Digital transformation is one of the most urgent issues confronting manufacturers – it’s no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when and how?’

Right now, many companies are somewhere on the continuum of digital transformation, working to connect isolated systems and processes to support modern industrial technologies.

And while the need is great, especially with increasing global complexity and supply chain challenges, few companies can offer everything a manufacturer needs to realize a full digital transformation – including ways to bridge technical and cultural gaps between production and business systems.

Partner Ecosystems Accelerate Transition to Smart Manufacturing

The pain points are significant for companies attempting digital transformation as a solo activity. The simple truth is this: you will need different partners from a broad ecosystem to achieve your goals and to deliver value to your customers.

It’s those partners who will understand Information Technology (IT) structure and security, and most importantly bridge the gap between IT and Operations Technology (OT). They have the deep expertise to leverage technology – hardware and software – to solve an immediate problem and support systems moving forward.

Partnerships Help Manufacturers Achieve More

If you are navigating IT/OT convergence challenges, one way you can more quickly and seamlessly realize your digital transformation vision and goals – including improving security, reducing operational risk, and enhancing business integration, performance, and continuity – is to utilize the combined strengths of industry-leading companies.

Decide on a goal for of your strategic alliance, such as helping manufacturers become more agile, optimize production yield, and minimize risk.

This is important if you want to:

Stronger Together

When it’s time to pick your partner for your digital transformation, look first at companies who believe in what they can offer and who have chosen the strongest partners to fill the gaps. Then, use those partners to create the right blueprint to design and deploy the industrial network infrastructure you need.

This relationship is two best-of-breed companies coming together to create the full value for customers. SMC makes harnessing the power of your organization's big data to make smarter decisions easier than ever. Click below to learn more about the SMC Smart Manufacturing solution. 

Article Source: Rockwell Automation