Alongside growing global competition, manufacturers are constantly looking for process improvements to increase efficiencies within their operations, from the plant floor through to high-level business systems. The Connected Enterprise helps make this possible, by converging plant-level and enterprise networks and securely connecting people, processes and technology.According to Laura Hernandez, commercial marketing manager at Rockwell Automation, “Smart manufacturing uses connected intelligent devices to open new windows of visibility into processes. Data and analytics enable better and faster decision making, helping manufacturers to access, analyse and act on production data in real time.”National Manufacturing Week (NMW) held recently in Sydney provided the ultimate venue for the manufacturing industry to come together to be inspired and innovate. Advances in manufacturing technologies and techniques was a key focus of the event as Industrial Internet of Things technologies continue to help manufacturing facilities become more connected.NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NHP), the sole authorised distributor for Rockwell Automation products, services and solutions, in the South Pacific region participated in this event with a focus on Smart Manufacturing and leveraging increased connectivity to help customers meet their operational and business goals.According to Michael Liberatore, business manager – Automation & Specialist Solutions, NHP, “Whether the goal is to increase the safety and efficiency of your manufacturing process, improve the quality of your product or to create better visibility into your manufacturing data, we offer a wealth of knowledge and experience in smart manufacturing.”Operational data is the foundation of digital manufacturing. Delivering the right information to the right person at the right time, allows for more informed decisions to be made. By using smart machines that can diagnose or resolve issues on their own, smarter operations with less downtime are created.NHP helps customers meet these analysis and reporting requirements by providing manufacturing intelligence software that seamlessly integrates with Allen-Bradley controllers, gathering important data in real-time and by providing advanced analytics that help in decision making.Complementing NHP’s comprehensive range of industrial and automation products is their ability to add value to customers’ continuous improvement projects. “We pride ourselves on providing custom manufactured solutions tailored to your needs, supported by expert service,” explained Liberatore.“As the sole authorised distributor for Rockwell Automation products, services and solutions in the South Pacific Region, we are now able to provide our customers with an extensive portfolio for automation and control solutions,” concluded Liberatore.