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Articles by Tom Comstock
Norfolk Southern has been having bad days a lot recently
Norfolk Southern has been having a bad day for the past month. What can manufacturers take from their struggles? Norfolk Southern Railway has had three, count them three train derailments in the past month. Most notable was the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, then another two in rapid succession. LNS Research Fellow Tom Comstock wrote about the Southwest Airlines debacle several weeks back. I want to take a different track here on Norfolk Southern’s recent spate of derailments.
Lines are blurry, and it’s not helping Quality 4.0 program leaders
My LNS Research colleague Tom Comstock recently wrote an update to the IX Platform landscape that was published in our Industrial Transformation blog. There is one theme from that post that I want to pull the thread further on here; Blurring lines of demarcation between architectural elements of Industrial Transformation (IX). This was a significant issue when I was on the other side of the table, trying to develop my strategy.
Big Hairy Audacious Goals: The Kiss of Death in Industrial Transformation (IX)
Let’s look at the data and why. First a quick reminder: Jim Collins and Jerry Porras first coined the term BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal, pronounced BEE-hag) in their 1994 book and it has inspired thousands of companies since then. Like John F. Kennedy saying that the US wanted to be on the moon by the end of the decade – without any kind of plan to know it was possible – BHAGs are giant goals that are deliberately visionary and equally overwhelming.
Bentley Systems' Year in Infrastructure Conference & Going Digital Awards
Event Summary Bentley Systems' 18th annual Year in Infrastructure Conference and Going Digital Awards took place November 14-15, 2022, in London. The awards program recognizes Bentley software users’ successful projects in infrastructure design, construction, and operations. Over the past six months, 11 independent jury panels selected the 36 finalists from over 300 nominations submitted by more than 180 organizations from 47 countries in 12 categories.
2023 Predictions: Pressure to drive Realignment & Speedy IX Solutions
Every year, LNS Research analysts put forth predictions around the Industrial Transformation (IX) topics where we focus our research. In January 2022, I made only one prediction – but it was in four parts. This year I see 3 interrelated trends. To help you to decide whether my 2023 is worth considering, I have wrapped up this blog post with an assessment of how I did on my 2022 predictions (hint: by my count, I was 4 of 4 but you can decide).
The IX Platform Market Continues to Evolve
A little over a year ago we published our Solution Selection Matrix (SSM) for IX Platforms. When we introduced the definition of the IX Platform, we noted that “…the ability to monitor markets, readjust IX Program initiatives and otherwise be adaptive to change is critical to achieving step change improvements in operations.” Here we seek to help manufacturers “monitor” the IX Platform market by highlighting five trends we see across the market.
What do manufacturers have in common with Southwest Airlines?
The Answer: Massive Technical Debt What was the major news story of this Christmas holiday? Flight cancellations and the Southwest Airlines “meltdown.” Manufacturers should be looking at that story and asking themselves if they are next. For too many manufacturers the answer is yes. Let’s take a quick look at the Southwest story and one of the lessons manufacturers should be learning from the meltdown.
Industrial Transformation: Everybody's doing it but few are getting it right
75% of IX Programs are not yet seeing ANY value Transformation is all the rage. Everybody is talking about it. Everybody is doing it. But the stark reality is that only a fraction of participants are doing it right. Only a select set of industrial companies are realizing meaningful business improvement. Let’s look at the data and some high-level causes for the failure to launch.
Hexagon Moving up in Quality
LNS Research had the privilege to attend HxGN LIVE Global 2022 at the Venetian in Las Vegas. HxGN LIVE Global was Hexagon’s first in-person large-scale event since 2019 and drew over 2,000 customers and partners physically from thirty-four countries. The event included keynotes from executives across the company, exhibits, and an almost parallel media and analyst track allowing us to explore the company’s messages more deeply.
How to Jumpstart your Industry 4.0 Strategy
Attendees are eligible for a certificate of completion. Manufacturing’ s focus is no longer on capacity, cost, and productivity alone, but it is also on the ability to respond quickly to customer and market changes while still controlling costs and quality. Digitization and an Industry 4.0 strategy can be the route to solve these complex challenges. Join this webcast with SAP and LNS to uncover the functional elements for a successful digital transformation.
