Enabling a Smart Connected Supply Chain

The manufacturing industry has entered a completely new technological realm that did not even exist five years ago. Three industrial revolutions forever changed manufacturing-and the world-and the fourth is now underway. Factories have had to adapt rapidly with the advent of advanced automation and robotics as well as software to manage processes and control. The onset of digital manufacturing accelerates the need for new approaches. While consumers typically embrace disruptive technology with enthusiasm, manufacturers inevitably approach new technology with caution, carefully evaluating how it can improve their businesses. Eventually, however, caution must be replaced with innovation to ensure survival. Those organizations that find themselves on the wrong side of the technology curve today will face increasing challenges to remain competitive as time marches forward.