The #MondayMusings Industrial Transformation blog series provides insight and analysis for executives from the previous week’s briefings, events, and publications @LNSResearch.

Architecture, according to Merriam-Webster, is “the art or science of building” or “the manner in which the components of a computer or computer system are organized and integrated,” among other things. Operational is defined as “of, relating to, or based on operations” and “ready for or in condition to undertake a destined function.” LNS believes businesses are best served when they apply the technique of Operational Architecture, which taken literally from the previous definitions, is the organization of the systems and technology to perform the functions of business.

Quality 4.0 is the Digital Transformation of people and processes to drive quality improvement (read further here). We’ve been discussing Quality 4.0 with the market, and it’s clear that the statistics are correct. For every one quality leader that is actively working on Quality 4.0, there are 19 or so that are not.

As a longtime speaker and adult education instructor, one of the first lessons I learned about communicating with business people is that to educate them you must engage them, and the easiest way to do that is by entertaining them. Most of us would challenge the idea that prime-time network TV is educational; dominated by with reality competitions, whodunits, and comedy programs. So, you might be skeptical when I claim that Asset Performance Management (APM) professionals should treat a show like MacGyver as “educational TV.” Whether one harkens back to the original series from the late 1980’s or the rebooted version that started just last year (2016), MacGyver has become something of a legend in the TV world. 

Quality 4.0 leverages the critical technology changes of Industry 4.0 which enable quality to transform performance, culture, leadership, collaboration and compliance. The transformation will fuel innovation, particularly quality’s ability to contribute to the innovation cycle. LNS Research illustrates how innovation leaders look to quality as an innovation enabler.

In this monthly Roundup, LNS Research explores recent announcements and events, such as new solution announcements by Samsung and ATS Global; the Honeywell acquisition of Nextnine; an iBASEt/Cogiscan partnership; Sphera’s new partner program; and United Technologies Corp’s AS9110-C certification.

Where is your company’s strategic direction, and how well aligned are your actions and strategy to this direction? This might be the most important question you ask today because if you aren’t aligned or aren’t sure what your alignment is, it’s also likely that you suffer from low top management priority, cultural challenges, and insufficient funding.

The #MondayMusings Industrial Transformation blog series provides insight and analysis for executives from the previous week’s briefings, events, and publications @LNSResearch.

On Thursday, July 13, LNS Research hosted the webcast, “IIoT and Digital Transformation Investment: Proof Points Versus Hype and Promises.” The presentation examined Digital Transformation use cases, and LNS explained the IIoT entry points, approaches, and benefits of six industrial companies.

Quality 4.0 blends new technologies with traditional quality methods to arrive at new optimums in Operational Excellence, performance, and innovation. The new technologies include Machine Learning/artificial intelligence, connected devices and operations, new forms of collaboration like social media and blockchain, Big Data, Cloud computing, and new apps like AR/VR and mashups.