Manufacturing executives have been bombarded by new terms and acronyms
over the last few years. Analysts, thought leaders and publishers like us in the
manufacturing systems space love to discuss the latest ideas of Industry 4.0, IIoT, Big
Data Analytics, etc. While these transformative technologies are currently knocking on
the doors, manufacturing companies need to take a more pragmatic approach to digital
transformation. The feeling of needing to do something, but not knowing what, can lead
to paralysis by confusion. To avoid this situation, one needs to define strategic objectives
– the way forward needs to be clear, especially when it will be steady rather than rushed.
Moreover, smart companies are more important than smart manufacturing.
We interacted with a few experts in this area recently, who provided their views
and recommendations on the trends, the challenges and the next step forward to adapt
to the changing technology conditions.
