Page 76 - MetalForming July 2017

ADVERTORIAL
Plex Systems
Are Your Operational Metrics
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The technology running your business should streamline processes and share
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your supply chain in
real time.
You want a sys-
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improves the time it takes you to respond to customer needs and market shifts, makes you more agile, and helps you be best-in-class.
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ADVERTORIAL
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Fig. 4
company performance, in terms of growth and profits. So, we’re not surprised to see a higher level of understanding and adoption at companies that have achieved worldclass status.
This is Millennial Territory
We also recognize that while deployment is about the company, understanding and perception of value is more about the individual. And this is where the second data cut proves quite revealing. I looked at levels of understanding based on the age of the survey participants, the vast majority of which fell into the categories of baby boomers (23 percent), gen Xers (53 percent) and millennials (23 percent). Not sur- prisingly, the level of understanding of these technologies is inversely proportional to age (Fig. 4). In terms of seeing the value of new technologies, baby boomers are definitely harder to convince.
As a baby boomer myself, I am skeptical of technology that can make us lazy. Smart refrigerators are the perfect example. Do we really need a mobile app to manage the inventory of our refrigerators?
The risk, however, that we face with such an attitude is overlooking some new technology that can make a signifi- cant, positive impact on our businesses. Likewise, early adopters of new technologies face the risk of investing too much for too little real value, while also becoming lazy.
The lesson for businesses: Educate yourself on the real value of these new technologies, but closely scrutinize the return on investment. MF
Millennial Understand Better
Additive Manufacturing (3D printing)
Smart Robots
Digital Twins
Drones
Beacons
Augmented Reality
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Predictive Analytics
Internet of Things
Natural Language (voice-based) user interface
Virtual personal assistants for employees
Virtual customer assistants (chatbots)
Blockchain (distributed ledgers)
0%
19%
17%
20%
68% 65%
47% 58%
50% 58%
34%
44%
57%
Gen X
Well Understood
Baby Boomer Well Understood
Millennial
60% Well Understood
70%
45%
52%
67%
72% 63%
28%
49%
68%
42%
54%
69%
54% 40%
64% 52%
67% 55%
52% 16%
82%
62%
70%
56%
79%
68%
38% 34%
37%
25% 50% 75% 100%
Source: Mint Jutras 2017 Enterprise Solution Study
S42 MetalForming/July 2017
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