From shop floor to smart factory: OMRON i-BELT service delivers end-to-end manufacturing transformation with measurable results

Purpose-built to end the cycle of failed pilots, the service combines lean manufacturing expertise, IT-OT integration and full project ownership, to achieve even more than 30% OEE improvement.

OMRON has announced the expansion of the next evolution of i-BELT, its end-to-end digital lean transformation service for manufacturers in EMEA. Developed in direct response to customer feedback, i-BELT addresses one of the most complex problems in modern manufacturing: the inability to find a single partner who can bridge process expertise, operational technology (OT) and enterprise IT.
From products to outcomes: Why i-BELT was born

As industrial environments grew more complex, OMRON recognised that delivering solutions using automation hardware and advanced application was no longer enough. Manufacturers were telling the same story: consultants deliver reports but not results; IT integrators understand data pipelines but not production floors; automation specialists optimise machines but can't connect to enterprise systems.

The name i-BELT encodes the service's DNA: the 'i' stands for OMRON's three innovative automation principles — integrated, intelligent, and interactive — while 'BELT' draws directly from Lean Six Sigma, where belt certification represents mastery in driving waste elimination and process improvement. i-BELT combines deep manufacturing expertise with digital capability, and maps a structured, continuous improvement path toward digital smart manufacturing.

Closing the gap: Process, OT and IT under one roof

At the heart of i-BELT are two inseparable pillars: Digital Lean Transformation, which targets measurable improvements in productivity, quality, energy consumption and lead time using lean principles and targeted digital enablement; and IT-OT Convergence, which builds the real-time, scalable data infrastructure to make those improvements sustainable and enterprise-wide.

OMRON — through its Advanced Solutions Division and in partnership with Cognizant and a broad ecosystem of technology partners — brings all three capabilities together: deep manufacturing process know-how, OT automation expertise, and enterprise IT integration.