The future of digital transformation is happening now, and it is driving the future of all industries. This article highlights just about everything you need to know about the impacts and trends involving digital transformation.

No matter where your company resides on its digital journey – or even if you have yet to start with digital transformation, this article is just for you.

What is Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation refers to the concept of applying innovative uses of digital technology to solve traditional business problems.

For example, in a narrower sense digital transformation might refer to a simple concept such as ‘going paperless’. Yet, on a larger scale, it might refer to ‘achieving digital business maturity’.

Digital solutions not only enable organizations to achieve new levels of efficiency through automation, but they also open doors for creativity and innovation (rather than simply enhancing and supporting traditional methods).

Although applying the use of digital technology to solve traditional problems can offer numerous business advantages, many organizations have yet to begin the journey with digital transformation.

Digital Innovation: Where to Start?

With numerous applications, methods, and strategies, it can be difficult to know where to even start with digital transformation!

If this is the case with your organization, – don’t worry, you’re not alone.

According to a research study performed by Accenture and the World Economic Forum, 80% of executives stated they were completely convinced ‘digital’ advancements would fundamentally change and transform their industry within the next 5 years!

That’s right. Eighty percent! … And they’re not wrong at all!

In fact, digital technology has not only already begun to transform industries, but it has also started to transform the way the world experiences products. Despite the ability to recognize the effects that digital processes will bring, only 17% of the studied executives stated they had a strategy in place to address the challenge of digital transformation.

This left a shocking 87% to admit they had no current digital strategy in place whatsoever! This is exactly why, if you have not yet started your digital transformation journey, it’s important to realize A) It’s not too late and B) You are not alone. There is no better time to start than now!

Organizations are realizing the significant impacts that the digital transformation era brings and how it’s going to drastically change just about everything when it comes to the way we do business.

The Impact of Digital Transformation

The process of digital transformation is creating entirely new ways of doing business. It has begun to create new experiences for customers while adding entirely redefined value propositions for mature product segments.

This era of digital transformation has started to impact and define what products are and what they mean to businesses and consumers.

Product perceptions are changing

Digital trends have also started to influence purchase decisions and sales processes. As the digital world has advanced, the average consumer is making purchase decisions with a Product as a Service (PaaS) mindset.

This means the rise of digital transformation has driven consumers to be sold by the outcome of the product – the recurring value. Manufacturers can address this shift in the market demand archetype by embracing three technology categories – Internet of Things (IoT), analytics, and mobile.

The future and advancement of technology is happening now

Established power plays and industry lines are beginning to blur. You cannot wait until some time in the near future to start your digital journey.

If your organization is going to succeed going forward, you won’t want to be left behind in this new industrial revolution, or you will fail.

Whether or not you’ve noticed if your industry has been affected yet, the key message is the effect of these disruptive technologies doesn’t discriminate one sector or industry. Every industry will see a major impact due to these digital technology advancements… And it is happening right now.

‘Business as usual’ is no longer an option. Organizations must adapt in order to survive.

The future of Digital Transformation: Smart, Connected Products

Digital transformation is reinventing products. Products from cars, to jet engines, to pumps, to heavy equipment, to medication, and more!

Machines, assets, and devices are starting to communicate, learn, and react to newly accessible context as they exchange and leverage data from sensors.

We are talking about the area of ‘living products’ – meaning transformative products that are responsive, collaborative, reactive, and responsible. Whether products are B2B or B2C, there will be a totally different process in the way we think about how our customers are using our products in the near future.

The future is now. Don’t let the opportunity slip away.

The first step in your digital transformation journey should be a strategic one. Understand where you are, where you want to be according to your current framework or understanding, and where you’d like to be as you embrace future technology and evolve with changing markets and new opportunities.

EAC Product Development Solutions would like to help you begin your transformation. We provide the people, technology, and services to make any transformation successful. The first step should be a Product Development System Assessment (PDSA). This will help you understand the opportunity that lies in front of you. Request more information on the PDSA today and start taking your digital transformation seriously.

