Challenges to optimize work in the Digital Age

In these times when change is the only certainty, the global industry is increasingly faced with a reality fraught with significant operational challenges. The digitization of processes, new tools and global hyperconnectivity, for example, are issues that are completely reshaping the way companies and factories operate, interact and are seen in today's world. In the face of this Digital Age, therefore, it seems clear that optimizing processes and systems to make operations more efficient, noweis and productive is no longer just a competitive advantage, but rather a matter of survival. 

Is important emphasize the urgency of these changes, as it is clear that most of these challenges have rapidly accelerated over the past decade, at a pace that many companies have failed to catch up to – falling behind in their industries for good. And nothing suggests that we are close to slowing the escalation of these transformations. Quite the opposite. 

The challenge lies in the fact that this constantly changing and much more connected world has demanded that the most diverse areas of the Industry walk (also quickly) towards an inevitable reinvention of their models. Companies are now feeling the pressure to improve time-to-market solutions, as well as deliver exceptional customer experiences, while working to apply and use automation, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Cloud Computing, among many other concepts, to offer unique experiences for your teams and consumers. 

Getting products to market faster, while maintaining the agility to react to changing consumer preferences or changing business worlds, is therefore no easy task. so much so that noIt is not uncommon to find companies whose sDisconnected business iles and workflows are causing great friction in product development, especially between engineering and manufacturing processes, impeding progress and slowing reaction times, while the rapid increase in product complexity quickly outweighs any incremental gains sought. through improvements in existing methods and infrastructure. 

To meet this challenge, manufacturers need to rethink product development and transform collaboration between engineering and manufacturing teams. It is necessary streamline this process from engineering to manufacturing. As an output, organizations are adopting solutions that enable real-time 3D integration and simulation. In these solutions, all teams are connected around a single, common product definition that is always up to date. 

Through the use of 3D technologies, it is possible to bring together all the teams involved in a company to create a more assertive operation plan, where each one can extract the maximum potential from their routines. In addition, these platforms digitally connect engineering and manufacturing in a common change process, which means the bill of materials and manufacturing definition are always up to date and accurate. 

to the addUsing what we call 3DEXPERIENCE as a development foundation, manufacturers maintain agility while moving faster from design to manufacturing to team collaboration – which drives innovation, reduces design errors and new product development time, and services (or factory plant operation). In some markets this is even more visible. In the Auto Industry, for example, it is estimated that the time reduction for the development of a new car can reach up to 80%, compared to traditional planning methods. Research also indicates that savings in relation to the use of raw materials can reach almost 30%, on average. 

For years, companies have survived with a separation between whetherus design and manufacturing departments, both for the organization and the tools they used. Now, with more competition and the widespread need to produce products faster, companies are looking to optimize their designs for more modern manufacturing workflows. The 3D model offers an integrated system that allows teams to work collaboratively and simultaneously.  

Providing all the tools in a single environment eliminates the time-consuming need to translate data between departments, which often results in errors and intelligence gaps. Designers and engineers can spend more time optimizing their designs, confident that their changes won't threaten delivery goals. As a result, companies can move from conceptual design to manufactured parts faster and easier than ever before. 

*Alejandro Chocolat, General Manager of Dassault Systèmes for Latin America 

Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies