Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
What are ARC clients talking about? Here is a sampling, in no particular order, of some recent topics of interest to ARC clients who are considering or in the midst of their own digitization and business transformation processes:
Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning is near the top of everyone's wish list. Early applications in asset uptime and reliability are being joined by operations improvement applications. Huge opportunities here for suppliers or service providers that can hand-hold industrial companies and help them apply the technologies to improve their business performance.
Platforms, Platforms, Platforms. This is a very popular topic, and possibly the source of the most confusion. When an analytics platform can be a collection of services residing on a cloud application platform-as-a-service that is deployed on a cloud infrastructure-as-a-service compute/storage platform and connected to a device management platform that is fed by a plant data platform as well as a business platform, the term 'platform' certainly is strained! An ARC report later this week will help bring some much-needed clarity.
Cybersecurity remains a top concern for digitalization. The Industrial Internet Consortium's new IISF security framework tackles the problem in a comprehensive, detailed manner. We recently blogged about it, but I suggest you begin to familiarize yourself with it. You can download the 173 page document here.
Edge computing. In the Industrial space, platforms are important, but connectivity, management and processing at the edge - in the plant or at the device - is vital.
Customer Embrace. In some cases, an industrial company transforms an existing business process by providing a new service to customers - possibly one they didn't know they needed. It may be as complex an undertaking as offering a product-as-a service, but it could be much simpler. It may also involve third parties from elsewhere in the ecosystem.
Innovation and Disruption. See Customer Embrace. Digitization and technology innovations can lead to substantial changes in operations, but arguably the most important innovations directly impact the customer. This is often where digitization pays off, but it may require top-to bottom technology upgrades to succeed.
Augmented and Mixed Reality. Yes, it's back. The technology is rapidly advancing to the point where it's more than a trade show gimmick or a training device. Is 2017 the breakout year for real plant-level or field applications of the technology? We'll soon see…
Smart Factories/Plants. Take the mix of technologies above, add more sensors, smart machines, and enhanced connectivity, and you have the makings of a next-generation production facility with optimized assets and optimized operations. The question is, what to do about legacy machines and systems? Can you just add the necessary technology?
Smart Products and Services. Manufacturers of things - factory machines and equipment, consumer appliances, heavy industrial machines, HVAC systems, and all manner of things can now add intelligence and connectivity to their products. It takes a little more to plan for - and provide - new services to let you and your customers take advantage of the new capabilities.
Additive Manufacturing. Wow, has this come a long way in a short time. Looks like the sky's the limit for production applications.
Autonomous Vehicles. No, not self-driving cars or trucks. Autonomous inventory movers can navigate independently throughout the manufacturing plant, delivering components where needed and on time.
That's my top-of-mind list for today. Industrial companies are no longer sitting on their hands thinking the status quo is just fine. They are actively looking to embrace change in order to improve performance in a various organizations and processes. It's almost as if they think their business depends on it…
Have I missed any big topics? Let me know!
Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning is near the top of everyone's wish list. Early applications in asset uptime and reliability are being joined by operations improvement applications. Huge opportunities here for suppliers or service providers that can hand-hold industrial companies and help them apply the technologies to improve their business performance.
Platforms, Platforms, Platforms. This is a very popular topic, and possibly the source of the most confusion. When an analytics platform can be a collection of services residing on a cloud application platform-as-a-service that is deployed on a cloud infrastructure-as-a-service compute/storage platform and connected to a device management platform that is fed by a plant data platform as well as a business platform, the term 'platform' certainly is strained! An ARC report later this week will help bring some much-needed clarity.
Cybersecurity remains a top concern for digitalization. The Industrial Internet Consortium's new IISF security framework tackles the problem in a comprehensive, detailed manner. We recently blogged about it, but I suggest you begin to familiarize yourself with it. You can download the 173 page document here.
Edge computing. In the Industrial space, platforms are important, but connectivity, management and processing at the edge - in the plant or at the device - is vital.
Customer Embrace. In some cases, an industrial company transforms an existing business process by providing a new service to customers - possibly one they didn't know they needed. It may be as complex an undertaking as offering a product-as-a service, but it could be much simpler. It may also involve third parties from elsewhere in the ecosystem.
Innovation and Disruption. See Customer Embrace. Digitization and technology innovations can lead to substantial changes in operations, but arguably the most important innovations directly impact the customer. This is often where digitization pays off, but it may require top-to bottom technology upgrades to succeed.
Augmented and Mixed Reality. Yes, it's back. The technology is rapidly advancing to the point where it's more than a trade show gimmick or a training device. Is 2017 the breakout year for real plant-level or field applications of the technology? We'll soon see…
Smart Factories/Plants. Take the mix of technologies above, add more sensors, smart machines, and enhanced connectivity, and you have the makings of a next-generation production facility with optimized assets and optimized operations. The question is, what to do about legacy machines and systems? Can you just add the necessary technology?
Smart Products and Services. Manufacturers of things - factory machines and equipment, consumer appliances, heavy industrial machines, HVAC systems, and all manner of things can now add intelligence and connectivity to their products. It takes a little more to plan for - and provide - new services to let you and your customers take advantage of the new capabilities.
Additive Manufacturing. Wow, has this come a long way in a short time. Looks like the sky's the limit for production applications.
Autonomous Vehicles. No, not self-driving cars or trucks. Autonomous inventory movers can navigate independently throughout the manufacturing plant, delivering components where needed and on time.
That's my top-of-mind list for today. Industrial companies are no longer sitting on their hands thinking the status quo is just fine. They are actively looking to embrace change in order to improve performance in a various organizations and processes. It's almost as if they think their business depends on it…
Have I missed any big topics? Let me know!