Digital Transformation for Industry, Energy and Infrastructure

Disruptive new technologies and methodologies have already gained a foothold in most organizations.  Cloud, Machine Learning, Edge Computing, IoT, Cybersecurity Best Practices, Additive Manufacturing, Augmented Reality, DevOps and more are enabling new business processes and obscuring traditional functional boundaries.  OT, IT, and ET teams are growing their skills and capabilities and transforming real-time operations.  Executives charged with driving transformation are seizing this moment to innovate and deliver real value.  By using data, digital technologies, and machine learning, organizations can ask questions aARC Advisory Services Video.jpgbout their interactions with customers, then map those learnings back to how assets are deployed and managed in operations.   They can optimize their business, respond quickly to customer needs and market trends, and improve profitability and shareholder value. 
 
In this dynamic, complex, and fast-moving space, ARC's Digital Transformation Advisory Service provides the intelligence you need to incorporate the latest developments and best practices into your strategies.

Industrial Digital Transformation Framework:  Elements of a Successful Digital Transformation Program

A successful Digital Transformation program steps an organization through a process that transforms its current state to a desired future state.  For production operations, this often involves moving from a local, siloed, procedural operating model to a more comprehensive model that is integrated to the enterprise, responsive to customers and market changes, and optimized in the context of overall business performance.  

  1. Customer-focused Innovation.  Unless you start with the customer, chances are that your transformation will miss the mark.  One of ARC's industrial clients summed it up this way:  "By using data, digital technologies, and machine learning we can ask new questions about our interactions with customers, then map those learnings back to how assets are deployed and managed in operations.   We optimize our business, respond quickly to customer needs and market trends, and improve profitability and shareholder value."
  2. transformation-framework-digital-transformation-programIdentify New Boundary-crossing Business Processes.  Today's business processes are too-often constrained by what was possible, given the systems available, at the time they were instituted.  With the advent of new and disruptive technologies, new ecosystems can be supported, and new, efficient processes can be introduced.  It is vitally important to approach this by using a 21st Century model of operations, and not fall into the trap of using a comfortable, but possibly dated mental model thereby artificially limiting the ‘transformation’ that will be achieved.  A frank assessment of the organization’s capacity for change is also important in this process.  If you don’t know what you are capable of (and limited by) you can never understand what fundamentals must shift in order to transform.
  3. Technologies, Security, and Architecture.  By themselves, new technologies do not justify a digital transformation.  However, they will play a critical role in the eventual end-state.  The Digital Transformation initiative must explicitly consider these technologies, together with associated architecture and cybersecurity requirements.  
  4. Business Justification and Solution Selection.  As all of the above come into focus, it is time to zero in on specific solutions, costs, and ROI.   
  5. Deploy, Build Expertise, and Create New Cultural and Workforce Norms.  Many of the changes will require the organization to adapt in ways that go beyond the usual 'change management' dictums.  For example, the organization may want to add data scientists in leadership roles to help the organization benefit more and more over time from machine learning or artificial intelligence systems.  

Industrial Digital Transformation Maturity

digital-transformation-maturityThe transformation of industrial products, operations, value chains, and aftermarket services, enabled through cultural and workforce changes and through the expanded use of sensors, data and analytics, is driving new business models and step changes in performance.

Many newer technologies such as IoT/connected assets, wearables, augmented reality, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics, and machine learning require changing the way technology leaders think about people and technology architecture and process.  But there's more to digital transformation than disruptive technologies.  It’s really about leveraging these technologies to innovate and optimize your business model and business processes - in a way that wasn’t possible before – to drive more value for customers and the enterprise.  

Leading Industrial Companies Embrace Digital Transformation

Leading industrial companies are actively engaged in transformation programs that will reshape their production operations to be more integrated, responsive, and optimized to meet business and customer needs.  Whether it is called Digital Transformation, Smart Manufacturing, or something else, there is clearly a significant shift underway.  Information-driven, highly efficient competitors with innovative business models will enjoy a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

With ARC's help, technology users may be able to dramatically improve both asset performance and operating performance through the use of IIoT technologies. 

ARC can help develop strategies for:

  • Fostering Innovation
  • Implementing as a Way to Learn and Scale
  • Disruptive Technologies
  • Culture, Organization, and Change
  • ROI Matters – When and How
  • Supplier and Solution Selection
  • Digital Transformation Planning and Roadmapping

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Machinery Manufacturers: Transforming with Connectivity and Services

ARC Digitization Strategy Model

Digital Transformation Council

Technology Suppliers: Delivering Transformation Solutions

ARC helps technology suppliers define and implement their competitive strategy for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).  Our service helps core technology suppliers position their products for industrial markets, identify strategic partners, and target high potential market opportunities.  It helps software, automation, and implementation companies to identify and shape high value IIoT solutions for their industrial customers.

ARC Provides Guidance on:

  • Go-to-Market Strategy
  • Product Development
  • Partnering
  • Competitive Strategy

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Key Deliverables and Services

You can gain from ARC's community and thought leadership through our Corporate Advisory Services.  Members are provided with many opportunities to learn and share with members of other user organizations through peer-to-peer networking.  An annual subscription includes these deliverables and services for one year:

Guidance About Emerging Technologies, Standards, and Regulations

Advisory Service clients enjoy direct and immediate telephone and email access to all of ARC's industry experts.  The senior ARC consultant assigned to your account, backed by ARC's entire research team, will be an invaluable addition to your staff.  You can get answers to questions on emerging technologies, enterprise applications, plant automation, as well as strategic issues.  Here are some examples of questions you can ask our analysts:

  • What are the latest trends and products in various operational and engineering technologies?
  • What technologies and products fit my industry and should be considered for adoption?
  • What new industry standards and regulations impact my industry?
  • Which technologies and products provide the best ROI?

