“An engaging blend of cutting-edge technology and immersive experience, a stunning glimpse into the future of experience as a tool for learning.” —Zorani Sanabria

“Extremely attractive design of space and animation make this experience feel seamless. The way the content is centered around the individual feels thoughtful and engaging, a motivating alternative to linear presentations.” —Nell Lundy

Overview: Embracing the new technologies that drive sustainability, productivity and efficiency forward can be challenging for manufacturers relying on legacy systems. Auditing company Deloitte tapped New York–based design firm Gensler to create The Smart Factory, a new way of experiencing “smart manufacturing” firsthand as a completely immersive, interactive environment in a 60,000-square-foot space at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. A constantly evolving experience, the sustainable facility includes custom software reporting real-time factory production and sustainability metrics, educational videos, and hundreds of data visualizations, helping companies understand how to take their first steps to create sustainable investments.

• Students from the Wichita State University applied student learning program are able to work at the factory to build the next generation of manufacturing talent. 
• Many software components of the data visualizations were written in the JavaScript library React. 
• Hundreds of people across Deloitte, Gensler, Wichita State University and other partners contributed to The Smart Factory, the production of which took more than four years.

Comments by Jean Anderson: 

What are the project’s core features? “The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita experience is a guided tour, choreographed as a narrative from room to room with custom, often interactive content or real-time data from the past to the present and, finally, the future. Deloitte and ecosystem partners guide guests through the experience and control the journey via tablet, opening doors, changing the lighting, and automating and customizing content.

“A fully functioning factory line is a mainstay of the experience, demonstrating the evolving real-world applications of smart manufacturing capabilities and processes. Here, humans and technology come together to produce a STEM education kit that is donated to schools in underserved communities, empowering educational opportunities and inspiring the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow. Sensors track real-time production metrics that fuel insights from a command center overlooking the factory floor. Visitors experience smarter outcomes specific to their business challenges firsthand.

“Visualizations of sensor data collected from the production line reflect the power of smart factory solutions across various metrics, including sustainability, productivity, efficiency, supply chain and inventory management. As visitors journey throughout the facility, they experience different stats; for example, in the lobby, they have visibility into the facility’s sustainability metrics. As with other content in the space, the displayed data is customizable via CMS. Each step along the way, visitors gain key insights about how to derive new, actionable insights from advanced data management, the culmination of which is a panoramic view of hyperspecific real-time metrics in the command center.

“Sustainability is not only a key principle of the experience’s design but a value driver that excites visitors looking for ways to make an impact. The facility is supported by smart building lighting, water and waste management solutions and powered with wind and solar through a renewable energy smart grid.”