Daniel Kuepper

Generative AI is one of today’s hottest business topics, with companies exploring its potential applications and benefits across industries and functions, including manufacturing. But despite the recent buzz, manufacturers should recognize that simply applying tools like ChatGPT on their own will not revolutionize factory operations.
Instead of replacing traditional AI, GenAI offers complementary use cases in the areas of assistance, recommendations, and autonomy that pave the way to the… Mehr anzeigen

Generative AI is one of today’s hottest business topics, with companies exploring its potential applications and benefits across industries and functions, including manufacturing. But despite the recent buzz, manufacturers should recognize that simply applying tools like ChatGPT on their own will not revolutionize factory operations.
Instead of replacing traditional AI, GenAI offers complementary use cases in the areas of assistance, recommendations, and autonomy that pave the way to the factory of the future. It does so through its capacity to generate content, such as text and images, tailored to specific tasks or inquiries. Weniger anzeigen

Artificial intelligence (AI) and recent developments in this field – such as generative AI – can play a key role in helping manufacturers navigate today’s economic, environmental and societal challenges. While most manufacturers plan to incorporate AI into their operations, only one in six has been successful to date.
This white paper sheds light on recent advances in the field of generative AI, its potential and its application areas in manufacturing, and presents a new guidebook for… Mehr anzeigen

Artificial intelligence (AI) and recent developments in this field – such as generative AI – can play a key role in helping manufacturers navigate today’s economic, environmental and societal challenges. While most manufacturers plan to incorporate AI into their operations, only one in six has been successful to date.
This white paper sheds light on recent advances in the field of generative AI, its potential and its application areas in manufacturing, and presents a new guidebook for harnessing the AI revolution in industrial operations. The guidebook describes the main considerations and steps of the journey – from defining the overarching objectives to identifying, building and scaling the relevant applications and required foundations, and staying at the forefront of AI innovations. Weniger anzeigen

The days of operations that pursue speed, quality, and cost efficiency above all else have come to an end. Today, the objectives that manufacturers must pursue to ensure competitiveness have evolved. Sustainability, long seen as incompatible with these traditional goals, is now a strategic imperative.

This raises a question for manufacturers: How can they make products and production processes more sustainable while remaining profitable?

Manufacturers face a tough set of challenges right now. They need to boost productivity in their factories, but also reduce their environmental footprint. They have to be more flexible and adaptable to successfully respond to rapidly changing market conditions. And they are struggling to recruit, upskill, and retain top talent. Tackling any one of these challenges is hard; addressing them all requires a new approach.

BCG has assembled a large and growing body of research about how… Mehr anzeigen

Manufacturers face a tough set of challenges right now. They need to boost productivity in their factories, but also reduce their environmental footprint. They have to be more flexible and adaptable to successfully respond to rapidly changing market conditions. And they are struggling to recruit, upskill, and retain top talent. Tackling any one of these challenges is hard; addressing them all requires a new approach.

BCG has assembled a large and growing body of research about how manufacturers can dramatically improve performance across all these dimensions. We call it the factory of the future (FoF). Manufacturers worldwide have already started applying these ideas, and they are already seeing results. Weniger anzeigen

Recent challenges such as supply disruptions, price volatility, talent shortages and the sustainability imperative, are increasing the complexity of industrial operations. To address these challenges and unlock the next wave of value, leading manufacturers are employing cutting-edge manufacturing technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

These technologies present industrial companies with fresh avenues to navigate their way through turbulence and offer opportunities to… Mehr anzeigen

Recent challenges such as supply disruptions, price volatility, talent shortages and the sustainability imperative, are increasing the complexity of industrial operations. To address these challenges and unlock the next wave of value, leading manufacturers are employing cutting-edge manufacturing technologies powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

These technologies present industrial companies with fresh avenues to navigate their way through turbulence and offer opportunities to substantially boost their operational performance.

At the same time, technological breakthroughs continue to emerge and recent developments, such as in generative AI, open up even more potential. Weniger anzeigen

The world of industrial operations is changing, and manufacturing companies are under considerable pressure. Challenges include rising economic pressure, the sustainability imperative, volatile resource prices and supply chain disruptions as well as increasing capability challenges and talent shortage.

