Digital Transformation Gains Ground Quickly
But: What happens in the metal industry?
Not too much one would think looking at the results of the study conducted by B&C in 2016 for the industry forum “Metal meets Industry 4.0”. There is a consensus among surveyed companies that something should be done and that Industry 4.0 is highly relevant, but solutions are still vague.
And the situation today hasn’t changed: a few Industry 4.0 projects have been launched but they often lack clear objectives and specific approaches. The challenge is to work out in which areas Industry 4.0 can help to gain cost advantages and increase customer value. The expectations to gain value through integrated networks are high. Process automation can accelerate the information flow between suppliers, producers, and customers in an unprecedented manner. This upgrade of information logistics can create transparency throughout the supply chain and improve the flexibility of all business processes dramatically. Agile planning and control processes are “playmakers” generating profit from new possibilities e.g. improved delivery performance and optimized resource utilization.
The B&C consultants already work intensively on those issues for quite a long time, developing tailor-made analysis and optimization tools for the industry. One example is the analytics tool SCM CONTROL™ which allows B&C to analyze complex value chains in depth and adjust planning strategies to changing business models. Thus, value chains in fast changing markets will be maneuverable, dynamic and competitive.