SmarterChains / Factory of the Future
The 5 Imperatives Manufacturing Leaders Must Embrace in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence is changing how manufacturers see, measure, and manage performance. Every factory now sits at the intersection of data, decisions, and disruption. Yet as Vineet Khanna, former Global Head of Supply Chain at Nestlé, explained during The Future of Manufacturing: Scaling Operational Excellence for Growth, Productivity, and Profit — the opening session of the Advisors Value Creation Series — the technology itself is not the revolution. The real transformation lies in how leaders think....
SmarterChains
SmarterChains Welcomes Supply Chain Veteran Michael Corbo to Strategic Advisory Board
SmarterChains, a leading smart manufacturing transformation platform, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael “Mike” Corbo to its Strategic Advisory Board. Corbo brings over four decades of global supply chain leadership, most recently serving as Chief Supply Chain Officer at Colgate-Palmolive, where he guided complex international logistics and operations with precision and foresight....
SmarterChains / Media
SmarterChains Appoints Scott DeGroot to Strategic Advisory Board
SmarterChains, a global leader in smart manufacturing transformation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott DeGroot to its Strategic Advisory Board. With nearly four decades of leadership at Kimberly-Clark Corporation culminating in his role as Vice President of Global Distribution & Planning, DeGroot brings profound supply chain expertise and executional strength to SmarterChains....
SmarterChains / Factory of the Future
SmarterChains Appoints Finance & Transformation Leader Heidrun Wechter-Essig to Strategic Advisory Board
With over 30 years of international leadership in finance, operations, and transformation in Fortune 25 companies & private equity–backed businesses, Wechter-Essig brings a rare blend of strategic and practical supply chain expertise. She is valued for her ability to combine financial rigor, operational depth, and digital transformation expertise, when partnering with supply chain leaders....
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....
Bad Data in Manufacturing: The Cost and the Solution
Only a handful of manufacturing companies are equipped to handle this new volume of manufacturing data. Thus, data integrity must become a top priority for every manufacturer....
Reflections on IoT Connected Products
If you think that the internet has changed your life, think again. The Internet of Things is about to change it all over again!...
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 : 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....
Industrial Handheld Devices: Top 8 Solutions
A list of 8 companies that build Handheld Devices for Industrial use: Zebra, abas ERP, Alien Technology, Omron Microscan, Casio Computers, Sonim, Tasklet Factory and Ubimax....
Automated Load Carriers: 6 Companies that carve the way for the Industry 4.0 Plant
Top solutions for Driverless and Automated Guided Vehicles in the factory....
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....