A continuous improvement in production efficiency has always been considered one of the key prerequisites to ensure the competitiveness of globally operating companies. This requirement… Mehr anzeigen

The world of industrial operations is changing, and manufacturing companies are under considerable pressure. Challenges include rising economic pressure, the sustainability imperative, volatile resource prices and supply chain disruptions as well as increasing capability challenges and talent shortage.

A continuous improvement in production efficiency has always been considered one of the key prerequisites to ensure the competitiveness of globally operating companies. This requirement has not changed. However, the traditional levers for increasing productivity are now less effective. New challenges have emerged, including the COVID pandemic and increased geopolitical uncertainty. These have led to a rapid increase in the importance of resilience and flexibility of entire supply chains. Many industrial companies are also facing a skills shortage; this will affect 90% of organizations by 2025, inhibiting production capacity.
We explore the role of AI to address these challenges. Weniger anzeigen

The business case for investing in advanced logistics is stronger than ever. By implementing these systems, manufacturers can reduce in-plant logistics and warehousing costs by approximately 30%.

Production as a Service allows producers to strengthen their operational resilience, improve responsiveness to customer requirements, and pursue sustainability targets by designing flexible factories, sharing assets, and decoupling factory ownership and use.

We discuss the state of Additive Manufacturing (AM) and the need for support means to better gauge the business/financial and part performance implications of deploying 3D printing.

We are experiencing the beginning of an automation revolution that historically can only be compared with the introduction of industrial robots in the 1960th.
This revolution is fueled by significant advancements of the underlying technology such as AI and MachineLearning, Cloud-Edge computing, System on a Chip (SoC) as well as advancing networking technologies like 5G and Wifi6. For example, camera-supported bin picking or an automated handling of flexible parts like wires are now widely… Mehr anzeigen

We are experiencing the beginning of an automation revolution that historically can only be compared with the introduction of industrial robots in the 1960th.
This revolution is fueled by significant advancements of the underlying technology such as AI and MachineLearning, Cloud-Edge computing, System on a Chip (SoC) as well as advancing networking technologies like 5G and Wifi6. For example, camera-supported bin picking or an automated handling of flexible parts like wires are now widely implementable. Weniger anzeigen

Global disruptions, such as supply chain shortages and climate change, are fundamentally affecting manufacturing operations around the world. Data is key to overcoming these challenges, to improving existing operating models and enabling new value creation. To help capitalize on the power of data, members of the Unlocking Value in Manufacturing through Data Sharing initiative co-developed the Manufacturing Data Excellence Framework, a tool that identifies high-value opportunities for… Mehr anzeigen

Global disruptions, such as supply chain shortages and climate change, are fundamentally affecting manufacturing operations around the world. Data is key to overcoming these challenges, to improving existing operating models and enabling new value creation. To help capitalize on the power of data, members of the Unlocking Value in Manufacturing through Data Sharing initiative co-developed the Manufacturing Data Excellence Framework, a tool that identifies high-value opportunities for data-driven applications and the technological and organizational enablers required to build and scale them. Weniger anzeigen

When selecting the best 3D printing technologies, the devil is in the details. Hundreds of combinations of technologies and materials exist, each with different advantages with respect to cost, durability, accuracy, and strength.
To excel at additive manufacturing (AM), companies must learn to demystify this complex maze. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. In comparing technologies, companies must not only consider technical capabilities but analyze the total cost of ownership to… Mehr anzeigen

When selecting the best 3D printing technologies, the devil is in the details. Hundreds of combinations of technologies and materials exist, each with different advantages with respect to cost, durability, accuracy, and strength.
To excel at additive manufacturing (AM), companies must learn to demystify this complex maze. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. In comparing technologies, companies must not only consider technical capabilities but analyze the total cost of ownership to account for lifetime benefits that could be achieved by, for example, reducing weight or improving strength. Weniger anzeigen

