Is it time to rethink the role of PLM in managing the digital thread? Should we evolve beyond the idea of “a single source of truth” and pursue digital thread orchestration to integrate product data and processes, recognizing that the data will span multiple systems? Our latest eBook addresses these questions and more.
Click here for the - Rethink the Product Digital Thread
- Understand the Digital Thread
- Challenge Traditional Digital Thread Thinking
- Rethink PLM's Role
- Evolve PLM's Role
- Integrate the Ecosystem
- Adopt Process Orchestration
- Support Collaboration
- Moving Forward with PLM
- Acknowledgments
Rethink the Product Digital Thread
The Digital Thread Imperative Our research finds that the digital thread is critical to effective product design and development and, in turn, crucial to driving product success and profitability.1 We’ll go into more detail shortly, but for now it’s important to understand that the digital thread plays two critical roles:- It creates data continuity by integrating product data, decisions, and history together in a structured way
- It leverages that data continuity to streamline product development processes
Understand the Digital Thread
Defining the Digital Thread There are as many definitions of the digital thread. For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll use the following:- The digital thread ties product information, decisions, and history together in a structured, integrated way that captures product innovation and knowledge throughout the product lifecycle. It establishes traceability from early in the front end of innovation through development, manufacturing, service, and field operation.
- The digital thread also streamlines product development by sharing and/or reusing design data across the stages of innovation. Digital continuity along the digital thread allows designers to add their information to a cohesive model, directly incorporating and extending data from prior steps.
Challenge Traditional Digital Thread Thinking
Complexity Complicates Traditional Thinking Some time ago we published some simple diagrams showing the relationships between PLM and other systems including ERP, MES, and engineering systems including CAD. The view was always the same, with PLM as the “master” for some portion of the data with other data centralized in a small number of large, integrated systems. Now, these models make less sense because developing products like hardware devices is much more complex. Reimagine the Digital Thread The digital thread needs to evolve to support the transition from mechanically-centric designs to systems-oriented designs compromising electronics and software. As the device supplier’s R&D Director explains, “We started out as a hardware company with electronic products. Now, software is much more prevalent.” PLM must now support electrical, electronic, software, industrial, mechanical, and mechatronic engineering disciplines and an ecosystem of best in class engineering solutions that handle unique and complex tasks. “We now have to support multisite development teams using multiple CAD tools,” shares the R&D Director. “We have lots of other tools in the product development cycle, including three ECAD tools, one MCAD tool, and a variety of modules for simulations.” This creates a dilemma. Does the vision of a centralized digital thread still stand true for today’s complex products and engineering systems ecosystem? It’s not a simple “yes or no” question, but we believe we’re seeing digital thread approaches transform from “centralized” to “distributed, integrated, and orchestrated.”Rethink PLM's Role
Recognize the False Hope
Let’s face it, the digital thread is now too detailed and complex to be contained in a single system. Individual workgroups and disciplines require specialty design and engineering tools including one or more mechanical CAD (MCAD), electrical CAD (ECAD), and software development kit (SDK) solutions. Beyond these, specialists need best-in-class tools to design and analyze chips, digital communication protocols, interfaces, heat transfer, magnetic interference, and other intricacies of today’s software- and electronics-drive devices.
Each of the tools engineers use creates valuable data. They develop too much detailed information, in varied formats, with their own individual lifecycles, to manage centrally. Instead, engineering teams may consider workgroup orchestration and design data management and centralize only the results. “The PCBAs we design have rich component information, but in the ERP world they are a BOM line item because we manufacture out of house,” says the R&D Director. “But we need to have that information available because we need visibility to the high value components on the board to be able to manage things like component shortages.”
Centralize Selectively for Control
Not all detailed data needs to be centralized and managed, but some information should be centrally available in order to manage change and release management. Take software development as an example. PLM should be concerned with released software but few would suggest it controls software sprints. Instead, PLM can manage the big picture so that device engineers, developers, and manufacturing resources are kept aware of progress and how changes impact different disciplines.
Evolve PLM's Role
PLM as a Digital Thread Orchestration PLM systems are very effective at providing a product data and product development backbone. As a VP Engineering for a company that designs modular office devices we interviewed explains, “Having a system that can handle parent/child relationships natively has caused a huge improvement in BOM accuracy.” PLM is now typically part of a much broader ecosystem. That ecosystem may even include multiple PLM offerings playing different roles at the workgroup or at the enterprise level. The dream of replacing best in class solutions with a single solution has faded. Instead, PLM can serve as a platform that orchestrates data and processes through integration and selective synchronization. Beyond design tools, this integration must extend to other enterprise applications such as ERP, QMS, Sourcing, Supply Chain, and component databases to reflect a comprehensive digital thread and to provide engineers with the data they need to support their processes. Define PLM’s New Requirements To support today’s complex products and product development lifecycles, PLM’s role must change from trying to control everything to playing three vital functions: integration (and selective synchronization), process orchestration (and automation), and collaboration. In this way, PLM becomes less about digital thread centralization and more about consolidation, search, and selective synchronization through a publish / subscribe paradigm. This revised approach offers the best of what centralization promised in a way that is feasible with the heterogeneous tech stack needed to design and develop today’s complex products. Beyond that, it creates a virtual data repository that creates a rich data foundation to support artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) initiatives.Integrate the Ecosystem
Leverage PLM to Integrate Data and Processes PLM should take the lead on integrating the product digital thread across the various systems that support it. “We use a variety of tools for engineering and product development, including MCAD, rendering, task automation, cloud storage, and PLM,” shares the VP of Engineering. “That information also needs to integrate with manufacturing tools like CNC, configuration management, BOMs, quality reports, corrective actions, and more.” The digital thread should integrate internal information like designs, drawings, and schematics but also connect with supplier data, information on sourced components, and commercial data to create a comprehensive, rich digital thread. For example, the representative from the electronic device supplier explains, “We can give a distributor’s manufacturing part number to a supplier and look up component costs and quantities. Then, it can automatically populate that information and create a rolled-up cost for the board.” While the source data may remain in underlying tools and formats, critical elements should be imported into PLM. This information, such as BOM data from CAD models, is typically embedded in tools like MCAD, ECAD, or other best in class solutions. This data may need to be accessed either on-premise or in the cloud. Fortunately, integration has gotten easier due to more mature approaches. PLM should support a variety of integration approaches to fit different scenarios, such as APIs, JSON, or webhooks. Digital thread integration should be transparent and traceable with an integration audit trail. Design Example PLM can take on the role of synchronizing data in a publish and subscribe integration model. For example, PLM may be embedded in design tools like MCAD / ECAD and extract data automatically during design and check-ins. Then, that data can be further enriched in PLM from supplier data, and the resulting design and part data can be shared downstream for testing in the context of the right revisions.Adopt Process Orchestration
Leverage PLM to Orchestrate Processes PLM doesn’t have to do everything itself. The idea of a single system that meets everybody’s digital thread needs is no longer seen as an effective approach. In fact, companies appear to be more open to using best in class solutions to fill the gaps, especially if they are cloud offerings that don’t require a lot of IT overhead. But companies can’t afford to have these systems operate in isolation. So, instead of doing everything, PLM’s role can shift to coordinating things, including workgroup PLM applications. It can also add a measure of control, for example tracking file transfers and creating an audit trail of activities across applications. PLM orchestration allows PLM to coordinate product design and development processes across heterogeneous solutions. Orchestration supports workflows to support processes and data that span system boundaries. It can also offer automation to get the right information to the right people at the right time, and synchronize the right data from underlying systems to let PLM control the product lifecycle without controlling detailed activities in every workgroup. Orchestrating Design Processes Let’s discuss orchestrating processes to centrally control the product lifecycle. Change management and engineering release are critical activities that must be coordinated across departments and the supply chain. PLM can collect the information needed to show changes, conduct impact analysis, and coordinate ECO execution across design and business systems. Orchestrating Design Data Let’s look at how PLM orchestration can collect and synchronize data needed to make decisions. Component information, such as cost, leadtimes, sustainability, EOL, and technical specifications is critical to engineering decision-making. But it is also spread out across a host of enterprise systems, sourcing applications, and cloud data sources. PLM implemented in an orchestration model can make that information visible at the time of need and track where it came from. In a publish and subscribe model, PLM can also notify appropriate product stakeholders when costs, availability, or leadtimes of sourced content change.Support Collaboration
Leverage PLM to Enable Rich Collaboration
When PLM is used as an orchestration tool, it has the right data and context to allow engineers and others to collaborate in the context of their product development projects, products, and releases. PLM can act as the place where designs from multiple disciplines come together. Centralizing the right data allows design teams to review the implications of their designs in the context of other designers and design disciplines, and a place to work through conflicts and optimize system performance.