Survey Snippets #6: The Why, What, and How of Industrial Transformation (IX)
One of the most common mistakes LNS Research sees manufacturers make in their Industrial Transformation (IX) programs is starting with technology selection. To help companies better structure their IX programs, we have designed the LNS Research Industrial Transformation Framework (shown below).
Survey Snippets #5: Three Tips To Successfully Scale Your Transformation Business Case
Building business cases is often the first of many challenges today’s industrial companies have to face as part of their Industrial Transformation (IX) programs. The ideal business case should help companies identify and prioritize the correct problems and provide a clear roadmap for the solution. However, many companies struggle to effectively do this.
Failure at Industrial Transformation is Adversely Impacting the Financial Performance of CPG/F&B companies
Industrial Transformation (IX) is the proactive and coordinated approach to leveraging digital technologies to create step-change improvement across the value chain.
The IX Journey: Four Stages of Industrial Transformation (IX)
Industrial Transformation (IX) is the proactive and coordinated approach in leveraging digital technologies to create step-change improvement in industrial operations. Industrial Transformation has become a very real phenomena across industrial operations. More than two thirds of companies surveyed have implemented, are currently implementing, or plan to implement an Industrial Transformation (IX) program.
The IX Journey: Five Stages of Industrial Transformation (IX)
Industrial Transformation (IX) is the proactive and coordinated approach to leveraging digital technologies to create step-change improvement in industrial operations. Industrial Transformation has become a genuine phenomenon across industrial operations. Over two-thirds of companies surveyed have implemented, are currently implementing, or plan to implement an Industrial Transformation (IX) program.
The Three User Personas of Advanced Industrial Analytics Software
In a previous blog post, we introduced Advanced Industrial Analytics (AIA) as a technology category and defined what it takes to provide competing software in this space. As part of that definition, we provided five must-have criteria for Advanced Industrial Analytics software: The vendor must have a significant presence in industrial operations. The software must provide a platform and/or a robust set of out-of-the-box analytics applications.
Round Holes/Square Pegs: Artificial Barriers to Transformation Success
Transformation is challenging for industrial organizations. Manufacturers face genuine barriers to deploying new digital technologies specifically and realizing benefits from Industrial Transformation (IX). Software vendors face equally daunting obstacles in trying to help manufacturers achieve IX success. Software vendors face a myriad of hurdles in marketing, selling, and deploying software.
Prepositions, Push, Pull: The Pivotal P's in Your Transformation Story
LNS Research repeatedly hears the request: “Help us convince the plants to adopt our solutions.” The request is a tell-tale sign that the company has the Pivotal P’s (Prepositions, Push, Pull) wrong, which has led to the inefficient organization of its Industrial Transformation (IX) program. Let’s take a closer look at these Pivotal P's, the lessons they highlight, and how to use them to align your IX Program properly.
Recipes for Success: A Culinary Guide for Advanced Industrial Analytics
In a recent blog, I introduced and defined the technology category of Advanced Industrial Analytics (AIA) and provided an update on the upcoming solution selection matrix. In that post, I also explained the three types of AIA providers and how they are positioned within the Industrial Transformation Reference Architecture. This blog post expands on that and describes three ways for industrial companies to consume Advanced Industrial Analytics.
Operations and Quality Partnerships Target Real-World Problems
Manufacturers are looking for solutions focused on solving real-world problems. First, there's the need for solutions to the issues that cause grief daily. Then, there's the more urgent need for the things that keep operations leaders up at night. These pressing needs include rising injury and illness rates, higher cost of production, and more roles with less experienced employees.
A Crystal Ball for Collaborative Quality…Don’t Be Late to the Party!
The year 2030 is a top-of-mind strategic mile marker for manufacturers on the journey to Zero, with 2024 becoming a critical year for those navigating the fairly unpaved path. In our research, leaders view Industrial Transformations (IX) as a five-year (or more) journey. For a Collaborative Quality transformation, the average is longer, currently at seven years, with some taking as long as 11 years.
Manufacturing at ABB: A Shining Star of Industrial Transformation Best Practices
As we study Industrial Transformation (IX) at the macro level, we seek leaders among industrial companies for further insights. We recently interviewed one of those leaders, ABB’s Chief Digital Officer, Guido Jouret, who reinforced our best practices findings from the recent IX survey.
