SmarterChains / Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
Operational Excellence and Technology Adoption: A Unified Path for Manufacturers
Manufacturers today face unprecedented challenges: supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures, labor shortages, and rapid technological change. In the middle of this turbulence, leadership teams are often confronted with what feels like a difficult choice: Should we continue focusing on operational excellence in manufacturing, or should we shift resources to technology adoption in manufacturing?...
Vasilis Karamalegos / Industry 4.0
Harnessing the Power of Learning and Technology for Successful Industry 4.0 Implementation
Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution, is reshaping the business landscape with its advanced technologies and interconnected systems. To fully embrace the opportunities presented by Industry 4.0, organizations must develop an enterprise-wide strategy that integrates learning, aligns top-down and bottom-up approaches, focuses on value creation, and eliminates manufacturing losses. By connecting these key elements, organizations can unlock the true potential of Industry 4.0 and drive success in the digital age....
SmarterChains / Media
SmarterChains Adds Veteran Global Supply Chain Executive Sami Pascal Naffakh to Strategic Advisory Board
SmarterChains, a leading smart manufacturing transformation platform, today announced the appointment of Sami Pascal Naffakh to its Strategic Advisory Board. With over 30 years of global leadership in supply chain and operational excellence, most recently as Chief Supply Chain Officer at Reckitt, Naffakh brings deep domain expertise and a proven track record in transformational change....
SmarterChains / Factory of the Future
Rethinking the Smart Factory: Why Intelligence Beats Technology Every Time—And How SmarterChains Puts It on Rails
The manufacturing world has fallen in love with a seductive narrative: that a "smart factory" is simply a traditional factory stuffed with as much cutting‑edge technology as possible. Walk through any industrial trade show, and you'll be bombarded with promises of AI‑powered robots, IoT sensors on every surface, and digital twins that mirror reality in perfect detail. The message is clear—more technology equals more intelligence....
Tariff Turbulence: Hunting Down Invisible Inefficiencies to Protect Margins
In a flashback to 2018, the U.S. manufacturing sector is once again bracing for impact. Trump 2.0 is reintroducing sweeping tariffs—this time proposing a hike on imports from key trading partners, including China and Europe1. From automotive components to food ingredients, the proposed tariffs could affect more than $1 trillion in annual trade volume2....
Take OpEx to the Next Level: How SmarterChains’ Platform Bridges Process Improvement with Tangible ROI
Manufacturers worldwide rely on Operational Excellence (OpEx) frameworks like Integrated Work Systems (IWS), Lean, Six Sigma, and TPM to eliminate inefficiencies and drive continuous improvement. These methodologies have transformed production systems by enabling process standardization, empowering employees, and ensuring incremental improvements over time....
Operational Excellence First: The Hidden Prerequisite for Scalable Digital Transformation
Digital transformation has become a rallying cry in manufacturing boardrooms across the world. From predictive maintenance to AI-powered quality control, the promises of Industry 4.0 are both exciting and — at times — overwhelming. Vendors flood the market with smart tools, and leadership teams feel increasing pressure to modernize their operations....
From Chaos to Clarity: How Value Intelligence Unifies Manufacturing Improvement Programs
Across the manufacturing world, improvement is everywhere — but alignment is rare. Step inside any global manufacturing enterprise, and you’ll encounter an array of well-intentioned initiatives underway. A Lean team is focused on reducing waste and improving cycle times. A digital innovation team is testing AI-powered quality tools. ESG leaders are tracking emissions and launching energy-efficiency projects. Meanwhile, the finance function is pushing for tighter cost control and faster ROI....
The 7 Deadly Sins of Modern Manufacturing
Many companies have committed one (or more) of what could be described as the 7 deadly sins of modern manufacturing....
Manufacturing's Next Step: From CoE To Ecosystem of Excellence
A CoE is a business investment: A team that develops and shares best practices and orchestrates end-to-end transformation. In SmarterChains’ experience, however, it is only a stepping stone....
MES OEE: Top 4 solutions
A review of 4 leading MES OEE solutions from SepaSoft, Cantier, Guardus Solutions and Critical Manufacturing....
Forklift Sensory Systems: 5 top solutions
Forklift Sensory Systems for Advanced Material Handling, a list with solutions from Linde Material Handling, Global Industrial, LeddarTech, Pepperl+Fuchs and Flexco Industries....
Robotic Grippers: 5 Top Technologies
5 innovative technologies for Robotic Handling via Grippers by companies like Zimmer, Robot System Products, IPR (Intelligente Peripherien für Roboter), Empire Robotics and Schmalz....
5 Innovative Edge Computing Solutions
5 top Fog and Edge Computing solutions: ClearBlade’s IoT Edge Platform, Xaptum’s Edge Network Fabric, OSIsoft ‘s PI System,Nebbiolo’s Fog Computing Platform, and FogHorn’s Lightning....
Industry 4.0 Complexity and Uncertainty – Why Some Manufacturers Thrive
Why do some manufacturing companies gain more value from Industry 4.0 than others? Because they regard the adoption of Industry 4.0 as an overall strategic business objective....
Factory Culture of the Future: A sensible guide to Adhocracy
Imagine a synergistic organization, where silos are broken by common customer-centric objectives and a transparent flow of information....
Industry 4.0 in Consumer Packaged Goods Manufacturing
Industry 4.0, above all, is opening up new and exciting pathways for companies to level up their capabilities and performance but it is also accelerating the demise of companies that cannot successfully leverage these possibilities and adapt fast enough to the changing landscapes around them....
Embracing the possibilities of Industry 4.0 in the COVID-19 era
Clearly, the time to move, to get ahead of the curve, is now by preparing and defining your future capabilities for what is next and beyond. At SmarterChains, our three-stage approach – Prepare, Define, Execute – helps manufacturers embrace the possibilities of Industry 4.0....
Ten Factory of the Future Dimensions – Your way to Industry 4.0 transformation
At SmarterChains we call these areas the 10 Factory of the Future dimensions....
