Why intelligent information sharing is critical to resilient manufacturing

We are in a period of constant evolution across the business landscape. Processes that may have worked for a manufacturer five years ago no longer measure up as the economic and technical environment continues to rapidly evolve.

New technology, heightened consumer expectations, geopolitical tensions, and increased scrutiny of sustainable practices are driving a new era—one that requires organizations to always be three steps ahead.

To meet these rising demands and expectations, manufacturers are looking inward to assess their internal processes, explore how to streamline inefficiencies and reduce costs, and improve production to become more innovative.

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With business priorities pulling engineering leadership in different directions, the complex nature of overhauling processes and existing strategies will require significant cost and time investments.

However, the solution to these challenges is closer than expected. By deriving more value from existing data and working to break down barriers for information sharing across departments and value chains, manufacturers can reach a level of agility that promotes a more unified workforce, better supply chain processes, and an innate focus on sustainability.

The idea is to promote better collaboration across the organization and outside partners. This solution, known as digital continuity, will be key for building a more resilient business over the next decade.

Better data sharing and traceability means better outcomes

With an enhanced focus on data and information sharing and traceability, leaders can break down siloes between departments and unify ways of working.

This happens from the ground up, starting with individual teams and translating to improvements across the product life cycle, from ideation, engineering, and manufacturing to after-sales. It’s all about better collaboration—both across the organization and with partners, suppliers, customers, and vendors.

The opportunities to improve processes are endless. Imagine the benefits of seamless, continuous product information flow, resulting in decisions that are backed by data and analytics, leaving less room for errors or complications and more room for increased production and speed to market.

For example, digital continuity enables digital twin technology to create real-time 3D configuration-based mockups of a factory floor that allows manufacturers to test how different changes to processes and equipment affect physical outputs.

This in turn increases efficiency, improves quality, reduces scrap rates across teams, optimizes development costs, and accelerates time to market. Digital twins are continuously improved based on surrogate models fed by simulated and real data all together.

Solving sustainability challenges for manufacturers

There are significant opportunities for digital continuity to transform the way manufacturers think about sustainable practices. To make progress on ambitious goals, sustainability must be implemented into every step of the design, production and supply chain process.

To achieve this, benchmarking targets and engraining guidelines and requirements into the platforms that engineers use day-to-day will enable organizations approach sustainability as embedded in culture and not afterthought.

For example, 3D modeling platforms can be equipped with guardrails that limit the carbon footprint of a product by generating multiple iterations with specific efficiencies in mind, encouraging the use of eco-conscious materials and processes.

Since the majority of the product’s carbon footprint is decided in the design or engineering phases, there is an enormous opportunity to reduce emissions and strain on engineers.

Embedding these guidelines can ensure that sustainability considerations do not fall to the wayside when creating outcomes that must check hundreds of boxes to meet customer demand and expectations.

Digital continuity can also support the monitoring and reporting of Scope 3 emissions. Better information sharing and recording can help leaders identify hot spots across the value chain that point to inefficiencies. This is particularly useful in industries like automotive or aerospace and defense, where organizations are working with hundreds of vendors to source parts and equipment for production.

The future of the connected organization

Building a more connected organization through digital continuity is no small feat, but it’s an essential endeavor for manufacturers looking to enhance resilience. To get started, engineering leadership will need to evaluate legacy systems and identify what’s working for their teams and what isn’t.

Many of the challenges associated with data management will also impact the transformation to digital continuity. The goal is to move towards comprehensive platforms that serve purposes for all business units, and these applications must live in the cloud.

Overall, a connected organization is a more innovative, resilient organization, and this progress starts with better data and information sharing. By revitalizing systems, data, and processes to enhance collaboration, manufacturers will see significant benefits—from better products to lower costs and reduced carbon footprints.

In today’s modern business era, data and technology are everything. As manufacturers struggle with challenges associated with geopolitical tensions, AI, and consumer demand, intelligent information sharing and traceability through digital continuity is the key to unlocking more value from existing processes and data.

This translates directly to support better business outcomes that also map back to sustainability and operational goals by increasing efficiency, lowering costs, increasing speed to market, and benefiting the customer—meeting the ultimate goals of a manufacturer.