The Three User Personas of Advanced Industrial Analytics Solutions
In a previous blog post, we introduced Advanced Industrial Analytics (AIA) as a technology category and defined what it takes to provide a competing solution in this space. As part of that definition, we provided five must-have criteria for an Advanced Industrial Analytics solution: The vendor must have a significant presence in industrial operations. The solution must provide a platform and/or a robust set of out-of-the-box analytics applications.
Veeva Systems Expands Their Impact in Boston
Veeva Systems recently hosted an in-person summit for the second time since the pandemic. As Veeva Systems usually does, this event was a joint R&D and Quality Summit in Boston on September 13 and 14. LNS Research was privileged to be able to attend this conference. The conference was well attended, with over 2,500 industry executives filling the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
How to Improve New Product Introduction (NPI) in Three Steps
How can industrial and manufacturing enterprises achieve better new product introduction (NPI), a critical element of operational excellence? Corporate goals of improving market share and revenue, maintaining competitive differentiators, and improving customer experiences are especially challenging when developing and launching new products—making it vitally important that NPI is seamless and high quality.
Is Your Company Committing to Digital Transformation?
As more organizations begin to adopt digital, this study shows the five best practices every company should be doing to get better results. By Tom Comstock , Principal Analyst, LNS Research, on June 19, 2019 Now a primary focus for industrial organizations, digital transformation is already being used in 45 percent of companies and another 23 percent are expecting to kick off programs within one year.
Is Industrial Transformation Like Dating?
Commitment matters, whether it is in a romantic comedy, real-life dating, or Industrial Transformation (IX). In a relationship, it is imperative that there is a “real commitment” for the relationship to progress and succeed. To make romance hard, romantic comedies and scuttlebutt tell us that determining if your partner is committed to the relationship can be difficult. Despite their pronouncements of love, “real commitment” can be elusive.
Changing Profiles of Industrial Transformation (IX) Leaders
What we see about Leaders within Industrial Transformation (IX) LNS Research has been studying Industrial Transformation (IX) for all 10+ years of our existence. We know it has now gone mainstream, with more than 50% of companies reporting they are actively executing a transformation program. We also know that the way companies are executing transformation is changing. One clear example of that change can be seen in the changing profile of the program heads leading Industrial Transformation.
Is a 2-Step Dance the Key to Transformation Success?
There is an inherent dilemma in Industrial Transformation (IX). No one wants a massive, multi-year IT project, yet transformation, by definition, is looking for significant impacts and is, therefore, hard. Let’s look at the definition of IX, what makes it so difficult, and why incremental gains will likely not get you there. Finally, we will advocate for a 2-Step strategy – after the dance, of course – for the IX Program, including a look at a success story to illustrate that 2-Step.
HighByte, Oden, & TrendMiner Revs Up Toward Next Stages of Growth
Running an industrial software company is not easy. Painfully long sales cycles, high entry barriers, and an array of compliance regulations, among other factors, make running these industrial software companies a particularly complex endeavor.
What is Advanced Industrial Analytics (AIA)?
An Updated Definition of the Technology Category, IX Reference Architecture, and the AIA Solution Selection Matrix In my seven years at LNS Research, I've noticed that the research and advisory business has become increasingly dynamic and fast-moving. Most of the duties of an industry analyst, such as conducting primary research, defining technology categories, and evaluating vendor landscapes, have become more nuanced, requiring frequent updates to keep up with this increasing pace of change.
Big Week for Transformation in Boston: Industry Events Galore
Tulip Operations Calling, Digital Factory Conference, and HiveMQ Connack Apart from being known for Fenway Park, Dunkin Donuts, and bad drivers, Boston is getting a new identity. The historic city is quickly becoming a hub for smart manufacturing and Industrial Transformation and has begun to host several key industry events over the past few years.
What is Advanced Industrial Analytics: The Common Denominator of IX
The average Industrial Transformation (IX) program has about ten strategic initiatives under its wings - Factory of the Future, Quality 4.0, Connected Frontline Workforce, ESG 4.0, and Smart Supply Chain, to name a few. While these programs differ in scope, organizational levels, use cases, and technologies required, they are almost always aligned in one common foundation. That is, each of these initiatives aims to leverage Advanced Analytics to make informed decisions.
Early Observations on MES: The King is Dead, Long Live the King!
Depending on how you count, I have been in the MES business for 40+ years (which is why I am a “Research Fellow” – because I am so old!)Yet, I am excited to report on some preliminary findings from recent MES work.
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