. Calculate CO₂ emissions per product or batch. Material waste recorded automatically. CSRD-ready reporting for EU sustainability disclosure — built in, not bolted on.
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Robotics & warehouse automation
Native integration with automated storage systems (ASRS), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs/AGVs), and production-line robots (ABB, KUKA, Fanuc, Universal Robots). Pick lists, replenishment and movement orders flow directly to the equipment.
Real-time shop floor data
Operators clock in and out on terminals, tablets, or mobile. Hours, completed quantities, scrap, and deviations register against the exact work order — in real time. Production status updates the moment something happens, not at the end of the shift.
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Multilingual, multi-device interface
42 languages, native mobile apps, touchscreen terminals, AR/VR support for training and inspection. Skilled workers who don't yet speak the local language stop being held back by your software. The system meets them where they are.
Where the API does the heavy lifting

Open API as our Industry 4.0 strategy

Industry 4.0 is built on connectivity — and ProdSys connects through one full REST API. Same API we use ourselves, with no "integration tier" carve-outs. Sensor data, machine telemetry, IoT devices and third-party platforms flow in through the same surface area our developers build against.

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What flows through the API today
  • Sensor readings (temperature, pressure, vibration, counters) from machines
  • Status feedback from CNC machines and equipment
  • Production commands back to equipment (job sequencing, parameter updates)
  • Live integration with Power BI, Tableau and custom dashboards
  • E-commerce, supplier portals, customer portals, EDI
  • Read and write on every module — finance, sales, inventory, production, projects
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What needs an integration partner
  • Direct PLC drivers (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Beckhoff) — handled via integration partner
  • OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus protocols — bridged into the API by partners
  • IoT gateway / Edge computing — partner-provided, talks to ProdSys via API
  • High-frequency telemetry streams — partner stores and aggregates, ProdSys consumes the rollups
  • Direct connections to 3D printers — CAD/CAM files stored in ProdSys today; we build direct printer integrations on customer request
Why we draw the line this way

PLC drivers and protocol-level industrial connectivity are a different specialty — and the field has dedicated vendors who do it well. Rather than ship our own half-baked PLC layer, we keep the API open and work with the partners our customers already use. Result: you get best-of-breed equipment connectivity and a single source of truth for the business.

Hosting & infrastructure

European cloud, one database per customer

Industry 4.0 stacks live or die on infrastructure choices. Ours are deliberate.

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Hosted in Europe
All customer data is stored in the EU on established European cloud infrastructure. Data residency, GDPR, and the right-to-export aren't bolt-ons — they're how we're built.
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Dedicated database per customer
Not multi-tenant. Each customer gets their own SQL database. Real data isolation, predictable performance, no noisy neighbours, simpler audit and export.
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Security baseline
TLS 1.2+, AES-256 at rest, SAML SSO/MFA, fine-grained role-based access control. Practices are aligned with ISO 27001 controls; we are not formally certified yet (and we're upfront about that).
The CSRD opportunity

EU sustainability reporting — built-in, not bolted on

The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires structured ESG disclosure from a growing share of European companies. For manufacturers, that means tracking energy use, CO₂ emissions, and material waste per product, batch, or order — data that has to come from somewhere.

What ProdSys gives you for CSRD
  • Energy consumption per machine and per production order
  • CO₂ emissions traced to specific products and batches
  • Material waste captured automatically as part of production
  • ESG data structured for CSRD reporting workflows
Why it matters now

For most SMB manufacturers, the question isn't "should we report sustainability?" — it's "where will the numbers come from?" When the data is already in your ERP and MES, CSRD becomes a reporting exercise instead of a separate project. Your buyers in larger companies will start asking; this is where you'll have the answer ready.

Honest take

What we don't try to be

Industry 4.0 is broad. Some parts of the vision are not where ProdSys plays — and we'd rather tell you upfront than discover it together later.

Where we work with partners
  • Native PLC, OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus drivers
  • IoT gateway / Edge computing devices
  • High-frequency telemetry storage (time-series databases)
  • Direct API connections to specific 3D printers (CAD/CAM files are stored and managed in ProdSys today; direct printer integrations built on customer request)
  • Out-of-the-box OEE dashboards — the data components exist, but a turnkey OEE module is a configuration project today
Where we don't go (and won't)
  • 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signatures (pharma/medical devices)
  • Automotive-tier IATF 16949 packaged MES workflows
  • 3D visualisation of production lines or product geometry
  • Voice control / hands-free operator interfaces
  • SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications (practices aligned; not formally certified)
A pragmatic Industry 4.0 path

Where SMB manufacturers should actually start

If you're being pitched on Industry 4.0 today, you've probably heard about IoT platforms, digital twins, and AI-driven optimisation. They're real — but they're expensive, and most SMBs don't have the data foundation to use them yet. Here's the sequence that works.

  1. 1
    Connect your ERP and shop floor
    Operators register hours and materials on terminals or mobile. Real production status, in real time. This alone replaces hours of weekly reconciliation work — and is the data foundation everything else needs.
  2. 2
    Trace everything that moves
    Batch and serial number traceability through the production chain. Certificates per delivered component. ISO 9001-ready, audit-ready, customer-ready.
  3. 3
    Capture energy and waste in the same flow
    Energy per machine, CO₂ per batch, material waste per order. CSRD reporting stops being a separate project the day the data is already in your system of record.
  4. 4
    Automate where it pays
    Auto-generated work orders from MRP. Auto-purchase suggestions on low stock. Pick lists straight into ASRS or AMR. Robots on the line picking up work orders directly. Not everything has to be automated — but the boring repetitive parts should be.
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    Add sensors and AI when the data foundation is real
    Predictive maintenance, OEE dashboards, condition-based monitoring — these all work better when there's already a structured baseline to compare against. Connect sensors through the API, work with an integration partner for the hardware, and use ProdSys as the single source of truth.

See ProdSys for your Industry 4.0 path

30 minutes, tailored to your business. We show you the parts of the platform that matter for your industry, your equipment, and your reporting requirements.