Digital Transformation is happening across the manufacturing ecosystem and large OEMs are demanding that their supply chain must adapt to become digital ready – or lose the opportunity to remain a supplier. Paul Lavoie, Chief Manufacturing Officer for the State of Connecticut will explain how Connecticut is leading the way on the supply chain adoption of digital technologies, especially model-based definition, to ensure the CT manufacturing industry maintains relevance and gains a competitive advantage.

Hyper-automation, hyper-connectivity, and hyper-personalization will be receiving a lot of hype from manufacturing leaders and industry experts in 2023 - and rightfully so. But what do these terms mean and what benefits will they bring manufacturers? Hyper-automation takes over human-run tasks and makes operations more transparent. Hyper-connectivity equips manufacturers to react with greater speed and better coordination to developments inside and outside the organization. And when you hyper-personalize, you create exceptional experiences that constantly take into consideration the roles, needs, backgrounds, and preferences of your customers.

The manufacturing industry is poised for a transformation in 2023, as it faces the challenge of a talent shortage. However, the good news is that this obstacle is not insurmountable. According to Gartner’s recent Emerging Risks Monitor Report, 78% of manufacturers have already started taking action to address the talent shortage. Companies that invest in training and development programs for their employees are more likely to retain their top talent. Using modern recruitment techniques like social media and artificial intelligence can help companies find and attract qualified candidates. By utilizing these strategies and collaborating with industry partners and educational institutions, the manufacturing industry can overcome the talent shortage and build a bright future for years to come.

Manufacturers are committed to strengthening operations and maintaining a healthy planet at the same time. More than ever, leaders are looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions. The fast-evolving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) landscape may require close monitoring in 2023 for manufacturers. Many organizations voluntarily comply with a complex network of reporting regulations, ratings, and disclosure frameworks. But regulators globally are also moving toward requiring more disclosures for nonfinancial metrics. Manufacturers are progressing toward their ESG commitments by making operational changes across their value chains.

The initial worldwide supply chain disruption of 2020 has continued to make waves in the subsequent years, driving home just how precarious the normal status quo has been for nearly every facility and business. So, it is unsurprising that in 2023, the supply chain will continue to hold a prominent position as an area for continuous monitoring, management, and improvement, with facilities seeking creative ways to add flexibility and reliability while also retaining value.

Creating a sustainable value chain is crucial for businesses to address environmental and social challenges and meet the expectations of customers, investors, and regulators while driving long-term profitability. Despite the apparent benefits of deploying a sustainable business model, beginning an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) journey to sustainable manufacturing can be extremely challenging. We must overcome challenges of understanding, resources, data availability, complexity and fragmentation to embed a new model into our end-to-end operations that ensures long-term success and contributes to a better world for future generations. Rasheed Mohamad, EVP, Global Operations, Business Technology and Quality at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, shares his view on this fascinating subject

How ready are you for I4.0? Thanks to ChatGPT there is lot of hope and hype for AI. What does AI mean to manufacturing? What does it mean to you and your organization as leaders?

The threat from bad actors is real, and strong cybersecurity has become critical to manufacturing operations up and down the supply chain. Manufacturers have to be on the lookout for hackers targeting critical infrastructure and supply chains, causing disruptions in production and putting the safety of employees at risk. The stakes are high, and the consequences of a successful cyber-attack on a manufacturing facility can be devastating. However, with the right measures in place, leaders can defend against these threats and secure their operations for the future. The time to act is now - let's work together to ensure a secure and resilient future for manufacturing.

Enhanced computing power at the edge has created new possibilities for real-time intelligence and AI application. By applying intelligent, secure-edge technologies like Johnson Controls OpenBlue Bridge, companies can have more real-time visibility into fault detection, energy management and sustainability while reducing their cloud consumption costs.