PLM can also keep engineers informed of design changes that impact their work. For example, they could get an alert of a changed design through PLM or in a separate tool like Slack. This way, individuals within workgroups, across workgroups, and across the supply chain can be kept in the loop on changes they need to be informed about. PLM should also provide a forum for designers to share their feedback with each other and store that feedback for future reference, for example, for the next revision of the product.
Multidiscipline Collaboration Example
The Director of R&D for the electronic device supplier we interviewed for this research shares an applicable example. “When a PCBA is ready for a revision, it goes to PLM. That’s where the mechanical and electrical designs come together,” explains. “Then our MCAD picks up the PCBA and creates a joint view in our PLM and makes sure the dimensions of the fiberglass work.” Viewing design data in context helps companies uncover clashes or disconnects early to prevent integration mistakes across mechanical, electrical, and software components. It can also help Manufacturing see changes to design files and can provide feedback quickly if there is an issue that impacts manufacturability.
Moving Forward with PLM
Take Advantage of PLM’s Operational Value
PLM can serve as a system for orchestration, but let’s not forget it provides value on its own. PLM has expanded in multiple dimensions and although today’s PLM offerings can’t do everything for everyone, they provide extensive functionality that adds value to the business. Our research shows that PLM delivers significant operational value by streamlining the flow of information and processes. “We implemented automation in PLM that reduces tedious, unproductive tasks. Our engineers are more productive,” explains the VP of Engineering for the modular office device manufacturer. “We now have a much better single point of truth with PLM integrated, which makes implementing changes clearer. We likely could not have been successful on some projects without it.”
Take Advantage of PLM’s Business Value
These operational improvements lead to both top-line and bottom-line business benefits. These benefits are only extended as PLM plays a broader orchestration role. The Director of R&D for the electronic device supplier shares an example of both operational and business benefits by allowing them to make better decisions based on the data they need. “Designers can look for a component by searching ERP data for a part to see if it has been used to prevent duplication. We can also better manage the component lifecycle, for example, discovering an end-of-life component, doing a where-used, and assessing whether to make a last-time buy to avoid an expensive R&D board redesign.” Our research confirms the business value, with over one-half of companies reporting faster product development, a similar number achieving better innovation, and one-half sharing PLM improves product quality.
Look Beyond Centralization to Orchestration
It’s time to take advantage of PLM’s operational and business value but also recognize the need for PLM to adopt a new role to orchestrate the digital thread across a diverse ecosystem of tools. The R&D Director for the device supplier sums it up nicely, “When you have multiple teams and multiple tools, you need a PLM tool to create a central view of components and processes in the digital thread.”
Click here for the full report with no registration required, courtesy of our sponsor, Duro.
[post_title] => Reconsidering the Centralized Digital Thread
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Having access to the right data is crucial to effective manufacturing and AI-based analysis, but how do you get that with the diversity of data formats and sources in a process plant? Is there an approach that covers many use cases? Solulever has developed Brabo as a comprehensive, manufacturing-specific IIoT platform to do that.
Manufacturing IIoT Platform
Adding not Replacing
- Enterprise, such as ERP, WMS, QMS, and LIMS
- Manufacturing operations, such as MES, Historian, or MOM
- Supervisory, such as SCADA and HMI
- Control, whether DCS or PLC
- Production Process, such as analog signals, sensors, RFID, and barcode scanners
Architecture
Target Markets
Consultative Approach
Looking to the Future
How can process manufacturers, who are traditionally undersupported by PLM offerings, manage their digital threads and bridge the gaps from formulas, to process, to plant, to the supply chain? Where can recipe-driven companies, including those in chemicals, food & beverage, cosmetics, oil & gas, and other related “process industry” companies, turn for PLM?
The answer is not simple. Let’s look at the scenario. PLM for the process industries shares a lot of similar concepts with traditional PLM systems. But there are fundamental differences in the data model, processes, and reporting / analytics that make PLM solutions built for discrete manufacturing a poor fit. Over the last two decades, there have been a number of process industry PLM offerings developed and brought to market. But the number of options for PLM for the process industries is small, and the market has changed dramatically.
This eBook explores the idea of whether traditional PLM can fill the gaps needed to support PLM for the process industries. One way to approach leveraging discrete PLM systems for process industry needs is to take advantage of the flexibility and adaptability of low-code solutions. The eBook explores how a process company could manage their digital thread and gain the significant business value of PLM by leveraging a PLM system built on a low-code architecture. We look forward to your thoughts.
Please enjoy the summary* below. For the full research, please visit our sponsor Aras (registration required).
Table of Contents
- Exploring PLM for the Process Manufacturing Digital Thread
- PLM and the Process Manufacturing Industries
- PLM Core Concepts are Valuable
- Core Data Model Challenges
- Business Process Challenges
- Reporting and Analytics Gaps
- Adopting Traditional Discrete PLM Elements
- Can Traditional PLM Fill the Gaps?