Here’s why every manufacturing company should be considering product lifecycle management applications.

Expand PLM software usage throughout your enterprise with PLM apps

Let’s face it, no company uses a single product data management system (PDM) or a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system for ALL of its organization’s needs.

Your organization likely uses an abundance of different technology software to collect and store data. These technologies can include customer relationship management (CRM) systems, quality management system (QMS) software, enterprise relationship planning (ERP) systems, application lifecycle management (ALM) systems, and so many more.

If your organization currently uses a PLM system, odds are you most likely paid a pretty penny for it. So why not make the most of that product lifecycle system investment and use your system’s complete functionality?!

Product lifecycle applications support, enable, and enhance the value and footprint of PLM software. PLM Apps go a long away to assist and ensure consistent access to up-to-date product data. They can help expand controlled access to valuable content and give functional groups a single simplified view of files, data, and content all within a single browser-accessible screen.

You’re going to want to invest in these kinds of advanced technology solutions that simplify data gathering processes and expand the value of your PLM investment. PLM apps are meant to help you find data easier which reduces user frustration and helps take productivity to new levels within your organization.

PLM applications, also referred to as PLM system plugins, deliver on the dreams of many organizations. They are a simple solution that drastically increases enterprise PLM usage.

PLM apps integrate siloed data from disparate systems

With the use of multiple complex enterprise systems, your organization’s data is most likely held captive in siloed systems. Many PLM applications help connect these disjointed enterprise systems using common application programming interface (API) connection abilities.

PLM apps simply pull data from other enterprise systems into a new user-interface through API integrations. They don’t rely on interface features from other enterprise platforms or systems (besides the data and information they extract), therefore, they are less likely to be affected by a new release of the underlying enterprise systems!

PLM apps simplify searches for the occasional PLM software user

PLM apps change the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of your PLM system so that it’s easier to use. This can be useful for occasional or novice users who can feel overwhelmed by the complexity of their PLM system compared to those that use their PLM system on a daily basis.

PLM applications offer user-friendly interfaces that simplify the complexity of PLM systems and make it easier to search, find, locate, and understand product information. In fact, many of these tools even allow organizations to adjust settings for specific users (such as purchasing, marketing, accounting, etc.) so they can access the direct information they need.

PLM apps Many customers we work with use complex product lifecycle management systems such as PTC Windchill or Siemens Teamcenter. Due to the robust capabilities of these enterprise systems (and other PLM systems), many users find product data hard to navigate – especially if they aren’t daily users within these systems.

PLM apps speed up product development processes by providing users with complete access to real-time complex enterprise data.

Product lifecycle applications really do make PLM easier – see it for yourself by watching this short PLM applications video.

Customize PLM apps without disrupting your PLM software

PLM applications and system plugins offer simple and easy ways to customize enterprise product data systems. A PLM Administrator can customize the apps to conform to their company’s goals and prioritization of tasks without disrupting the PLM software itself.

Time after time, we see organizations add PLM customizations to their mainframe PLM software, only to wind up facing dozens of challenges as new system software versions get released. Because PLM apps are an extension of PLM software systems, they are minimally affected by upgraded software versions and updates (if at all).

PLM apps provide organizations with the ability to easily custom tailor simplified product lifecycle management interfaces or mashups. This functionality provides additional value and integration capabilities with other enterprise systems.

PLM Applications offer a brand-new UI for your intricate product data management system; enabling a fresh and simple user experience. They also have started to help organizations solve problems easier and faster with direct, accessible, and instantaneous insights from data.

Your systems are only as good as how you use them. If employees struggle to navigate your product lifecycle system interface, PLM apps are definitely something you should be looking into!

How PLM apps drive flexibility within your organization

PLM applications provide access to PLM information to employees outside of engineering such as marketing, sales, finances, and procurement.

Access to PLM system data provides another way for teams to identify the broad scale of their day to day activities and information. This can help teams understand and prioritize tasks to be more efficient and productive.

