United Industries Limited – Smart Factory (Industry 4.0 Digital Transformation with IoT & AI)

The primary goal of the UIL Smart Factory Project was to accelerate United Industries Limited’s transition into the Industry 4.0 era, integrating Industrial IoT, automation, and AI-driven intelligence across manufacturing operations. The project aimed to create a digitally connected, data-driven, and self-optimizing production ecosystem to enhance efficiency, quality, safety, and sustainability.

United Industries Limited, being one of Pakistan’s leading FMCG manufacturers, initiated this project to overcome legacy challenges such as limited real-time visibility, manual monitoring, and disconnected production systems. UIL envisioned transforming its factory operations into a Smart Factory capable of autonomous monitoring, intelligent control, predictive maintenance, and real-time analytics.

Key goals included:

• Deployment of Industrial IoT (IIoT) sensors and devices to monitor energy, temperature, humidity, tank levels, and machine performance.

• Implementation of AI-based predictive models to anticipate maintenance needs and reduce downtime.

• Development of a centralized Smart Factory IoT Platform for real-time visualization, control, and reporting.

• Integration of safety and environmental systems such as gas leak detection, fire alarm automation, PPE detection, and worker safety monitoring through AI-based computer vision.

• Establishment of a scalable, cloud-connected infrastructure to connect existing and future machines through secure protocols.

• Promotion of digital culture and operational excellence within the industrial workforce through automation and analytics adoption.

The broader vision of this project aligns with Pakistan’s growing digital industrialization movement, positioning UIL as one of the pioneering organizations implementing full-scale Industry 4.0 technologies across its production plants.

The Smart Factory project delivered a transformative impact on UIL’s operational efficiency, energy utilization, and workforce safety.

Key results include:

• Real-Time Operational Visibility: Centralized IoT platform providing continuous monitoring across production, utilities, and warehouse environments.

• Improved Energy Efficiency: Real-time energy analytics reduced waste and optimized machine utilization.

• Predictive Maintenance: Early fault detection through AI models minimized unplanned downtime and maintenance costs.

• Enhanced Safety: AI-based PPE detection and gas leakage monitoring improved workplace safety compliance.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Management can now make proactive, informed decisions based on live process data.

• Scalability: The architecture supports expansion into AI forecasting and additional automation without hardware overhaul.

Beyond tangible metrics, the initiative fostered a digital-first culture within UIL, empowering teams to engage with data, automation, and analytics in daily operations.

The project’s implementation required overcoming several complex challenges:

• Integration Complexity: Connecting diverse industrial devices (some legacy, some modern IoT-enabled) into one unified platform.

• Network and Power Constraints: Ensuring stable connectivity across factory areas with variable infrastructure reliability.

• AI Model Training: Developing predictive and vision models in local conditions required large datasets and iterative tuning.

• Change Management: Training operational teams to transition from manual monitoring to digital dashboards.

• Data Security and SLA Enforcement: Implementing cybersecurity controls and ensuring uptime under the service-level framework.

Through close collaboration between UIL , phased deployment, continuous testing, and weekly inspections ensured smooth adoption and stable operations. The project is now in the optimization phase, expanding its AI capabilities and mobile access modules.

The UIL Smart Factory Project is a large-scale Industry 4.0 transformation initiative designed to digitalize, automate, and intelligently control United Industries Limited’s manufacturing and utility operations. UIL implemented multiple IoT-based systems that monitor energy usage, machine performance, environmental conditions, and worker safety.

The system includes over 70 IoT devices integrated with a centralized Smart Factory Dashboard providing real-time data visibility and control. AI-driven modules enhance predictive maintenance, automate alarms, and ensure process reliability.

Future phases include the development of a mobile app, generative AI forecasting tools, and computer vision-based safety monitoring. The entire system operates under a 3-year SLA ensuring continuous improvement, proactive maintenance, and digital maturity of industrial operations.

This project symbolizes UIL’s strategic commitment to industrial modernization, operational transparency, and sustainability through data-driven innovation.

The project is primarily based at United Industries Limited’s manufacturing facilities in Faisalabad, Pakistan,
IoT devices are installed across production areas, utilities, solar installations, and offices. Cloud-based systems ensure data availability and accessibility beyond geographic boundaries, enabling remote control and analytics.
This project demonstrates Pakistan’s emerging capability to develop and sustain Smart Factory ecosystems through local expertise and innovation, setting a benchmark for industrial digital transformation within the region.