ARC can provide an impartial expert viewpoint to help you make strategic decisions.  ARC's ongoing market research efforts give us a unique perspective and ability to answer a wide range of questions.  As an Advisory Service client, you will be able to tap into a wealth of product knowledge and industry experience for assistance in making your strategic decisions.  If you are involved in the planning, budgeting, specification, or selection of automation products or enterprise software applications, ARC can help you make informed, cost-saving decisions.

Advice About Solution Providers and Their Capabilities

ARC analysts monitor the key technologies, vertical industries, and regional trends impacting the global business environment on an ongoing basis.  We also perform a full analysis of the critical CAPEX, EBIT, Revenue, and Asset trends on a quarterly basis to ensure the market outlooks we provide are based on the latest information available.  Furthermore, ARC analysts poll thousands of industry executives within the key technology suppliers participating in our markets on an annual basis to gain greater insights into the current competitive environment and technology adoption trends.  This ongoing in-depth analysis enriches ARC’s analysts with a level of insight unrivaled in the market. Here are types of questions you can ask ARC analysts:

  • Who are the leading suppliers for various operational and engineering technologies?
  • How should I go about selecting a technology or a supplier for a specific application?
  • What type of partnership contract should I sign with a supplier or solution provider?
Technology and Supplier Selection Guides for Operational & Engineering Technologies

ARC Technology Supplier Evaluation and Selection Guides can help a technology selection team find common ground, with lower risk and in far less time.  What technologies should you adopt and what suppliers should you work with to help position your company to take advantage of the latest round of technology changes while prioritizing your investments wisely?  ARC Technology Supplier Evaluation and Selection Guides help you by:​

  • Explaining new technologies, new practices, and emerging standards​
  • Outlining the latest industry trends related to the technology​
  • Providing high-quality selection criteria​
  • Describing leading and emerging suppliers and their solutions​

ARC Advisory Service includes one or more complimentary selection guides of your choice depending on the level of your service.

Peer Networking at ARC Forums and Digital Transformation Council (DTC) Meetings

Members can take advantage of activities and events designed to facilitate learning and sharing with other users at ARC Forums and DTC Meetings.  What are other companies doing?  What has worked, and what has not?  Are any others using a particular emerging technology and how they are using it?  What lessons were learned along the way?  Has anyone moved from pilot project to scale?  How were workforce issues managed?  How was a business outcome assured?  

Monthly User-Only Digital Transformation Council (DTC) Meetings

Each monthly DTC web meeting focuses on a topic selected by the end user community.  Real case stories are usually featured, along with an analyst perspective.  The sessions are interactive by design, and a good way to discover how others are tackling difficult issues. 

ARC Industry Leadership Forum Tickets

ARC hosts annual Industry Leadership Forums around the world in the US, Europe, and Asia.  The annual ARC Industry Leadership Forum, held in Orlando in early February, is the industry’s premier networking and information gathering event.  This is the place to discover the latest trends and technologies, see new products key suppliers have developed, compare notes with other industrial companies, and catch up with old friends.  These Forums are designed to provide a strategic vision to help industry executives follow the direction of the industry, as well as provide a latest update for IT, supply chain, engineering, maintenance, and operational executives. 

ARC Advisory Service clients receive complementary tickets which can be used for any of ARC's Forums around the world.  Please visit our Upcoming Events section for information on upcoming ARC Industry Leadership Forums.

Weekly ARC Insights and Views

ARC Insights and Views are delivered weekly or as news happens to not only alert you to important events, but also to provide ARC's unique perspective on the impact they will have on the industry.

The dynamic nature of the industrial market can cause changes with immediate impact on your enterprise and automation projects or plans.  ARC Insights and Views alert you to important events and trends, with analysis on its impact and recommendations for success.  Breaking information can be the difference between costly mistakes or profitable new approaches.

ARC Insights and Views are delivered weekly in PDF format to all Advisory Service clients.  They are also available on-line in the Client Only Portal.

Weekly and Monthly Reports, Podcasts and/or Videos

ARC Weekly and Monthly Reports are easy to read yet packed with valuable information.  The reports are praised by Advisory Service clients as being worth the price of the service in themselves.   The dynamic nature of the industrial market can cause changes with immediate impact on your enterprise and automation projects or plans.  ARC Insights alert you to important events and trends, with analysis on its impact and recommendations for success.  Breaking information can be the difference between costly mistakes or profitable new approaches.  ARC Strategy and Best Practice reports identify the best practices used by the leading manufacturing companies related to specific topics of interest to our clients.

What technologies should you adopt and what suppliers should you work with to help position your company to take advantage of the latest round of technology changes while prioritizing your investments wisely?  The reports are delivered monthly in PDF format to all Advisory Service clients.  They are also available on-line in the Client Only Portal. 

On-line Access to ARC Research

A subscription to ARC's Advisory Services includes access to a collaborative, on-line resource dedicated to ARC's clients.  ARC's Client Portal contains a vast amount of information based on extensive research conducted over the past decade.  This includes all weekly and monthly reports, ARC Forum presentations, and more.  Specific information can be easily found via the site's powerful search capabilities.

Preferential Pricing on ARC Products and Consulting Services

Advisory Service clients receive preferential rates and priorities for consulting services covering a wide range of activities including:

  • Supplier evaluation and selections services
  • Plant performance assessment services
  • Technology and architecture planning
  • Project planning and cost justification
  • Digital transformation workshops
  • Cybersecurity workshops
Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients