Lily Snyder

In 2016, I wrote a white paper on Digital Transformation and manufacturing. I was working at Atos on manufacturing execution systems. Digital Transformation was all the rage but people weren’t quite sure what it was or how to implement it. Oh, how times have changed.

My old boss, mentor, and adviser, Mike Walton, was in an interview where he talked about how companies struggle with Digital Transformation. It’s a quick interview, only 13 minutes, but it was mind-blowing.

When people think about manufacturing, they may think about robots and everything being made in China. After listening to Walton’s interview, I understood how the USA can still lead in manufacturing.

Manufacturers who understand that they’re doing more than “just building stuff” are setting precedent for the future. Their customers are smarter, and they expect more from the companies they buy products from.

The “ah ha” moment that leads to Digital Transformation

“We’re losing to the competition and we need to understand how to better compete.”

Mike Walton

Manufacturers need to look at the experience (as opposed to IoT, AI, etc.) Traditional thinking is, “happy customers will return…they will have a higher degree of loyalty.”

Mike goes on to say, “now the way manufacturing is done, you’re buying an experience. You’re not just buying a product. The last thing I want to do is wait for a quote or wait for you to get back to me. Sellers want to give customers the answer quickly with the best price.”

Manufacturing companies engineer an experience for whatever product they make. Companies that don’t see it that way are behind the curve. They’re the target. New competitors in the market will take market share aware from manufacturers who don’t focus on the experience and price.

What is “the experience”?

Use artificial intelligence to empower the buyer’s experience and the seller’s motion.

Today Walton says, “buyers want you to come in and already have understood what they want to buy. They want to get a quote very rapidly”.

Manufacturing is more complex than ever. Time, experience, and requests from the market, combined with the optimal price point for the seller, make digital transformation a necessity. However, those who are able to tie it all together can drive growth to new heights.

Have you heard of Digital Transformation? What do you think about modern manufacturing? Let me know in the comments below!