This flexibility allows teams to work the way they want. By enhancing a complex system and tailoring each end-user experience, it’s easy to see how these PLM system plug-ins can drastically improve productivity and drive value across an organization.

What is better than providing every department with product information that they want and need to do their job?!

Want to learn more about PLM Applications and how they could pair up with your current enterprise systems? Let’s have the conversation!

If you have Windchill, a PLM (product life cycle management system from PTC), odds are it’s where your organization stores a lot of really great product data and information. It also means there’s a high likelihood many employees in your organization need access to that valuable product information.

But what happens when people within your organization need to access valuable product information, but they aren’t necessarily veteran Windchill (or PLM system) users? What happens when your ‘casual Windchill users’ only want to quickly get to the information but simply don’t want to be “Windchill users”? 90% of the time this scenario involves your experienced Windchill users being disrupted by requests to pull product information.

Right at this point – exactly when people in your enterprise need access to information in systems they don’t use on a daily basis – is when you lose efficiency, productivity, and revenue. This cross-departmental disruption leads to wasted time, and wasted time leads to wasted money. PTC realized these challenges and created a solution to combat complicated enterprise system interfaces, varying user needs, and disparate enterprise data sources – It’s called ThingWorx Navigate.

To make Windchill PLM, or any PLM information more accessible and solve disruption challenges, PTC designed ThingWorx Navigate role-based applications (apps) that allow users to easily access and consolidate information from secure systems like ERP, MRP, CRP, and PLM systems like Windchill. For instance, by using these applications, a tool designer could call up drawings without having to go through the whole interface of Windchill. The applications pull up windows to look directly into systems, without forcing a user login in and navigate complex product design or enterprise planning systems. 

For example, by using PTC’s ThingWorx solution, a tool designer could simply type in a drawing number he or she was looking for on the PTC ThingWorx Navigate application, and the drawing files would pop-up instantly on the screen. These simple product data navigation features also work with product information that purchasing, quality, or any other departments might need access.

PTC’s ThingWorx Navigate applications make it easy for anyone…ANYONE in an organization to obtain product information without having to be a Windchill system expert. One of the great things about these role-based applications is – depending on who you log in as – the apps can be set up to determine what type of information access someone has, as well as what types of product info an employee can access. 

For instance, someone on a shop floor could access ThingWorx Navigate applications, and with a simple click in a window would display all the information they need about a drawing. Or perhaps someone only needs to see bills of materials, they could do that in one location by accessing a ThingWorx Navigate application. Just like PTC Windchill, PTC Navigate is a web-based application. This means all an organization really needs is a web browser and a login and instantly anyone can start working.

ThingWorx Navigate applications are also completely customizable. This allows your organization to control exactly what displays on the search screens, as well as, how that information would be delivered to your users. In fact, PTC even created a Thingworx Navigate Productivity calculator to demonstrate how much money enterprise collaboration can save a business. It even lets you estimate your exact company’s potential annual productivity savings!

Bottom line, there really are a lot of great benefits that come along with being able to easily deploy Windchill access throughout an enterprise in a unique and stress-free way. And remember, ThingWorx Navigate also integrates with other enterprise systems, not just Windchill.

But wait…there’s more!

You can make the user experience even better by implementing ThingWorx Navigate and extending functionality and configurability with EAC Productivity Apps. In case you are not familiar with us, our company (EAC Product Development Solutions) specializes in transforming the way companies design, manufacture, connect to and service their products.

One of the ways we do this is through implementing, maintaining, and helping customers with PTC Windchill product lifecycle management systems. Being the Windchill experts that we are, with extensive years of experience (over 23 years to be exact), we work with hundreds of organizations and their PLM systems. This is precisely how we know the need many manufacturing organizations have to extend enterprise system data and capabilities even further!

