The 7 Components of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

What does digital transformation mean for manufacturers? Here’s how digital tools and technologies can improve everyday processes from the factory floor to the C-suite.

Digital transformation, i.e. the integration of digital tools and technologies into business operations, is a top priority for many enterprises globally. Manufacturers are no exception — but they must understand the opportunities and challenges associated with digital transformation.

If manufacturers understand all aspects of digital transformation, they can quickly and effectively implement digital tools and technologies into their operations. They can also enjoy the benefits of their digital transformation initiatives now and in the future.

How should manufacturers approach digital transformation?

A manufacturer wants digital transformation to deliver immediate and long-lasting results. But, to achieve its goal, it needs employees across all levels to embrace digital transformation initiatives. This can be challenging, as workers may be required to learn new skills and processes to leverage digital tools and technologies.

With a top-down approach to digital transformation, a manufacturer will be well-equipped to educate its personnel about digital tools and technologies and their benefits. Business leaders can embrace digital transformation and show workers how to use these new tools and technologies. Over time, the digital procedures that come with them will transform a manufacturer’s processes as well as its culture.

Successful digital transformation requires continuous testing, too. These initiatives won’t necessarily deliver immediate results, but manufacturers must stay the course. In doing so, manufacturers can identify the right digital tools and technologies to accommodate their operations. They can also get the most value out of their digital transformation initiatives.

7 Key components of digital transformation

To maximize the value of digital transformation, a manufacturer must understand its essential components. These are:

1. Leadership

Business leaders must become digital transformation experts who can foster a culture built on digital tools and technologies. These leaders can show employees the benefits of using new techniques to enhance eCommerce, customer service, and more. They also possess a deep understanding of the global marketplace and how digital transformation can help move their enterprises to the next level.

2. Strategy

Driving digital transformation requires planning, and business leaders must create a strategy that accounts for their enterprise goals and lays out the steps needed to achieve them. It often helps to consider your goals for a digital transformation, then work backward to determine the steps necessary to accomplish them. That way, business leaders can find digital tools and technologies that deliver meaningful results.

3. Information governance

Digital transformation empowers manufacturers to collect massive amounts of data and use it to gain insights into their everyday operations and the competitive landscape. To manage, analyze, and optimize the value of data, manufacturers must implement an information governance plan that accounts for a wide range of data. Manufacturers must also consider how they can safely and easily store and manage data in the cloud.

4. Customer experience

Digital tools and technologies can provide manufacturers with unprecedented customer insights. If manufacturers can leverage these insights, they can find new ways to support their customers. As a result, manufacturers can use digital transformation to improve customer service and ensure their clients receive exceptional support.

5. Technology roadmap

Digital transformation is not a one-time initiative. Manufacturers who want to change must use digital tools and technologies to continuously enhance their operations. A technology roadmap can help a manufacturer keep pace with evolving digital tools and technologies. The roadmap enables them to establish strategic priorities and determine if certain tools support them.

6. Automation

Digital tools and technologies can help manufacturers automate myriad processes. It may seem costly and time-intensive to replace tried-and-true processes with new ones built on digital tools and technologies but doing so can deliver significant benefits. In fact, manufacturers can use digital transformation to automate processes and help employees work faster and more effectively than ever before.

7. Innovative tools and technologies

State-of-the-art tools and technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning allow manufacturers to use analytics to assess their operations and the global marketplace. Manufacturers can also leverage big data, which lets them access and analyze large collections of data to make fast, informed decisions. By using these digital tools and technologies, manufacturers can identify innovative ways to stand out from the competition, meet customer expectations, and grow their revenues.

How enosix powers digital transformation

Manufacturers are increasingly prioritizing digital transformation, but building and executing a digital transformation strategy is rarely simple.

At enosix, we understand the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation, and we are here to help manufacturers and other businesses realize the full potential of the digital tools and technologies they have available. Our platform makes it easy for manufacturers to move past inflexible CRM and ERP systems. We offer seamless integration between SAP and your front-end system, so customer-facing employees can deliver outstanding customer experiences going forward.

Also, we provide enosix Connect, so you can integrate your on-premise ERP system and cloud-based applications via pre-built API calls and ABAP objects. We offer more than 300 pre-built API calls and 90 advanced ABAP objects to provide convenient access to commonly used business objects and transactions, too.

If you are ready to digitally transform your business, we encourage you to check out our products. To see them in action, request a demo today, call 844-436-6749, or visit our contact page to send us a question.