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....
Introducing Manufacturing Value Intelligence: A New Category for Industrial Value Creation
In an era marked by volatility, inflation, and mounting operational complexity, global manufacturers are being asked one urgent question by their boards and investors: "Where are we losing value—and what should we fix first?"...
You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See: The CFO’s Case for Enterprise-Level Loss Visibility
Many finance leaders are flying blind regarding operational losses. Despite decades of investment in Lean, Six Sigma, MES, and ERP systems, the enterprise still lacks one critical thing: a standardized, scalable, financially actionable view of loss across its factory network....
Rethinking Manufacturing Strategy: From Old-School Presentations to Team-Driven Transformation
When strategy is treated as a slick, top-down exercise—think a static consulting report that leadership loves but frontline teams barely buy into—it typically ends up gathering dust. This disconnect isn’t due to a lack of good intentions; it stems from the fact that those who execute the strategy rarely own it. They see page after page of metrics and proposals that “look great on paper” but don’t match their daily reality. In contrast, truly impactful organizational change begins by letting people shape the very targets and solutions they are accountable for delivering....
How Manufacturing Leaders Can Create a Thriving Workplace with Trust, Clarity, and Learning
In manufacturing, where precision, collaboration, and efficiency are critical, effective leadership is the foundation of success. The demands of the industry are unique, with teams operating under tight deadlines, managing complex systems, and navigating ever-evolving technologies. Leadership in manufacturing requires more than technical expertise; it demands the ability to empower teams, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and balance productivity with engagement....
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....
6 top solutions for Semi Automatic Case Erecting and Sealing Systems
Review of 6 companies innovating in the Case Erecting and Sealing sector....
Robotic Goods to Person: Top 7 Companies right now in Warehouse Automation
A list of companies innovating Warehouse Automation with Robotic Goods to Person. It includes solutions by Viastore Systems, Invata, Dematic, OPEX Corporation, TGW, UNEX and Eiratech....
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....
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....