Working with our Windchill customers over the years, we recognized patterns of system requests and capabilities that just didn’t seem to be specifically addressed by existing solutions. We recognized and researched system challenges that many organizations tended to face with their PLM systems and realized the need to help organizations quickly deploy Windchill, increase user adoption, and capitalize on system functionality. After all, we live in a world obsessed with speed and efficiency. So, to quote the wisdom of Daft Punk, we needed to make complex PLM systems Better, Faster, and Stronger.

Furthermore, we realized valuable data our customers acquired from their other disparate enterprise systems never seemed to be tied together with product data from PLM systems. This was increasing our client’s risk of transferring obsolete inaccurate data. With that knowledge, we knew our solution needed to be able to connect multiple streams of data from different locations and enterprise systems, and even different databases.

All these reasons drove us to develop what we refer to as EAC Productivity Apps. They help organizations quickly advance and capitalize on Windchill PLM capabilities. Although EAC apps are different from Navigate applications in many ways, what I believe really sets them apart is how they use and leverage the concept of data mash-ups. Multiple sources of information brought together to simplify a role-specific workflow.

EAC productivity applications take product data and information from a variety of different systems and transform that data into an easily consumable visual dashboard for any user. Essentially, our apps create a way for organizations to easily connect data from multiple enterprise databases, bring it into one accessible location, and tailor it to the needs of a specific user. This allows any user to easily have all the information he or she could desire with a few simple clicks.

EAC apps also help users access product information, search for information, get bill of material reports, create and manage other related documents, and look at associated parts.

Data Visualization and system integration tools are shaping the future of business and I am going to explain exactly why. 

First, it is essential that you understand the impacts of technology and data today. 

The impacts of big data 

Humans collectively produce approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day and this number is only increasing with the acceleration of the Internet of Things (IoT). These already astonishing statistics are growing at an ever-increasing rate as our world becomes even more digitized and data-centric.

Due to this overwhelming growth, businesses have begun facing challenges with data capture, analysis, distribution, storage, and visualization. In fact, big data has started to become so large and so complex that businesses are even finding traditional data processing techniques to be inadequate. This is exactly why system integration and business intelligence software have become essential components for successful business data management strategies.

System integration and system integration tools

Enterprise application integration software combine components of sub-systems together into one centralized system. Essentially, system integration applications ensure all business systems function together as one.

For instance, integration applications (such as EAC Productivity Apps) connect existing systems and enable seamless data to flow from various systems into role-based dashboards or “mashups.” 

By using applications that integrate all of your business systems, your organization opens up a clear, efficient path, for information to travel from one application or system to another. The process of linking together different computing systems and software applications opens up an organization’s ability to easily collect, aggregate, and share data. 

Business intelligence

The trend towards business intelligence (BI) has driven many companies to evaluate technology-driven processes for analyzing data and presenting actionable information.

Common functions of business intelligence technologies include reporting, analytics, data mining, process mining, business performance management, benchmarking, predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics.

BI technologies can handle large amounts of structured and sometimes unstructured data to help identify, develop, and otherwise create new strategic business opportunities. They aim to allow for the easy interpretation of big data. Identifying new opportunities and implementing an effective strategy based on insights can provide businesses with a competitive market advantage and long-term stability

System integration, Bi, and data visualization

Tools and applications that integrate business systems incorporate oftentimes incorporate data visualizations, also known as data dashboards. 

Data visualizations deliver graphical representations of data or information, often in the form of a chart, diagram, picture, or any other visual illustration. Visual representations of data and information help humans understand the significance of data by transforming it into information placing it in a visual context.

Human visual processing is efficient in detecting changes and making comparisons between quantities, sizes, shapes, and variations in lightness. When properties of symbolic data are mapped to visual properties, humans can browse through large amounts of data efficiently.

If considering the way the human brain processes information, using charts or graphs to visualize large amounts of complex data is much easier than attempting to analyze multiple different spreadsheets or reports. By using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps, data visualization tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data.

