The buzz: “If the events of the past few months have been any indication, manufacturers will need to get comfortable operating in an environment of constant uncertainty and change…to monitor these changes and determine the implications for their business strategy and their relationships with their suppliers and customers.” [www.bdo.com/insights/industries/manufacturing-distribution/what-the-post-covid-19-world-could-look-like-for-m]

How can manufacturers manage this “new normal”?

They need to ensure research and design efforts are customer-centric and can be brought to market quickly. Industrial equipment and products need to support new as-a-service business models that impact the design process and collaboration across the value chain. And they must continue to design and deliver custom-tailored products and solutions that customers want and need. Hint: Industry 4.0 capabilities can help with these challenges.

We’ll ask Joe Bohman at Siemens, and Bernard Meyer and Richard Howells at SAP how the design process is evolving and the importance of having intelligent solutions to streamline and integrate product and solution design, on How Manufacturers Build The Next Generation Products and Solutions.