The supply chain organizations of today’s manufacturers are under constant pressure to find opportunities to drive efficiency, productivity and speed to market. They are simultaneously struggling with the proliferation of products spurred by competition, consumer preference, regulatory requirements, specific production facility capabilities, quality and commodity pricing volatility. Couple these pressures with the need for increasing supply chain flexibility to plan and source products across multiple geographies, facilities and lines and you end up with a communication and information challenge that does not lend itself to “speed”. This drive for flexibility and speed encounters a barrier at the human touch points in the process of transforming a formula or bill of material to an executable recipe.
Over the last couple of decades, much focus has been placed on creating standards for how products are “defined and documented” in information systems. In addition, the automation and control systems running manufacturing lines and plants have embraced more “open” technologies easing the ability to integrate them with more enterprise systems. The opportunity is now present to leverage the open and integrated technology frameworks (ISA-88, ISA-95, SOA, etc.) and digitally “connect” the worlds of product development with the worlds of manufacturing execution. This “digitization of the supply chain” creates an ability to quickly transfer the information needed to consistently manufacture products across an organization, opening up the real opportunity of a flexible and agile supply chain that meets customer and consumer demands. Companies that embrace these integration opportunities will improve their product lifecycle efficiency while gaining a distinct competitive advantage.
Date Published: May 2014
Authors:
- Erik Nistad, Mondelēz International
- Phil Morreale, Mondelēz International
- Tom Swift, Mondelēz International
- Don Strunk, Proctor and Gamble
- Chris Hemric, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
- Dennis Brandl, BR&L Consulting
- Mike Williams, The Dow Chemical Co.
- Chris Stevens, GlaxoSmithKline
- Terry Murphy, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Research & Development
- James Keynon, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Research & Development
- Greg Cantlon, Brock Solutions
- Tim McEntee, RoviSys
- Mette Toftgaard, GRUNDFOS Holding A/S
- Khris Kammer, Rockwell Automation