The impacts of data visualization

Data visualization enables executives, managers, and other corporate end users, to easily digest huge amounts of data by displaying visuals.

These data visuals encourage decision makers to compare sizeable amounts of information while data is being revealed beneath several levels of detail. This encourages the natural eye to compare and contrast different pieces of data, that may have otherwise been lost within reports. 

System integration tools that collect data from internal and external systems and aggregate it into data dashboards, enable organizations to reason quantitative information.  This helps executives, managers, and other corporate end users to better understand trends, patterns, and possible correlations.  Data visualizations can also allow decision makers to make better business decisions.  

Visual data representations of information assist decision makers in the absorption of information in new and more constructive ways. They encourage a user to think about the substance of the data rather than the methodology. 

With the ability to manipulate and interact directly with data, organizations visualize relationships and pattern between operational and business activities. This allows them to identify and act on emerging trends faster, as well as, identify areas that need attention or improvement. 

By using system integration business intelligence tools and applications, organizations can collect data from internal and external systems, prepare it for analysis, develop and run queries against that data, and create reports, dashboards and data visualizations to make the analytical results available to corporate decision-makers, as well as operational workers.

Think data visualization and system integration could be what your organization needs?

We offer EAC Productivity Apps as enhanced guidance to your specific organizational goals around data management and a way to your amplify your Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) investment. These applications, or PLM plugins, deliver role-based product data to stakeholders throughout your organization. We can combine information from ERP, MRP, PLM, and QMS (as well as others) to securely deliver accurate product data to those who need it.

Already know that you want to start dabbling in the Internet of Things (IoT) but have no idea where to begin? According to ARM, The Internet of Things Business Index, “A lack of IoT skills and knowledge among employees and management is viewed as the biggest obstacle to using the IoT more extensively.” EAC Product Development Solutions is offering the perfect way for you and your team to get started – with a hands-on IoT workshop.

This workshop, called the IoT Strategy Development Workshop, is pretty much what it sounds like…and it’s not just another class that delivers ideas of how the future is supposed to look. You actually get your hands dirty and work with your team to develop alignment between business initiatives, strategic frameworks, and vision statements. The workshop is 2 days and involves 4 different sessions including IoT Experience and Excitement, IoT Basics, Strategy Development, and a “Shark Tank” IoT pitch to peers.

Below you will find a transcript of a Q & A with Brian Ignaczak, Director of Research and Development at NORMA Group. Read about his team’s experience with EAC’s IoT Strategy Development Workshop. Contact us if you think this hands-on workshop would benefit you and your team.

Download the NORMA Group Q & A in a pdf file here.

NORMA Group develops AN IoT Strategy

Q: How did EAC’s IoT Strategy Development Workshop help you better understand IoT and how a smart connected product strategy could impact your business?

A: “The EAC IoT strategy development session showed us how we could add value through the use of data… it focused on the value-added business opportunity and helped us get over looking at just the gadget side of IoT.”

“I think the biggest takeaway we had from the EAC development session is that we were able to develop an IoT mission statement that aligned with our business initiatives. It brought together a number of stakeholders to put together an IoT plan that fit our organization. That has probably been the most durable product from our strategy session.”

Q: When did you realize the IoT could create more value for you and your customers?

A: “The EAC strategy development session helped us realize that IoT could be a big area of development for us. We want to be a technology leader. It fits with what we do. We want to stay on the cutting edge of technology and make sure that we don’t miss out on any revolution with respect to potential capabilities that we can add to our products. The session with EAC showed us many ways this could be possible.”

Q: In what ways did EAC’s strategy team help guide you to find your value drivers?

A: “EAC’s strategy team helped guide us to find our IoT value drivers through templates they had us work through. As we worked through the templates, we were able to see an underlining IoT strategy that suited our organization. These strategy templates forced us to fill in what we were really trying to accomplish with IoT.”

Q: How did your team define and prioritize potential smart connected product ideas?

A: “EAC helped us determine where exactly we were headed with IoT. We were able to thoroughly evaluate if we were trying to open up new markets or try and better serve our existing markets.”

