| | JUNE 20208CIOReviewIN MY OPINIONOne of my favorite quotes by science fiction writer William Gibson is, "The future is here, it's just unevenly distributed." When looking across new developments in manufacturing technologies, this sentiment seems to hold truth, particularly when we consider the industry's rate of adoption or the scope of a technology's relevance to manufacturing companies. In spite of these elements, I predict that one thing is certain: these five areas will continue to grow, driving the evolution of the manufacturing industry:· Advanced Analytics/Big Data· E-Commerce· Merging manufacturing technologies· Robotics and automation· Continuous bioprocessingAdvanced Analytics/Big DataOver the past decade, multiple industries have increasingly incorporated Big Data into their business practices, leveraging the concept to improve decision-making and transform their business. When thinking about the applicability of Big Data in manufacturing, three areas start to converge:customer data, Sales &Operations Planning (S&OP) and manufacturing visibility, which I'll address in turn. On the customer side, Big Data allows us to better discern and anticipate customer order patterns, allowing sales teams to tailor recommendations and production teams to predict supply and demand. This in turn, can lead to greater customer delight. These large data sets also let companies mine S&OP data and subsequently leverage ERP systems to optimize production runs in an era where manufacturing facilities are becoming more FROM ROBOTICS TO BIG DATA, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR MANUFACTURINGBy Karl Rosenblum Global Head, Manufacturing & Risk Strategy Alcon [SWX: ALC]Karl Rosenblum
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