In a special online expert panel discussion held on Wednesday 9th September, The Engineer – in partnership with with digital manufacturing software specialist aPriori – explored how digitalisation can help manufacturing organisations get back on their feet.
Earlier this summer The Engineer, in partnership with digital manufacturing software specialist aPriori, conducted an audience survey on the impact of COVID-19 on the UK’s industrial engineering base.
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In this free to view online panel discussion, experts from across industry consider the findings of this research and explore some of the ways in which engineering organisations both large and small, and from a range of different sectors are adapting to this new environment.
Through a combination of practical advice, expert insight, and best practice case studies, delegates will learn how digitalisation is helping engineering organisations overcome some of these practical challenges, enabling them to do more with less and helping them to sharpen their competitive edge.
Agenda
- How to future proof supply chains
- Accelerating your new product development
- Enabling collaboration in a digital world
- Driving digital transformation within an organisation
Panelists
- Stephanie Feraday – CEO, aPriori
- Dave McDermaid – Director, Business Consulting, aPriori
- Kristoffer Baker – Acting Manager, HVDC Valves Technology, GE Grid Solutions
- Richard Gould – Sales & Business Development Manager, MetLase
- Ian Risk – CTO, Centre for Modeling and Simulation (CFMS)
- Dieter Schaper – Consultant, KMCG
I think there are some major issues, as Covid-19, has demonstrated in Supply Chain concepts -as shown with their lack of resiliency and robustness (possibly due to the outsourcing loss of control – and, possibly more importantly, knowledge).
Supply chains also act as to oppose and restrict some important innovations (such as new manufacturing technology or multifunctionality).
It is true that modelling technologies can help pass on information between parts of the manufacturing chain and design – but there is a need to have understanding and appreciation of the knowledge required for this information (I remember talking to one manufacturing software colleague who bemoaned that a supply company was modelling an injection process with inappropriate software, and no idea of what the results might be, in order to satisfy their equally ignorant customer).
Sharing information (data) is important but is limited if there is no shared understanding of whence the data came from or what its meanings are – and the implications and opportunities that may arise; such requires collaborative working – which is substantially more than digital data exchange! It would be interesting to see how promotion of collaboration and the replacement of broken links might be addressed (new startups?)