“Looking at smart connected product ideas that our organization could pursue, we decided to focus on opportunities within our existing markets.”

“EAC helped us identify two main areas that smart connected products could fit our business model. The first had to do with addressing customer pain points through the creation of digital products. The second had to do with upcoming changes to the market that were coming via regulations. Their team really showed us smart connected products that could work as solutions for our organization.”

Q: What has been the biggest benefit of having a customized IoT plan to fit your company’s strategy?

A: “From EAC’s strategy development session we were able to determine an IoT framework that we now can discuss. It made our endpoint more concrete. We realized things we weren’t going to do versus things that were possible for us to do. They helped us identify how the revenue streams would flow based off of that.”

“EAC helped our company by setting a realistic IoT vision we are able to work towards.”

Q: What impact did EAC’s IoT processes have on your own strategy building sessions going forward?

A: “EAC helped us realize the importance of basing our IoT initiatives on our mission statement. The impacts of these processes remind us to continuously review that we are headed in the right direction.”

“The strategy sessions EAC held gave our company an anchoring point with IoT. Now, as new opportunities come up, we use the methodologies we were shown to develop products that will meet our vision.”

Q: Describe how EAC’s hands on connected product experiences provided a relatable IoT experience for you.

A: “EAC’s hands-on connected product experiences opened our eyes to the vast amount of data that can be produced. It made us realize how quickly data can be processed in real time. It showed us the vast quantity, the amount of processing power that is available, and how it could all be used to produce something of value.”

“Seeing live data stream on the computer screen and realizing how quickly that is communicated was pretty eye-opening.”

Q: How did the IoT Concepts presentation help frame a basic understanding of your current state and future opportunity that IoT provides?

A: “The IoT concepts presentation helped frame a basic understanding of our current state and future opportunity. It goes beyond technology and starts explaining how others have started to transform their business. The case studies really helped us to understand how some of our peers in the industry have begun to adapt to the changing technology and transform their business.”

Q: During the strategy development session, how did EAC help you realize the alignment between your business strategy framework and business statement?

A: “During the strategy development session, EAC had us break up into groups. We all developed plans and pitches based on an IoT implementation. From there, each group presented their idea to the wider audience. It was really interesting to see how different teams approached the opportunity. After the presentations, we had an open discussion as to what the pros and cons were of the different scenarios that were presented. We are currently moving forward with the winning concepts of those strategic plans.”

Q: Do you feel that EAC had the proper techniques, strategies, and knowledge behind IoT to help implement these new strategic initiatives?

A: “EAC absolutely had the proper techniques, strategies, and knowledge behind IoT to help implement our new strategic initiatives. They have been a very valuable partner for us throughout the process. They are the reason why we have been able to start moving forward with our development. We have made a lot of progress since then.”

Q: What might you say to other companies considering a strategy development session with the EAC specialists to develop or implement an IoT plan?

A: “I feel that EAC’s processes are a great way to jump-start IoT strategy development. Having an outside voice is a very important aspect of that. They come in with a different point of view and it really helped bring together the different viewpoints from our stakeholders and teams.”

“EAC’s processes definitely helped us push forward. (EAC) has been a really good partner in furthering what we’re trying to accomplish. For us, getting beyond just the technology side and really trying to build IoT into a business plan is one of the things that they have emphasized. They helped explore the best possibilities for us.”

“We have been more than happy with the engagement of EAC. We feel that they have a tactical view of how projects move forward. With IoT, there is a lot of uncertainty and there are many companies that don’t deal well with that. EAC helped guide us to explore and embrace the uncertainty of the emerging market.”

Is EAC’s IoT Strategy Development Workshop right for me?

Unpack the digital revolution within your company by developing an IoT strategy within your organization. NORMA Group found value in taking this 2-day hands-on workshop. Contact us to start your own IoT journey.

Download the NORMA Group Q & A in a pdf file here.