- Recommendations and Next Steps
- Acknowledgments
Exploring PLM for the Process Manufacturing Digital Thread
Supporting Recipe and Formula-Driven Digital Threads Our research finds that two-thirds of manufacturers view the product digital thread as important - or critical - to their company's overall success and profitability.1 Further, our surveys show that product digital thread delivers significant business value including improved quality, time to market, engineering efficiency, innovation, and compliance. PLM, the solution that serves as the digital thread backbone, however, is not typically suited to industries driven by formulas and recipes as opposed to discrete bills of material (BOMs). Leverage PLM as the Process Industry Digital Thread What capabilities are required to achieve digital thread benefits in the process manufacturing industries? How can companies bridge the gaps between R&D, recipes, plants, equipment, and the supply chain? Can currently available PLM capabilities and low-code development help? We'll explore these questions and examine how the process industry digital thread could be supported by using core PLM fundamentals as a backbone.PLM Core Concepts are Valuable
Integrating with the Systems Ecosystem Digital thread data is now more likely to be federated than physically consolidated. The digital thread comes primarily from PLM but doesn't stop there. Complementary systems like ERP, QMS, MES, and EAM also provide critical data. More advanced companies may also use PLM to integrate, collaborate, and connect with the supply chain and cloud data sources to populate their digital thread. Modern PLM systems require flexible integration capabilities to play their role in the manufacturing systems ecosystem.
System Fundamentals
These capabilities can add significant value to the process industry digital thread. There are other fundamental PLM capabilities that translate well to process industry PLM, such as user and role management, granular security models, workflow management, cloud deployment, and more. Ideally, these are created as services that can be adapted and reused to support and digitally transform the process industries.
Recommendations and Next Steps
Know Your Requirements
Manufacturers of all kinds can gain significant business value from a trusted digital thread managed by PLM. However, traditional PLM systems were not designed to meet unique process industry needs, let alone specific needs for industries like chemicals or food and beverage.
Traditional PLM capabilities, on the other hand, can support packaging design and BOMs, which follow a discrete model. These systems can also manage the digital thread and digital twin of plants and plant assets.
Look for Flexibility and Adaptability
How do you expand a solution from an 80% fit to a fully capable solution without impacting maintainability and the ability to upgrade? Consider that it might be easier to get from a 60% fit with a solution built on a low-code architecture so you don't create technical debt.
One way to pursue PLM for the process industries is to adopt PLM basics and use low-code to replicate, modify, and augment it to fill the process industry disconnects. This approach offers the fundamentals of PLM for both recipe- and BOM-centric needs in a way that doesn't create unmanageable technical debt.
Get the Right Architecture
When looking at a system to support the process industries, it's essential to consider the architecture of the solution in addition to the capabilities. For example, is it open? Easily integrated? Available on the cloud? Does it offer low-code to make it flexible and maintainable? These are important considerations to get the right combination of capabilities for today and the ability to future-proof the system to support the business of the future.
Gain Business Value
Ultimately, the purpose of selecting and implementing a PLM system is growing business value through higher revenue, greater agility, lower cost, better quality, and increased compliance. PLM delivers proven value, but it's critical for PLM to support the uniqueness of the digital thread in the process industry.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the ebook and does not contain the full content. For the full report, please visit our sponsor Areas.
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the research, please contact us.
[post_title] => The Role, Value, and Fit of PLM for the Process Industries
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How can manufacturers drive innovation and agility by digitalizing the factory lifecycle? Join this webinar as Tech-Clarity’s Jim Brown and Autodesk’s Bassanio Peters discuss the challenges manufacturers face in their factory lifecycle and the best practices they adopt to hit their critical program timelines, project costs, manufacturing quality, and performance targets.
Jim will share his recent survey data on digitally transforming the factory lifecycle and Bassanio will share insights gained from working with manufacturers as they plan, commission, and operate their plants. They’ll discuss the ways that digital twins, collaboration, and integration help drive innovation and agility from facility design through operations.
Join this educational webinar to hear what the survey finds about:
- The data, process, and business challenges facing manufacturing planning
- How these negatively impact business performance
- How top-performing companies overcome these challenges to better meet their factory planning goals
- How top-performing companies use digital twins across the factory lifecycle
- How digital transformation can improve your factory design and process performance and allow you to hit your critical time, cost, and quality targets
[post_title] => Digitalizing the Factory Lifecycle
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What are major manufacturers are learning about AI? What is their path toward greater value? To get answers to these questions, join the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association’s Smart Manufacturing NOW virtual event on September 23-26. On Wednesday September 25, Tech-Clarity’s Julie Fraser and Dave Noller of Virginia Tech will co-host a panel discussion with Will Spears of leading packaging manufacturer Sonoco and Jan De Nijs of Lockheed Martin Aerospace. These industry leaders will discuss their experiments to date, and the lessons they have learned along the way.
It is not an easy road, but their companies - and many others - are gaining benefits today. These experienced manufacturing practitioners will share both what has worked, the AI use cases they foresee moving forward, and share cautionary tales of challenges. They will also share their ideas and best practices on how to ensure ongoing success and value on many fronts.
Bring your questions and challenges, as we plan to have a discussion and also take questions from the audience in this interactive session. Be ready to learn from these industry leaders.
Every manufacturer owes it to themselves to learn from this open exchange of ideas and experiences. Register here and mark your calendar for 10 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, September 25th, for this dynamic session.
The one time registration gives you access to four partial days of compelling content from companies such as Toyota, Stanley Black and Decker, Pursuit Aerospace, Kellanova, Thermo Fisher, Komatsu Mining, Genera, and an array of solution experts.
Thank you to Manufacturing Solutions Association International for creating the virtual conference and for providing slots for the MESA Smart Manufacturing Community that Julie Fraser co-facilitates to have these panel discussions.
[post_title] => What Does it Take to Gain and Sustain Value from AI in Manufacturing? Experiments and Lessons Learned
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Join this webinar as Jim Brown as speaks with Razorleaf’s Jonathan Scott and Derek Neiding to discuss the survey results from his survey of 138 manufacturers on how to integrate across the digital thread.
Jim will share the research results and Jonathan and Derek will share real-world integration expertise and customer experiences.
Topics they’ll cover include:
- The impacts of poor data and process integration
- Common causes of underlying integration issues
- Key challenges throughout the integration lifecycle
- What integration capabilities drive business value
- The advantages realized for those who have integrated
- What top performing companies do differently
Register for this webinar on September 12th, 2024 at 1:00 PM ET.
[post_title] => Mastering Digital Thread Integration
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[post_content] => Can pharmaceutical and life sciences manufacturers get simplified management by exception in production? Can they get a proven and full-function GMP-ready MES that’s also configurable yet valuable and out of the box? Decades into its existence, the POMS Corporation team says their POMSnet Aquila SaaS solution can do all that. Their satisfied and committed customer base helps us believe they are right.
Both/And, not Either/Or
Comprehensive, configurable, and out-of-the-box are the three pillars of POMSnetAquila MES. This is an unusual combination, as a comprehensive MES is often not ready to use or deliver value out-of-the-box but needs extensive modeling or customization. Many out-of-the-box MES offerings are not very configurable. Configurability is crucial for MES, as every plant and often every area of a plant is a little different.
POMS and its products have won numerous awards over many years. One that stood out to us recognized 97% customer satisfaction. The company has customers large and small. POMS must have vital ongoing customer relationships and an effective approach to incorporating their feedback into the standard product to keep them all happy.
Deep Life Sciences Expertise
For over three decades, POMS has focused its MES on only pharmaceutical, biotech, cell and gene therapy, and as those companies have expanded, more recently, medical device manufacturing. As a result, the solution has comprehensive functionality and is focused entirely on the needs of these regulated industries. POMSnet Aquila has end-to-end GMP manufacturing capabilities that include quality, scheduling, equipment, and production. (The full ISA95 model.)
