Blog
How We See IIoT and Digital Transformation
Explore our thinking on the creation of smart digital factories; speed to value; connectivity, app development, big data, analytics value and the impact of IoT on manufacturing.
Managing Factories from the Beach: Myth or Reality?
CRISIS & OPPORTUNITY Much has been written and said about the pandemic and its global ripple effects on everything from employment to the supply chain to the economy, and more. We’ve all lived this in real time, so we won’t rehash any of those details with you here. The oft-repeated looming question in everyone’s mind is “After this crisis, what will the ‘new normal’ look like?” With every crisis comes opportunity. In a recent series of articles titled “Beyond coronavirus: The pathway to the next normal,” McKinsey experts described five qualities that will be critical for business leaders to find…
IT + OT = A Smart Marriage
The “smartest” factories result from a successful marriage of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). IT and OT have traditionally been structured as disparate and distinctive teams operating independently from one another with somewhat different mission and success factors. This dichotomy has been an impediment to digital transformation, preventing manufacturers from realizing the many benefits of such a union. However, in this age of Industrial Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the hard lines between IT and OT are softening — out of necessity. You mean IT and OT really do need each other? Yes, they do….
Are you ready to compete with your AI-empowered competition?
As a child, I was a fan of the Star Trek series on TV and was mesmerized by all the futuristic gadgets. Funny enough, I never bought into the “Scotty, beam me up” transporter or even the laser gun concept. I was impressed by those sliding doors simply opening as you approached them, and the small mobile communication devices. However, I was absolutely amazed by those voice-activated talking computers that could do massive calculations and then advise on a course of action! Half a century later, some of those concepts have actually come to fruition, particularly smart computing devices that,…
A(nalog) to D(igital), Part 2: From Concept to Creation – The Making of a Digital Factory
October 2019 Blog Post In our last post, “From A(nalog) to D(igital) in 4 steps!” we discussed four common objectives of companies on their journey to digital transformation. So, how does an organization get from concept to a full digital replica of their operation? What are the tangible steps to create a true digital factory that brings the ROI that companies desire in order to remain competitive – one that creates actionable insight, significantly reduces downtime, dramatically improves plant productivity and efficiency, and averts problems before they happen? To create a true digital factory that reaps these benefits, a manufacturing…
From A(nalog) to D(igital) in 4 steps!
Four Common Objectives of Companies on the Journey to Digital Transformation Over the past several years we’ve interacted and brainstormed with executives, managers and employees in hundreds of organizations on multiple continents and in a variety of industry verticals. As we get to know these companies and learn about their wants, needs, opportunities and challenges – particularly as it pertains to transitioning into the digital world of IoT – there are a handful of similar, recurring themes that seem to characterize the majority of enterprises. Most of these companies are extremely practical in focus and indeed modest in their expectation…
It’s a Brave New World. Are we ready for it?
Today, we live in a world where we can already manage our homes with the sound of our voice. I predict that one day your toaster will talk to your fridge and alert you when you are running out of bread, and your fridge will not only have the ability to self-heal/fix itself but will be smart enough to predict that you will run out of milk based on your pattern of consumption and weight sensitive shelves, will proactively order the milk by finding the best price for the brand you use in your zip code, and have it either…
