7 Quick wins for an agile manufacturing future

whitePaper | September 10, 2022

From the very beginning, SmarterChain’s vision has been to democratize top-tier supply chain knowledge and expertise. Through the years, we have been fortunate to work with best-in-class organizations and academic institutions and understand the importance of easy and systemic access to practical, top-tier strategic advice. As a plan of action designed to achieve a longterm ambition, strategy is what makes or any type of organization from a company, a nation, or an individual. The word ‘strategy’ itself comes from the ancient Greek words for ‘army’ (‘stratos’) and ‘lead’ (‘egy’) – it means leading your army into battle. And, as such, strategy is about the leadership required to make big ambitions a reality. For centuries, the biggest, most influential organizations and companies have led with radical approaches that have shaped the way we do business, as well as how we teach business to future generations.

whitePaper | July 30, 2020

After the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly ground the world to a halt in the first few months of 2020, it created both new challenges for the manufacturing industry and exacerbated those that had existed for some time. According to an article by McKinsey & Company analysts,1 the future we expected by 2020 hasn’t quite come to pass. Rather than a significant shift towards more automation and a smaller workforce, the opposite is true, due in part to the pandemic.

whitePaper | June 3, 2022

Instantly appears in many people’s minds is of a production plant run entirely by robots. But robotics is only part of the overall technology stack that will enable today’s factories meet the demands of tomorrow’s markets. In just a few decades, industrial manufacturing has changed dramatically in the continuous effort to keep pace with ever increasing market demands. Basically, this transition has occurred in three distinct phases, each with its own pathway to success.

whitePaper | December 9, 2022

The manufacturing sector is no stranger to change. Over the course of three industrial revolutions, companies have relied on everything from water and steam to electricity and information technology to power their operations, provide services and make products. But the evolution taking place with Industry 4.0, which McKinsey & Company defines as “a new wave of technological changes that will trigger a paradigm shift in manufacturing,” may be the most significant change of all.

whitePaper | September 14, 2023

Industry 4.0 is often associated with the Smart Factory and from a technical perspective, it focuses on the end-to-end digitization of all physical assets in a manufacturing value chain and integrating it into digital ecosystems with value chain partners.

whitePaper | November 2, 2022

Vietnam has emerged as a leader for outsourced manufacturing among southeast Asian nations due to its exceptional cost competitiveness and consistent high quality. Vietnam’s location — adjacent to established supply chains across the border it shares with China — provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with alternative sourcing as the costs of doing business in China escalate. Hourly labor rates in Vietnam are significantly lower than other nearby countries; and the nation has implemented strict laws and regulations to protect the intellectual property of foreign companies. The marketplace and political conditions together have enabled Vietnam to sustain the highest economic growth rate in the world since 2000. Understanding Vietnam’s unique financial advantages can help OEMs that outsource manufacturing to achieve a lower total cost of ownership that fuels higher profits and growth.