Automatic recipe generation with a single click is a stunning example of deep functionality. If you manage specifications outside of MES, an integration layer can pull that data into a parameterized template. Attach the master data to the template, and it auto-generates a recipe. The manufacturer can choose to add a review, but this S88-compliant recipe is basically ready to go. One POMS customer with personalized products has one single recipe that’s transformed through the levels from general to site to master to control recipes per batch or patient.
Configured, not Customized
Configurability is increasingly common, but the POMSnet approach is a bit different. Deeply composable, the company has building blocks for recipes and workflows. The company offers 102 pre-built, pre-validated phases or process steps available. It also integrates with these industries’ most common applications and equipment types. Configuring within pre-determined limits helps regulated companies with validation and rapid time to value.
POMSnet Aquila is designed for customers to self-deploy and self-install, for independent customers to expand as needed. The software’s visual nature and pre-built library of over 100 validated manufacturing steps mean you can understand what the software is doing without having to build or model common life sciences processes yourself, such as calculations, weigh and dispense, assays, etc.
Still Going Strong
POMS was a brand in the early days of MES, and now the product is available as cloud-based or on-premise. The UI is any browser with HTML5. The products are on a 2X/year agile release schedule, spring and fall. Each release typically has 80 new features, functions, and UI improvements, most of which come from customer innovation to update the product.
Add-on Options
In addition to the core POMSnet Aquila MES, the product suite includes POMSnet Volare for mobile, POMSnet Falcon for batch record dashboards, and POMSnet Archeo for archiving and data retention. POMS also offers a product validation kit for OQ validating all POMS features. Customers are responsible for PQ, and if it’s on prem IQ; POMS provides IQ for cloud implementations. POMS also offers audit defense, where their quality manager speaks on-site to regulatory offices on behalf of customers.
POMS also partners with Nymi biometrics to provide on-body automatic authentication. This proven device can streamline operators’ interactions with software and create higher levels of confidence in processes, employees’ credentials, and productivity with always-on biometric-based tracking.
Delivering Value Quickly
POMS takes a fast rollout approach with incremental expansion. Since the solution is comprehensive, each customer can start small and expand as they are ready. This enables the validation of smaller processes and data flows to support them. The result is a lower-risk, faster path toward process and system validation.
The POMSnet Falcon Electronic Batch Record Dashboard is not just another PDF or digitized paper. It delivers that and all of the curated GMP data to support review by exception. With a real-time interface, people can see all exceptions, review, approve (or not), and comment across one or multiple production sites. This data-rich environment means backward genealogy is in the system, 1-click away – in a list or chart form. Of course, you can export that to Excel, but it’s data, not a document.
Moving Ahead
With a strong product, happy customers, and an excellent team, we expect to see POMS continue its market growth. As part of Constellation Software Inc., it has had a solid financial footing and framework for vertical market growth.
Thank you, Patrick Nazzaro, President and GM; Roland Esquivel, VP Global Sales & Marketing; and Prashant Jagarlapudi, VP Product and Engineering, for taking the time to get us back up to speed on POMS. We look forward to watching more life sciences companies benefit from this flexible and rapid approach to MES.
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Value from Data
Value from DataCreating value from the varied data in manufacturing facilities can be an elusive goal. In our recent briefing with Arch Systems, we got an idea of how they convert massive quantities of data into intelligent actions for manufacturers. They do this for frontline workers, top-floor executives, and many in between.
The premise is that quite a bit of data is available in a manufacturing organization that is drastically underutilized or unused today. Examples are machine data that exists but is not fully utilized, disconnected or less-automated machines and lines, and even companies that have invested in BI but not for all their data. As manufacturing demand for scarce talent continues, Arch Systems provides manufacturing and data expertise in its products and services to fill the gap. Beyond storing, standardizing, and pushing data out, they use AI and GenAI to drive actions for improvements on the floor.
Products
The product suite includes the ArchFX platform with connectors to gather, structure, and manage data, an analysis engine to generate insights, and an action manager or copilot for root cause identification, assigning actions, reporting up, and sometimes taking action. On top of the platform sits GLO (Global and Local Operations intelligence) for guided action based on complex production data with real-time monitoring, analytics, and diagnostics on machine data.
A no-code platform at the core enables analysis of the areas that matter most to each customer. The platform data infrastructure is the secret sauce behind this approach to intelligent action. While Arch Systems is an IIoT platform, it doesn't align with just one software category. Instead, it spans analytics, data management, manufacturing operations, and artificial intelligence. Arch’s products work with many types of manufacturing software like MES, PLM, and ERP.
ArchFX and GLO support people from top floor to shop floor to engineering and IT.[/caption]
Incremental Approach
Pick your pain point, address it with the platform and intelligence applications supported by Arch’s experienced staff, and value can ensue quickly. Data from MES, SCADA, machines, and other sources are inputs for the ArchFX platform and applications. As a result, Arch can deliver value with minimal disruption, layering actionable intelligence onto the current environment. Customers have gotten value in weeks, eliminating the need to embark on other IT projects to enable digital transformation.
Arch shows that software can grow seamlessly from one problem area to others and from one plant to many. Depending on company needs, Arch can support a unified data model for an entire global enterprise or focus on just a few products/lines/factories. The company delivers value by focusing on gathering and brokering the data needed to take action on a specific issue for a wide array of people in manufacturing.
Customers
The company has had great success with electronics contract manufacturers such as Flex, Jabil, and Plexus. They began with a strong focus on high tech manufacturing lines such as surface-mount technology (SMT). The more automated, the more data, and the easier Arch’s AI-based software can get started. Today, Arch Systems supports various discrete manufacturing processes including semiconductor packaging, injection molding, and assembly and test. Other notable public customers include BAE Systems and Harman.
Thank you, Sumana Padmanabhan, for setting up the briefing, and Laura Horvath, for explaining Arch Systems’ current state to me.
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How can manufacturers get more value from PLM? Our research and experience show there are six ways for companies to grow PLM to enterprise level business value.
Please enjoy the summary* below. For the full research, please visit our sponsor PTC (registration required).
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Evaluate the Opportunity
- Six Ways to Increase Business Value from PLM
- 1 - Expand the View of the Product
- 2 - Include More People / Roles
- 3 - Support More (and More Mature) Processes
- 4 - Expand to the Full Product Lifecycle
- 5 - Digitalize the Product Backbone
- 6 - Integrate Product Data and Processes
- Start Expanding PLM to Increase Business Value
- Acknowledgments
Leveling Up Your PLM Value
It’s Time to Drive Enterprise Level Value with PLM Our research shows that manufacturers achieve significant business value from PLM. The manufacturing industry benefits from new levels of efficiency and control from PLM and now recognizes it as a standard part of the engineering and product development toolkit. Many manufacturers started their PLM journey by getting CAD files under control. Then, they may have grown more mature and developed BOM and change management processes. They’re getting value but falling short of the full potential PLM has to offer. Times have changed. The world is now more digital, connected, and data-driven. The way companies use PLM must evolve to meet the needs of the modern manufacturer. Fortunately, our research shows that there is significant additional business value available from most current PLM implementations. Resetting the PLM Strategy for the Future But how do manufacturers choose the right opportunities to "level up" and dramatically extend their existing system's value? We used our Six Dimensions of PLM expansion as the basis for this guide to share six practical ways manufacturers can incrementally increase business value from PLM.Executive Summary
PLM Drives Significant Business Value
Most manufacturers with PLM (product lifecycle management) recognize that it improves engineering efficiency and reduces errors and rework. Our research shows that PLM adoption helps grow the top line in addition to these essential bottom-line savings. For example, PLM can speed up time to market by cutting product development time by up to 50%. Beyond that, PLM acts as the digital product backbone, providing the trusted product data backbone to support strategic needs like improving sustainability, enabling advanced analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and driving innovation.
