Everybody knows that a Connected Enterprise makes business more reliable, compliant, and safe.
But leading companies also leverage smart manufacturing to surprise and delight customers — and boost the bottom line.
Customers want everything right now — and will go wherever they can get it.
Fortunately, everything aligns with common operational goals, all managed in real time by a Connected Enterprise:
Improved product quality and adherence to customer and regulatory specifications: Quality is the core fundamental requirement in any industry, yet many manufacturers still deliver defective products at alarming rates; one in 10 plants reports warranty costs of 10% of sales or worse.
A Connected Enterprise automates quality improvement processes, such as andon systems that stop lines when quality slips. An Internet-of-Things (IoT)-enabled andon forces management to fix problems now and prevents problems from reaching customers.
Improved timeliness and increased speed: Manufacturers lag here, too; one-third of plants report on-time delivery rates of 90% or worse.
Delays can shut down customer plants and lead to supplier penalties. Yet more than on-time deliveries, what customers really want are products delivered when they want them — often earlier than an agreed-upon ship date — or even upon demand.
Meeting this need requires new supply-chain capabilities to capture customer demand, communicate orders, and reschedule production. Only a Connected Enterprise can assure this level of responsiveness.
Lower prices: Competitors frequently catch up and knockoff products eventually appear, often at lower prices.
Market evolution forces manufacturers to develop new or enhanced products or lower prices.
The same approach used to stabilize operations via The Connected Enterprise can also set new standards for production — e.g., productivity, equipment uptime — that reduce costs and make price reductions possible while preserving profitability.
Satisfied customers boost the bottom line with long-term loyalty and increased market share. Does your Connected Enterprise delight your customers?
