Ingenieria MANUFACTURING | Page 11

2017 In a slow-growth environment such as this, productivity gains are paramount. And that could be a boon for industrial manufacturers. Indeed, industrial manufacturers can best serve their customers (and themselves) by designing tools and equipment that improve the efficiency, costs, and performance of factories and other capital projects. Whether enhancing their or their customers’ plants, industrial manufacturers have an opportunity to profit from innovation strategies that build upon advanced manufacturing concepts and the potential of the industrial Internet. In order to do this, industrial manufacturers must become more aggressive and deliberate in their investments. They should focus on developing technology platforms and new operating models that enable connected products and services and integrate their customers’ operations. For customers, the desire for efficiency and quality improvements are a given, but companies increasingly want visibility deep into their supply chains: They want connectivity tools that provide insight into production levels, inventory and capacity availability, quality levels, and order status from all their suppliers. Capital asset developers are seeking similar capabilities in dealing with the engineering and construction firms that build their projects.