From digital to sustainable transformation: ensuring the industry’s future viability

As explained in the previous post on resilience in industrial companies, unforeseen events can quickly throw businesses off course, making effective and forward-looking crisis management essential. Beyond the digitalisation of existing processes and IT security measures, forward-looking business strategies are key. Even if the current business model has worked well so far, companies must continually develop new ideas to remain fit for the future.

Materna also supports the industrial sector as a consultant and architect for data-driven and digital business models, processes and services. We help companies become more flexible and adaptable, utilising agile methods and working practices as well as creativity techniques. These methods help to evaluate areas requiring action and to develop various concepts for new products. Below you will find some effective approaches and options.

Shortening time-to-market with improved R&D processes and a Minimum Viable Product

In research and development, streamlined structures help to shorten development times. This involves conducting interviews with relevant stakeholders, including end customers, to identify current challenges and better incorporate ideas.

To introduce innovations quickly and cost-effectively, optimise processes and test new ideas, the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach – well-known from software development – has proven its worth. This initially focuses on the minimum requirements for a solution in order to develop a working version as quickly as possible. You can read more about the MVP in this article.

Simulating new models with digital twins

Another way to unlock potential and develop innovative and sustainable solutions is through the use of digital twins. This involves using artificial intelligence to create a virtual replica – a ‘twin’ – of a production plant based on real-time data. Every individual production step can be replicated identically, and alternative processes can be simulated using the virtual model. In this way, scenarios can be tested in relation to operations and the supply chain, enabling operational decisions to be made and new innovative solutions to be derived. And, of course, to become more sustainable. By monitoring production facilities and material flows, industrial companies can make their production more resource-efficient. Furthermore, by monitoring buildings and office spaces using IoT sensors, inefficiencies in temperature control, for example, can be identified and rectified. And last but not least, the data provides a valuable basis for CSR reporting, which companies will be required to undertake from 2023 onwards.

Read more about the key challenges facing the industrial sector:

Part 1: Customer loyalty in industrial companies
Part 2: Increasing
efficiency in industrial companies Part 3: Strengthening
resilience in industrial companies Part 4: Ensuring the future viability of the industrial sector