Industrial Transformation Blog

Digital Transformation of industrial operations is in full swing. Our most recent survey data shows that 45% of industrial enterprises globally are executing an Industrial Transformation (IX) program, up significantly over the past three years. Don’t be fooled into thinking there’s a “magic formula” for IX; the “right” path for every company is the one that will reshape how the organization does business, the offerings it can deliver, how it goes about competing in the marketplace, or some combination of these. To that end, companies are incorporating many flavors of digital tech in their IX programs. Two-thirds have implemented or plan to implement Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. Other common ones are cloud-based application platforms, mobile apps, Big Data analytics, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR), process simulation, digital twins, and 3D printing, among many others.

We recently attended HxGN Live 2019, Hexagon’s annual digital solutions conference, in Las Vegas Nevada. Three thousand attendees were there to dive into nine different keynotes and over 500 sessions, many with hands-on training. The firm is a global leader in sensor, software, and autonomous solutions headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with 2018 revenue reaching €3,760.7 million (approximately $4.234 billion USD). Its business includes industrial enterprise solutions with €1.941 million in revenue serving the electronics, manufacturing, energy and power, automotive, and aerospace and defense segments. They are known in the manufacturing world for 3D design and simulation technologies (predominantly for process assets), positioning and location identification mapping capabilities, metrology equipment, and an array of other sensors. The event included a bevy of new product launches across every major division of Hexagon.

On Thursday, June 27, LNS Research hosted the webcast, “Enabling Transformation in Life Sciences: Delivering Near- and Long-Term Success with Quality 4.0.” The presentation examined strategies for life sciences organizations to reduce IX program risks and increase the speed of adoption.

2019 marks the third consecutive year LNS Research has attended and covered Gensuite’s annual customer conference. This year’s edition, BREAKTHROUGH: Gensuite Conference 2019, was held in Cincinnati May 5-7. The event spanned the environment, health, and safety (EHS) software vendor’s ecosystem of customers, partners, and Gensuite experts were on hand to convey how the company’s solutions enable breakthrough operational performance improvement across EHS, risk, security, sustainability, and quality among others.

As we study Industrial Transformation (IX) at the macro level, we seek leaders among industrial companies for further insights. We recently interviewed one of those leaders, ABB’s Chief Digital Officer, Guido Jouret, who reinforced our best practices findings from the recent IX survey.

Digital Transformation has become one of the most hyped terms in business today. Google it, and you’ll get over 27 million hits in less than a second. Every tech vendor seems to have a blog about how its products or services can help a business with its Digital Transformation journey. With so many resources available, why is achieving true transformation such a struggle? To understand what’s going on, let’s go back to the basics.

The LNS Research globetrotting team found itself in Hannover last week, excited to see what’s new in the world of Industrial Transformation (IX). The event was as full (or perhaps even busier) than the last two years, it was noticeable that the space for software companies was substantially larger, and the big guys had toned down the one-upmanship: gone were the enormous jet engines, tractors, and other boys’ toys. In their place were small booths demonstrating the latest solutions and lots of open space with tables and chairs for better interaction with show-goers and potential customers.

Hannover Messe continues to accelerate, and along with it the Industrial Transformation (IX) space. LNS Research received 46 executive briefings this year, more than any previous year. Yes, it’s an enormous show, but we’ve condensed it down to the five biggest trends you need to know.

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

Commitment matters, whether it is in a romantic comedy, real-life dating, or Industrial Transformation (IX). In a relationship, it is imperative that there is a “real commitment” for the relationship to progress and succeed. To make romance hard, romantic comedies and scuttlebutt tell us that determining if your partner is committed to the relationship can be difficult. Despite their pronouncements of love, “real commitment” can be elusive.