Improving Production Efficiency Using Smart Manufacturing Technologies in Manufacturing Industries: A Survey Study at The Northern General Cement Company

ABSTRACT : The research sought to measure the nature of the correlations and influence between one of the most important modern variables in the industrial field, which plays a pivotal and fundamental role in improving the utilization of various resources in the industrial sector. This variable, namely smart manufacturing, and production efficiency, is a variable that suffers from the failure to achieve optimal levels of utilization of various resources, particularly natural resources, which represent an important source for these industries, particularly in the field of manufacturing industries such as the cement industry. One industrial company (the Northern General Cement Company) was selected to test the research hypotheses to identify the most prominent obstacles facing improving production efficiency and overcoming them through smart manufacturing technologies. The research relied on a hypothetical model that reflects the main research variables. Data was collected from the field under study using a questionnaire, where the questionnaire was distributed equally to the three factories affiliated with the Northern General Cement Company. The research data was analyzed and the research results interpreted. The research reached a set of conclusions, most notably the disparity in the impact of smart manufacturing technologies among the company's factories studied, in addition to the limited level of adoption of these technologies by the studied factories. One of the research's most prominent recommendations is the need for the company's management to adopt smart manufacturing on a broad scale, by integrating its technologies into all areas and stages of cement manufacturing. This is due to its advantages in improving production efficiency, including increased productivity, reduced waste of natural resources, and maximized utilization. It also promotes environmental conservation and sustainability, two hallmarks of the modern era.