Untapped Value of PLM
Despite the potential, many companies are only achieving a fraction of the available business value because they adopted PLM as more of a PDM (product data management) solution.
That leaves room to grow and tap into higher potential value to compete in today's market as companies digitally transform, become more connected across their value chain, and leverage data-centricity to get an edge on the competition.
Extend Value by Increasing Adoption and Maturity
Long-term success relies on trusted, current product data that is consumable across the enterprise. It depends on streamlined processes that connect across the business and the value chain. Many manufacturers already have the system they need to meet these requirements, but they must evolve their PLM implementation and adoption to broaden the scope of product data and support more people and processes.
Choose the Right Path to New Value
The end goal is mature, enterprise-level PLM adoption that serves as the digital product data backbone of the enterprise. But it can't happen overnight. It's essential to be realistic about your starting point and adopt what your company is ready for. Then, it's time to be agile, continuously improve, and drive additional top-line, bottom-line, and strategic benefits. We offer six ways companies can elevate PLM value to help guide the process.
Executive SummaryStart Expanding PLM to Increase Business Value
Find Your PLM Expansion Opportunity The six dimensions of PLM expansion provide a wide variety of ways that manufacturers can get more out of their PLM system. PLM expansion should be considered a journey, not a destination. There is always room for improvement and added value. To expand value, manufacturers should:- Ensure they are getting value from PLM basics
- Understand the potential ways to expand PLM
- Focus improvement efforts on business strategy and business goals
- Take reasonable steps with clear operational and business value
- Take an agile approach to continuous improvement
Better Software
What would make ERP and lab software better? Perhaps software that’s lean, flexible, cloud-based, low cost, easy to deploy… and yet highly capable with deep and configurable workflows between modules. Thruline’s founders have implemented and used software on either side of that ellipsis (…) and set out to create software that’s all of the above.
This venture-funded startup is out to improve the lives of those in manufacturing companies, including labs. They talk about building software that’s faster, cheaper, and ultra-flexible. It has a clean user interface, too. ERP was the original target, and they are building that out now. Thruline has modules for inventory (with units of measure), manufacturing, parts and BOM integration, procedures, runs, redlines, purchasing, and parts. Accounting is in the works, and integration to Quickbooks is already available.
LIMS and ELN are also available. These modules are designed for production company research and development staff, not academics. ELN ties in with ERP modules such as inventory management and manufacturing orders. This integration allows the company to track a BOM or recipe in the lab through manufacturing.
Integration at Core
They know companies have other software, so Thruline integrates with Odoo, NetSuite, MS Dynamics, and other ERPs. Other integrations include Calendly for scheduling, CRM, PLM, and Onshape for CAD. In addition, integration to Slack and several apps for eCommerce and Plaid for bank info, Stripe for payment processing. In the lab, Thruline has integrated with Quartzy for checkout and purchasing. Other integrations are in the works.
Modern Technology
Thruline does not have versions. Rather, they offer constant upgrades in a continuous deployment model. When something new comes out, they ask each customer if they want that. If they do, Thruline acts as admin and adds it into the customer’s version on their private instance of the SaaS software.
It is based on a low-code platform, but they don’t expect the small manufacturer to do the configuration and administration. They take the data analyst and software developer out of the equation by doing the admin for them. Support, configuration, and upgrades are part of the monthly subscription, not an add-ons.
Frustration Leads to Innovation
I won’t tell the entire backstory of Thruline, but suffice it to say the founders had some frustrating experiences working with software. Some lightweight ERPs do not support multi-module processes like costing and track and trace, and they cannot easily upgrade customized software. In small companies, they discovered how many things people do on spreadsheets that really should not be, as they need more coordination and assurance for multiple users.
Smaller companies are often surprised by what the software they buy does not do. Consultants often make money getting companies to basic functionality, but Thruline aims to eliminate that consulting time. However, they are having success working with consultants. In a single day on-site with a set of questions, a consulting partner assembled the workflow diagrams for a customer. The software was then up and running quickly with minimal additional consulting hours.
I can see how learning from challenges can lead people to create high-value, innovative software. Thank you, Derek Lam, for reaching out and to Alex Lazich, CEO, for taking the time to brief me about Thruline’s vision and new approach to getting growing companies there. I look forward to following your progress in the market!
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[post_content] => I always look forward to briefings with the CoLab Software team. That’s partially because I think they’re doing something interesting and because I’m following a trend toward systems of engagementto see where it goes. It’s also because they have a dynamic team that is passionate about what they’re doing and has good perspectives to share on the industry.
The Basics
Here are some of the basics to the set the context from our recent briefing. You can also read our short writeup from last year if you’re interested. CoLab is a seven-year-old company, they are VC funded, and they are growing nicely. According to a press release from Insight Partners in May, CoLab has grown revenue nearly 10x in the last two years. We’ve been impressed that they are working with some very large companies including Ford, Komatsu, Polaris, Johnson Controls, and Schaeffler as well as government institutions.
The System of Engagement Trend
The System of Engagement TrendCoLab delivers a system of engagement (SOE) primarily focused on the tangible challenges engineering teams face with design review. I’m going to step back and talk about systems of engagement, feel free to skip ahead if you are on board. SOEs are becoming more popular as a way to differentiate a style of application and user experience that are typically more lightweight and agile than existing systems of record (SOR) that manage data. SOEs are filling an important systems ecosystem gap by enabling collaboration across one or more SORs such as PLM, ERP, or others.
The system of engagement concept is important given the fragmented nature of today’s systems, for example the variety of systems that contain a part of the product digital thread. Our research, in fact, shows that most manufacturers have more than one PLM system. The idea is to integrate across these systems to deliver processes / workflows that enable collaboration and allow people to take action based on contextual data about their current. It’s what I called “the potential second half of the PLM promise” in a previous post, if for no other reason because it acts beyond a single system.
As an aside, I’m starting to think of the need to differentiate “Industrial” SOEs that are based on the product / manufacturing data context, the digital thread, as opposed to general SOE platform without any industry specialization. But that’s for another time. I realize this is a lot to digest but I think the background is important and I tried to keep it short and simple.
