The Art of the Possible in Advanced Manufacturing

On May 7, I’m hosting a conference in Boston called The Digital Factory to show what’s possible with state-of-the-art manufacturing and supply chain technology. The program appeals to practitioners whose goal is to accelerate speed, productivity, and competitiveness, and links front-line manufacturing leaders to the broader innovation ecosystem.

If you run a manufacturing operation, there’s a wave of new technology coming your way. The four A’s—artificial intelligence, analytics, automation, and additive manufacturing—have leapt forward in the last five years, and their impact goes beyond just changing the way products are made. For a lot of companies, productivity has stalled. These new technologies turn that around and let manufacturing drive new business models, like mass customization, rapid product development, distributed manufacturing, and equipment-as-a-service.

Manufacturing divisions have been largely passed over by the latest rounds of digitization. Companies take for granted that their salespeople use advanced CRM, marketing uses sophisticated digital analytics, and design uses cutting-edge CAD software, but their factories often look like they did thirty years ago. Most ERP systems are installed by the CFO, not supply chain leaders.

In part this reflects the economic realities of manufacturing: factories are expensive, and their capital equipment lasts a long time. But it also reflects the priorities of a lot of industrial companies, which often see their manufacturing operations as a practical capability, not as a full partner in the business. As a result, supply chain priorities tend to be set outside the function.

But many companies are driving new models; ones that democratize decision making, empower the front line, and leverage data in real time. They have linked product with process innovation to crush cycle times and drive growth. New technologies—like additive manufacturing and the design it facilitates—are redefining what is possible in product development.

The program we’ve put together for May 7 will showcase the innovations that can drive big advances in speed, productivity, flexibility, and quality. Speakers will highlight the need to empower manufacturing executives. We will demonstrate what you can do when you take charge of your technology and turn it into part of your company’s strategy. You will see the linkage of technical innovation with extensive business model transitions. A digital factory will be required to advance more valuable products and services that drive growth. It is the key to the ultimate goal: growing margins for you and your customers.

Leading this change requires a combination of creative innovators and experienced operators...sometimes in the same company. The last generation of digital tools were for governance and compliance; this generation must drive outcomes. The digital revolution must start by helping you beat your budgets.

You’ll get a sense of what I mean by looking at the speakers we’ve lined up. They include:

• Rob Carter, CIO of FedEx, and Richard Smith, CEO of FedEx Logistics
• Vic Abate, CTO of GE
• Jennifer Hartsock, CIO of Baker Hughes
• Joe Hogan, CEO of Align Technology
• Gary Johnson, head of manufacturing at Ford Motor
• Dayna Grayson, partner at NEA, who’s led funding rounds in several digital manufacturing startups
• Max Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs

If you’re a supply chain leader who wants to own your digital future—lead it and not be a victim of it—this conference is for you. Join me at The Digital Factory.