When selecting the best 3D printing technologies, the devil is in the details. Hundreds of combinations of technologies and materials exist, each with different advantages with respect to cost, durability, accuracy, and strength.
To excel at additive manufacturing (AM), companies must learn to demystify this complex maze. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. In comparing technologies, companies must not only consider technical capabilities but analyze the total cost of ownership to… Mehr anzeigen

When selecting the best 3D printing technologies, the devil is in the details. Hundreds of combinations of technologies and materials exist, each with different advantages with respect to cost, durability, accuracy, and strength.
To excel at additive manufacturing (AM), companies must learn to demystify this complex maze. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. In comparing technologies, companies must not only consider technical capabilities but analyze the total cost of ownership to account for lifetime benefits that could be achieved by, for example, reducing weight or improving strength. Weniger anzeigen

Accurate planning has never been more important to a company’s ability to quickly react to new scenarios and changing priorities. With pressure mounting to boost competitiveness, it’s no wonder that manufacturers around the world have looked for additional ways to manage scarce resources, build resilience, and reduce emissions — all without constantly fighting fires and increasing complexity.

The time has come for manufacturing companies to redesign their operations using a clean-sheet approach. To enhance their competitiveness, they must simultaneously improve their value proposition, strengthen their operational resilience, and pursue sustainability. Optimizing operations to achieve these objectives requires a holistic zero-based vision of what, where, and how to manufacture—a concept we call “the Zero-Based Factory”.

Manufacturing industries are on the verge of a data-driven revolution. In the near future, manufacturing companies will collaborate in hyperconnected value networks to increase productivity, develop new customer experiences and ensure they have a positive impact on society and the environment. This report examines the value unlocked by data and analytics applications. It defines six organizational and technological priorities of data excellence in manufacturing to help decision-makers capture… Mehr anzeigen

Manufacturing industries are on the verge of a data-driven revolution. In the near future, manufacturing companies will collaborate in hyperconnected value networks to increase productivity, develop new customer experiences and ensure they have a positive impact on society and the environment. This report examines the value unlocked by data and analytics applications. It defines six organizational and technological priorities of data excellence in manufacturing to help decision-makers capture value from these applications internally and within larger ecosystems. Finally, the paper proposes a path towards realizing a future of manufacturing that is digital and hyper-connected. Weniger anzeigen

The AM industry’s natural business ecosystem has encouraged some companies to work together. But to unleash the potential of AM, industry players should go further and collaborate to advance the technology, identify new applications, and enable users to fully exploit its advantages.

Often lost in the enthusiasm and anticipation surrounding the emergence of BEVs is the potentially profound impact this product shift will have on the operations of automakers and suppliers—and, by extension, on global employment patterns in the auto industry. Without a full understanding of the repercussions of the transformation from internal-combustion-engine vehicles (ICEVs) to BEVs, ­automakers will be unable to produce a coherent plan for navigating this consequential shift. In… Mehr anzeigen

Often lost in the enthusiasm and anticipation surrounding the emergence of BEVs is the potentially profound impact this product shift will have on the operations of automakers and suppliers—and, by extension, on global employment patterns in the auto industry. Without a full understanding of the repercussions of the transformation from internal-combustion-engine vehicles (ICEVs) to BEVs, ­automakers will be unable to produce a coherent plan for navigating this consequential shift. In particular, workforce deployment will be a critical facet of this transition. To help automakers and suppliers better manage this period of uncertainty and understand what the future may hold, BCG conducted a study on how electromobility (e-mobility) will alter automotive production, with a specific focus on shifts in labor requirements. Weniger anzeigen

Industrial companies have an enormous carbon footprint. Their production and logistics operations account for more than half of all global carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from fuel combustion. Considering current trends, emissions from production and logistics would need to decrease by approximately 45% by 2030 to be on a path to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target for limiting the global temperature increase. As longstanding environmental concerns intensify, industrial companies… Mehr anzeigen

Industrial companies have an enormous carbon footprint. Their production and logistics operations account for more than half of all global carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from fuel combustion. Considering current trends, emissions from production and logistics would need to decrease by approximately 45% by 2030 to be on a path to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target for limiting the global temperature increase. As longstanding environmental concerns intensify, industrial companies are feeling increasing economic pressure to tackle the problem. Weniger anzeigen

Supply chain teams must orchestrate a response that accounts for the lockdown status of various regions around the globe—on top of the usual interdependencies.