CoLab’s Design Engagement System
CoLab offers a very specialized SOE focused on design and engineering, the design engagement system (DES). In particular, they have drilled in very specifically on solving the inefficiencies manufacturers face with design review. This is an example of a company really focusing and going deep to solve a challenging problem. CoLab gives engineering teams the ability to share designs so others can review and leave detailed, contextual feedback on them. For example someone in manufacturing could add a comment or markup to a specific feature in a specific version of a CAD model. Their review provides contextual feedback to the design team so they can analyze and act on it. But differently than most third party collaboration or viewing tools, that feedback persists over time and stays associated with that particular revision. In this way, design review feedback is not a lost moment in time, it becomes a part of the product history and company knowledge.
There are other solutions that support design review, including those from PLM vendors themselves. But CoLab is going deep and creating an experience tailored specifically to the design review process. They have really focused on the user experience to make it efficient and effective, going so far as to make it “self-documenting” to prevent additional non-value-added work to capture feedback.
Their portals are a great example of how tailored their solution is. CoLab creates a workspace for the internal team and then allows them to create multiple, linked portals to securely share designs selectively with suppliers to gather feedback. What’s really interesting about the portals is that each one is not just a separate disconnected copy. Suppliers can’t see other’s feedback, but the design team can see consolidated feedback from all of the additional portals in their internal workspace. To me, this is a great example of building a tailored solution works in the real world instead of an idealized environment.
The Secret Sauce
Part of what makes CoLab effective is what they call “replacing the messy middle” between existing CAD, Project Management, and PLM systems. This is a big factor in allowing them to help design teams move away from informal, ad-hoc (and ineffective) tools like spreadsheets that are far too common in these processes. One of the key ways to support this effectively is by providing the reviewer the right context, the underlying CAD model for example, so they can act effectively. I like the way CoLab calls this “cutting down on the context gap” as they manage the relationships between visualization, markup, issue lists, and the tasks engineers and others are executing.
Looking Forward
CoLab’s system of engagement, or even more specifically their design engagement system, will not stop at design review. The collaborative capabilities are already being applied to help manufacturers with design review, supplier collaboration, and cost reduction programs. But they have lots of room to grow and some exciting plans for the future.
One example that caught my attention is that they have meaningful plans to incorporate AI. Everyone is talking about AI, but I believe CoLab is on to something important. If you think about the design review feedback they capture as company knowledge, the potential value of mining and learning from that information to improve future design review, or design in the first place, is intriguing. There will be more to come on that, we are following it closely.
Final Thoughts
CoLab is taking their DES / SOE role seriously. They are happy to sit outside of PLM and not get directly involved in managing CAD data. Instead, they access it from PLM and supply it in an accessible form to design review participants. They are partnering with PTC and have integrated with Windchill, a PTC Technology, and they are working toward other PLM systems including Siemens Teamcenter and Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform. They will integrate beyond PLM as well.
We’re still watching to see how the system of engagement model as a separate platform plays out. You can clearly make an argument that a design execution system should be part of a broader product innovation platform. But CoLab is filling an important gap, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that there will not be one home to the product digital thread inside the enterprise let alone in the supply chain where design review must excel.
Thank you Adam Keating and MJ Smith for the update!
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In our update briefing with Canvas GFX, CEO Pat Hume said, “A lot has changed since a year ago.” Perhaps the most significant strategic shift is that they are now focusing Envision as a connected knowledge platform for midsize and larger enterprises. The concept is two-way knowledge sharing between product engineering and production frontline workers making and repairing those products.
Product information is central to what frontline workers need to do, and Canvas GFX has long played a role in the 2D and 3D product info-sharing business. Canvas Envision is a SaaS platform for creating, managing, and interacting with model-based work instructions. Outdated, unclear, or hard-to-understand work instructions are a common cause of quality issues for manufacturers. Canvas GFX is looking to solve this challenge.
The platform can convert text-based work and maintenance instructions to easy-to-follow visual information linked to the CAD model. Based on the company’s heritage, using 3D CAD models as the single source of truth is a given. What’s novel is the company’s view that the frontline workers in production, quality, maintenance, and sustainment can use the Canvas Envision platform to deliver feedback to the product teams and each other. The platform enables workers to ask for help or support. For example, If the instructions don't seem to match the parts referenced in the CAD model, a maintenance worker who may work for a different company, such as an airline, can connect with the engineering team at the OEM for guidance.
To gain a foothold in the midmarket and enterprise, Canvas GFX knows they must be minimally disruptive and complement or enhance existing workflows. APIs to PLM, PDM, ERP, QMS, and MES are table stakes. Canvas GFX works with digital twins, animations, images, video, audio, text, live data feeds, and AR/VR to extend the value of the core CAD model.
Another fascinating direction is that Canvas GFX has established Envision partnerships with companies such as Aras and Rockwell Plex to embed Envision in the partner’s user experience. So, an Aras PLM user can author in Canvas Envision, launching it from their Aras Innovator interface. Similarly, a production worker on Plex can interact with their work instructions in Envision but see the familiar Plex UI. Other partners include SAIC for DoD, SSI for shipbuilding, Autodesk with the Vault PDM, Zebra for connected workers, and Microsoft for AI. Partners will be an increasing channel to market for Canvas Envision.
The Canvas Envision SDK is intended to allow customers to automate content creation and customize user experiences. Depending on the current technology stack, each company may want the system to do more or less for authoring and frontline worker support. The company’s AI roadmap, with products due out later this year, will enable greater automation.
Per the example above, Canvas GFX’s vision for Envision goes even beyond enterprise, out to customers, customer’s customers, and suppliers. Many very complex products, for which model-based work instructions are most important, have a set of sub-assemblies where product information is needed. Many of these complex products also have long lives in the field, where service or maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations (MRO) might also need detailed product knowledge and have valuable knowledge to share from later in the product lifecycle.
We are excited by the opportunities Canvas Envision offers to manufacturers to move toward a model-based enterprise (MBE) using CAD data for frontline workers. As the workforce challenges continue, supporting frontline workers and improving collaboration across many disciplines should improve employee satisfaction and productivity rates.
Thank you, Patricia Hume and Becky Darsch, for taking the time to update us on Envision and your market strategy. We look forward to learning more and hearing about AI updates and additional partners and customers!
How do you know if your CAD tool will keep you competitive?
CAD is a critical engineering tool, but if your CAD tool has not kept up with the latest technologies, your engineers could be at a disadvantage. As companies enjoy efficiencies gained through digital transformation, CAD tools have also evolved to support digital processes that can help you develop more competitive products in less time. Has yours?
This eBook reveals the results of a survey of product development professionals that examined what they look for in a CAD tool and the results they saw when they switched CAD tools. Further, the analysis of the survey results and practices of Top Performing companies, seven questions were identified to help you determine if you should consider evaluating other CAD tools.
Please enjoy the summary* below. For the full research, please visit our sponsor SOLIDWORKS (registration required).
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Competitive PRoducts Require Exceptional Engineering
- Top Drivers to Switch CAD
- Identifying Top Performers
- Impact of Switching CAD
- 1. Can you CAD tool support good collaboration?
- 2. Does your CAD tool support the latest technology?
- 3. Is there a vision and current support for AI?
- 4. Is Engineering's personal productivity optimized?
- 5. Does a complementary portfolio extend value beyond design?
- 6. Does your CAD tool overcome process bottlenecks?
- 7. Does your CAD vendor meet your needs?
