Vasilis Karamalegos / Manufacturing Leadership
Value-Driven Transformation: The New Operating System for Industrial Excellence
In a world shaped by constant change, transformation is no longer optional—it's existential. Every organization is chasing the holy grail of resilience and agility through Operational Excellence programs, Digital Transformation initiatives, and, most recently, AI-led innovation. But there’s a silent truth lurking behind most of these efforts: without a sharp focus on value, transformation is destined to fall short....
Gustavo Ghory / Smart Manufacturing Leaders
Leadership in Manufacturing: Building High-Performing Teams for the Digital Era
At the core of operational excellence lies strong, capable teams empowered to adapt, solve, and lead. And in this new era, leadership in manufacturing is less about overseeing tasks—and more about enabling people to thrive in an increasingly digital ecosystem....
SmarterChains / Smart Manufacturing Leaders
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....
SmarterChains / Smart Manufacturing Leaders
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....
4 Key Strategies to Address the Talent Crisis in Manufacturing and Drive Industry Growth
The manufacturing industry is at a critical crossroads. As we face an ongoing talent crisis in manufacturing, the need for skilled workers has never been more urgent. With technological advancements rapidly transforming the sector, manufacturers are struggling to find the right talent to meet the demands of a new, digital-driven landscape. However, this crisis presents an exciting opportunity to reshape how we attract top talent and highlight the pivotal role manufacturing plays in the global economy....
Why Change Management is the Key to Successful Technology Adoption in Manufacturing
In the fast-evolving landscape of manufacturing, companies are increasingly looking to integrate digital technologies to stay competitive. However, despite the massive investments in technology, many organizations continue to face challenges when it comes to successfully adopting new systems. Research suggests that more than 80% of failures in technology adoption in manufacturing can be attributed to one critical factor: the human element....
Why Does Manufacturing Lag in Technology Adoption? Building the Factory of the Future with Value Creation
The limited evolution in the practical application of data collected from new technologies in manufacturing operations is a significant challenge. Manufacturers often forget or neglect the "why" behind their decision to adopt new technology in the first place. Although technology adoption in manufacturing can seem like a viable path toward competitive advantage, it is often value creation in manufacturing that determines a project’s sustainable success....
Beyond Consistency: How Operational Excellence Unlocks Competitive Advantage in Manufacturing
In today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, operational excellence remains a cornerstone of success. But achieving consistency alone is no longer enough to stay ahead. To gain a true competitive advantage, companies must go beyond the fundamentals of operational excellence and embrace innovation, value creation, and adaptability....
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....
IIOT Analytics Platforms: 10 Services Measuring the Performance of the Internet of Things
The second step when building a Factory of the Future demands the monitoring of all the assets as well as deriving meaningful and actionable analytics from their performance in real-time....
Industrial Remote AR Assistance: 8 top solutions
Learn more about the 8 most trusted solutions for Industrial Remote AR assistance in the Manufacturing Sector....
MES : 8 Solutions for Optimal Factory Automation
A list of Manufacturing Execution Systems solutions by Omega Gruppo, Epicor, Atachi Systems, ONG Automation, Avanceon, Wonderware, Lighthouse Systems, Maval....
Machine Vision: 8 Companies that enable Industrial Robots to see
A list of companies that build Machine Vision solutions: Aquifi, LMI Technologies, Prophesee, 3D Infotech, VAIA Technologies, Stemmer Imaging and Industrial Vision....
The Manager’s Guide to Financing Industry 4.0 Projects
The “what” of financing determines the “how” of financing There are four digital investment types: Pure business initiatives, foundational investments, trial investments, and big bets....
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....
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....