By applying best practices during each phase of their response, manufacturers will be better positioned to survive the crisis and meet the surge in demand when the pandemic subsides.

By sharing data across companies, manufacturers can unlock additional value and accelerate innovation. The potential value of data sharing simply by focusing on manufacturing process optimization has been estimated at over $100 billion, based on best practices.
To demonstrate the value of data sharing in manufacturing, this white paper examines five main areas where data sharing can help improve manufacturing operations.

Factories are rapidly becoming more interconnected. As a result, manufacturers face the challenge of securely sharing data within and outside the factory walls. Is blockchain the right solution to overcome the challenge?

How can companies realize their vision and sustain the value of digital operations at scale? The key is to set up and enable a digital operations organization that promotes scale, speed and Impact.

Automotive players are focusing on digital solutions to improve supply chain and manufacturing processes, as well as to strengthen new program launches.

Tune out the tech sales pitches. Focus instead on what you seek to achieve from a digital transformation.

Robot functionality is improving and costs are declining, but producers need a comprehensive vision to capture the promised value.

Digitizing manufacturing operations is imperative—yet immensely difficult. Companies that have tried have seen mixed results. We’ve identified factors that separate leaders from laggards.

Even as additive manufacturing (AM) disrupts traditional manufacturing processes, the AM industry itself is being disrupted. The race for leadership in the growing and profitable AM business is wide open. All players in the disrupted ecosystem need to rethink their strategies in order to compete for a greater share of the profit pools.

More than a century after the conveyor belt revolutionized manufacturing by ushering in mass production, it remains the dominant feature on most shop floors, especially in the automotive industry. Yet much has changed since Henry Ford. Today’s carmakers are dealing with much more variety and complexity leading automakers to consider replacing conventional fixed conveyor belts with flexible-cell manufacturing—an assembly setup in which automated guided vehicles (AGVs) transport car bodies… Mehr anzeigen

More than a century after the conveyor belt revolutionized manufacturing by ushering in mass production, it remains the dominant feature on most shop floors, especially in the automotive industry. Yet much has changed since Henry Ford. Today’s carmakers are dealing with much more variety and complexity leading automakers to consider replacing conventional fixed conveyor belts with flexible-cell manufacturing—an assembly setup in which automated guided vehicles (AGVs) transport car bodies individually only to those assembly workstations that are relevant to the specific model. This publication describes a first of its kind simulation of the advantages of flexible cell manufacturing. Weniger anzeigen

Innovation alone won’t save the industry’s economics. Manufacturers must adopt digital technologies to produce battery cells cost-effectively. This paper gives an overview on specific actions to be taken to lower cost.

Tomorrow’s end-to-end manufacturing AI will think alongside—and sometimes ahead of—human coworkers. But ambitions for the technology far outstrip today’s reality.

Combining the two is a great way to improve flexibility, productivity, quality, speed, and safety. So why aren't more companies doing it?

Robots are poised to change the global business landscape. Here are some guidelines that will help your company capitalize on the technology and gain a sustainable edge.

As additive manufacturing takes off, companies along the value chain must determine whether and how to capitalize on the fast-developing AM market.

Industrialized AM will become a reality only if key stakeholders—including materials suppliers, equipment providers, and end users—act now to define their differentiated strategies.

Manufacturers are selectively implementing elements of the factory of the future. Those that, transition to full-scale adoption will usher in a new era of industrial operations.

German and US companies have high ambitions for Industry 4.0, but they need to accelerate their efforts in order to achieve their goals.

A scenario-based approach allows manufacturers to assess the implications of their make-or-buy decisions across product lines and manufacturing locations.

To achieve more than simply incremental innovation, companies need to focus R&D less on efficiency and transparency and more on learning and agility.