- Recommendations
- About the Research
- Acknowledgments
Executive Summary
Staying Competitive
Engineers face a lot of pressure to develop competitive products as quickly as possible. The best CAD tools can help engineers work smarter and focus on innovation. However, achieving the desired efficiencies to remain competitive may require a change in CAD tools. In fact, over the last three years, digital transformation - a key enabler for greater efficiency - has been the top driver for making a switch.
You can extend a CAD model’s value with digital processes and new technologies, including complementary design portfolio offerings. Overall, 99% of study respondents believe using innovation-enabling technology with CAD will help them achieve their goals for more competitive products. These technologies include simulation, digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative design, and the cloud. As companies look at new technology, 95% believe that AI will improve product development; AI opportunities for improvement range from automating tedious repetitive work to detecting errors.
Impact of Changing CAD
When companies make a CAD change, the productivity improvements are quite significant: 85% are satisfied with the ROI of the switch, with an even higher percentage (96%) of Top Performers satisfied. Top Performers’ higher level of satisfaction can be partly attributed to what they look for in a CAD solution.
Seven Questions
This research identified what Top Performing companies look for in a CAD tool. The findings revealed seven questions to help determine if you may benefit from switching CAD tools. Consider if a new solution may offer technological advancements that will support better engineering decisions and accelerate product development processes by asking these questions:
1. Can your CAD tool support good collaboration?
2. Does your CAD tool support the latest technology?
3. Is there a vision and current support for AI?
4. Is Engineering’s personal productivity optimized?
5. Does a complementary portfolio extend value beyond design?
6. Does your CAD tool overcome process bottlenecks?
7. Does your CAD vendor meet your needs?
Impact of Switching CAD
High Satisfaction When companies make a switch, 85% are satisfied with the switch’s return on investment (ROI), with an even higher percentage of Top Performers satisfied (96%). Those who have made the switch enjoy numerous improvements when they update their CAD tool to one that will better meet their needs (see table).
Top Performers’ Advantage
Top Performers enjoy even more benefits when they make a change. Some of this is due to what they look for in a CAD tool. Overall, they look for a tool that improves engineering efficiency while also benefiting the larger enterprise beyond engineering.
*This summary is an abbreviated version of the research and does not contain the full content. For the full research, please visit our sponsor SOLIDWORKS (registration required).
If you have difficulty obtaining a copy of the report, please contact us.
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“Can an executive scientifically grow the value their company delivers to customers and thus company value?” It’s not often we encounter a solution provider aiming to answer a totally different question than others, but we just did. Pivotal Innovation has developed the Value Growth System, a combined SaaS software and services offering, to systemize value growth.
We are excited about the potential for this because business transformation has not been straightforward or reliably successful, and this begins to explain why. Also, the Value Growth System is both comprehensive and comprehensible. We believe visionary executives can benefit from even the fundamental concepts we learned in one call.
Pivotal Innovation, founded by serial entrepreneurs Kevin Fallon and Justin Griep, focuses on helping manufacturers go beyond a customer focus to grow customer value systematically. The company aims to help organizations make this transformation less costly and stressful. They call it “Growth as a Service.”
One big ‘aha’ here is that two connected but distinct systems make up a company. There is an operating system for delivering current value, which most companies have systematized well. There is also a value growth system for transformation that typically runs ad hoc (to the detriment of growth). Integrating these is crucial. Another big aha is that strategy is directional, not transformational. Transformation needs to incorporate execution and innovation as well as strategy.
The Pivotal Innovator SaaS platform systematically ensures strategy, execution, and innovation work together. Most solution providers focus on just one element of this overall value growth system. Execution of current value is the most common focus for transactional and process software applications. Software such as ERP, PLM, SCM, and CRM aim to ensure things happen reliably in the current state. The Pivotal Innovator focuses on transforming to a desired future state, with closed-loop feedback among strategy, execution, and innovation.
Fallon claims they can change a company's culture in 30 days. The focus is on balancing transformation with current performance. The approach creates a common growth language across disciplines to help everyone focus on the growth gap, not just the current state. Because this is an enterprise-level transformation, no single discipline can “own” or manage growth.
Senior executives may relate to the consulting aspects of the offering and champion the software. They may also join mastermind groups to learn from each other. Pivotal Innovation is partnering with the Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute at Metropolitan State University of Denver to offer a 12-week educational program. By the third week, executives will have an executable strategy for the company based on priorities and will be accelerating growth and transforming culture.
The concepts of integrating and automating value growth came from Fallon’s years of research after a significant career in manufacturing automation and Lean supply chain solutions. They are not currently taught in most business schools. Yet, it appears this offering addresses the main stumbling blocks to value growth:
- Designing better strategy
- Achieving organizational alignment
- Balancing operating with transforming activity
- Engaging people
- Adding growth capability
- Executing successfully
We’re excited to kick off Propel Software's new “Office Hours” series of educational webinars. Our President, Jim Brown, will lead an interactive conversation with Zoetis Director of R&D, Greg Yow, and Propel VP, Tom Shoemaker. Together, they’ll discuss the state of the PLM market and the landscape for modern PLM solutions.
The webinar will look at the current state of the PLM market and then explore what companies should look for in a modern solution. Jim will share his research on the state of PLM including the benefits manufacturers can expect from PLM, what the current PLM implementation landscape looks like, the transition to the cloud, and requirements for supporting PLM processes well into the future. Greg will share his experience with global animal health company Zoetis and his broad design and PLM background. Tom will share his perspectives from his deep experience in the PLM industry and conversations with Propel customers.
Join this Propel-sponsored educational webinar on July 16 to join in the conversation and get your questions about the PLM market answered.
[post_title] => Evaluating Modern PLM Systems
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Can you shorten the time to value (T2V) for MES? In a recent briefing, Julie Fraser came to an understanding that Infor is working to do that with its no-code configuration approach. Infor MES comes from a heritage of encouraging customers to use the solution completely out of the box with no custom code. It may sound far-fetched, but they claim customers are doing that.
Infor MES’s approach is different, with many examples of “last mile” functionality plus built-in options that the manufacturer can select, rather than create. Newer examples of special functions using no-code include reel production including defect tracking and co-production variations for ovens, stamping, grading, reel slitting, and painting. Integrations and connections are also largely based on field- and expression-based mappings.
Infor’s MES covers all factory operations for a relatively wide variety of industries and production modes. Broad areas include production, quality, inventory, logistics, maintenance, tooling, and energy. This enables their ERP products to focus on their core functions and strengths, removing complexity from ERP and allowing MES to simplify operations.
The all-organically developed MES also supports frontline workers with a consistent look, feel, and view of everything in their production environment. The operator’s dashboard is built from pre-defined or user-configured “cards” with saved reports behind each. These reports can be combined for valuable views for each process, area, and role in the facility. Screens are built simply, knowing gloves and goggles are common for these users.
MES is integrated to many of the Infor ERP CloudSuites, but not tightly coupled. Standalone MES sales are still a substantial portion of the base. Yet, more complete integration is also boosting cross-selling to existing Infor ERP customers. Investment continues in Infor MES to solve more customer challenges.
MES is a differentiator for the Infor ERP suites. The ability to leverage the Infor OS Platform, which includes data lake, data fabric, robotic process automation, and Generative AI is a huge boost to the enterprise’s ability to make full use of MES data.
Infor MES is available with a choice of hosting options:
- Traditional on-premises.
- Enterprise - single tenant for global master data across multiple factories.
- Distributed Enterprise - central hosting of master data and reporting, but individual factory or regional instances for reliability, redundancy, and low latency.
Infor’s twice-a-year spring and fall product release cycle works for MES. The roadmap includes more configurability, extended mobility, and making the most of Infor innovations. The next release is scheduled to include integrations with Infor Document Management and new GenAI functionalities, for example.
Sometimes, a robust small software company’s acquisition by a much larger company works well for customers and employees. That appears to be the case with Infor’s MES, which was Lighthouse Systems (Shopfloor-Online) until late 2021. Infor has taken this product seriously. The company sees Infor MES adding substantial value to customers looking to achieve complete digital transformation of manufacturing operations.
Thank you, Jennifer Marzolf for arranging this briefing with MES mavens Matt Barber and Brandon Billingham. We look forward to following the MES and other Infor products' developments and successes in the market.
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How can smaller manufacturers chart effective automation strategies with their limited resources? That’s the topic of this Automation World article. In it, Tech-Clarity’s Julie Fraser and three other industry professionals offer suggestions for small manufacturers' automation approach to plan for and execute successful and cost-effective automation programs.
Automation World spoke with four industry experts: Jeff Payne, director of business development at AutomationDirect; Steve Bieszczat, CMO at DelmiaWorks; Caleb Funk, engagement engineer with ImaginIt Technologies; and Julie Fraser, vice president of research for operations and manufacturing at Tech-Clarity.
AW: How can smaller manufacturers identify specific challenges in their manufacturing processes to set achievable objectives for automation technology adoption?
Fraser: Most manufacturers have process experts who can identify the issues that are creating waste if you ask them the right questions. Asking the right questions often means challenging how things work. Typically, your most experienced people have created workarounds that enable the product to go through processes relatively smoothly and reliably, and they may no longer recognize the original issue. Once the issues to improve are identified, setting achievable objectives for automation may be obvious or may require an experienced automation engineer or system integrator to determine achievable objectives.
The article also covers how to:
- align technology goals and business strategies
- evaluate vendors
- estimate project costs
- create a timeline with realistic milestones
- prepare for challenges and setbacks
Tech-Clarity’s Julie Fraser was on the analyst panel of the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s (MLC’s) 20th anniversary Rethink conference. The panel looked back 20 years and forward 20 years in the journey to digital manufacturing. Julie’s perspective is that some things that seem new are not – like AI, which she wrote a report about in about 1990. That shows how many things must be in place technologically and in our mindset and culture.
The digital transformation will also require a personal transformation. The key is to go after Smart with Heart. She also believes there is a “pot of gold” at the end of this journey. Like a leprechaun, rather than only seeing the material wealth there, we’ll want to ensure we do the manufacturing dance to celebrate.
Technology and Buzzing People
The panel – and the entire conference - touched on technology, including networking, materials handling, enterprise and plant software, AI, and Generative AI. Every presentation also emphasized innovation, processes, workforce engagement, and leadership skills. The more new technologies we employ in manufacturing, the more conversation it generates around human beings. People are, and it seems will continue to be, at the center of manufacturing – even as it is increasingly automated and autonomous.
One of the notable features of this conference was the level of engagement in the MLC community. These leaders and their teams eagerly and openly engaged with each other and with the technology and services providers. It was rare to find someone standing alone for even a short time—we were all sharing and learning with each other.
The MLC is part of the National Association of Manufacturers - NAM (NAM), but people from around the world were there, sharing their stories and competing for awards. This conference has cleverly incorporated an awards gala to ensure that leaders and their teams who are nominated come, share their stories, and learn from one another. When one company shared information, you could see groups from other companies discussing it with each other.
Manufacturer Examples
Some award nominees and speakers, like Matthew Herman of Whirlpool, are turning the corner in understanding how to gain benefits while building toward scalability and enterprise-wide rollout. This scaling seems to often involve changes to the organizational structure and staffing.
Becky Sidelinger of Flex shared the journey to extreme contract manufacturing flexibility in their production operations to match product innovation. They use digital twins of their end-to-end manufacturing lines, machine learning, and AR/VR goggles to guide work. Beyond that, she discussed effectively bringing suppliers into the sustainability frame. A key takeaway was to “be generous with your time” as a leader.
J. Kirby Best of Bespoke talked about his startup custom clothing company, Bespoke. Here, autonomous robots work with people, and real-time location tracking and AI are used to gain productivity at the point of activity. This truly innovative approach to garment manufacturing is based on “getting out of your mind how anything was done before.” The result is essentially infinite selection in zero time.
Craig Stephen Slavtcheff of Campbell’s focused on their agile approach. It is not just meeting hygiene, and not just in R&D, but a deep approach to agile in food and its supply chain. Modifying existing unit operations to live up to the design brief has been crucial. Deep change management plays into ensuring data is considered an essential part of every job.
Prasad Rajiv of forklift maker Hyster-Yale talked about making great strides toward smart and autonomous products. The ability to use 5G communications and interact effectively with WMS, MES, people, and manual operations such as picking. Bringing decisions closer to the action was part of it, zero emissions another.
Chris Platz of Woodward talked about their journey to transform supplier collaboration, even with their many small suppliers. They have built a digital twin of suppliers’ capability and capacity to show what to send where and when. In about a week, they can set up a digital twin of a supplier factory and begin working with the simulation-selected best partner on a 1:1 basis based on pre-negotiated pricing.
The next-generation leaders panel dispelled misunderstandings. Megan McCarthy of General Motors discussed two-way feedback and GM’s commitment to electric vehicles. Jonathan Miller from St. Gobain Life Sciences saw that machine connectivity foundations were a tough sell, but they delivered benefits and removed drudge work once in place. His advice was, “Make everyone comfortable failing.” Angela Accurso, MPA of MdX talked about mentorship and sponsorship, and Marlon Alberto Gonzalez Martinez of IBM pushed for “giving a voice to young people and their ideas.”
Takeaways
TakeawaysHere are some of Julie’s takeaways and highlights from the two days she attended the conference.
- Working with consultants and system integrators, manufacturers are already gaining significant benefits from AI and Generative AI. Knowledge management and retention is a good application. Yet they are not the right fit for every problem.
- Scalability continues to be daunting, and while some leaders feel they are now on a good path, this path typically involves failures and learning from shortcomings.
- Technical debt is an important issue for companies to consider regarding their legacy systems and how best to avoid it with new investments.
- IT and OT are learning to work together in the most successful companies –the results can be more autonomous operations and more effective people.
- All five generations of current workers have valuable contributions—the company culture and its leaders must encourage those ideas so all can support each other.
- New technology, processes, and thinking are improving quality, efficiency, cost, and success both inside companies and across their ecosystems.
It is truly an exciting time to be in manufacturing. The transformation is underway, and while there are some challenges, the gains are tremendous. Thank you, Manufacturing Leadership Council and David R. Brousell, for hosting us there!
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