Episodes

  • Digital Solutions for Flexible Manufacturing

    Digital Solutions for Flexible Manufacturing
    Aug 24 2020
    How are companies today appeasing the ever-growing needs of consumers? As customers are increasingly wanting a greater depth of information before making purchasing decisions, manufacturers must find ways to increase transparency in their products and their processes. It’s no longer only about the item, but also where it came from, who made it, and how it got into your hands. Knowledge about the process, paired with the desire to customize and personalize each product, means that manufacturers need simple and flexible solutions to meet consumer needs. In our final episode in this series, we talk about the technology which enables flexible manufacturing to exist. We’ll also discuss supply chain resiliency, something that’s particularly relevant today, where we’re seeing supply chain disruptions highlight its absolute criticality. We’re back with Suzanne Kopcha who is responsible for industry strategy for consumer products, and Alastair Orchard, one of the first to define the company's digital enterprise portfolio.  Some Questions I Ask: What happens if companies sourcing from suppliers won't give them their data or their digital twin? (0:58) How can digital technology help when supply chains are disrupted? (7:17) How do traceability and insight help deliver the flexibility that companies need? (9:05) How has working in this industry changed your perception when purchasing consumer products? (14:36) What You’ll Learn in This Episode: What having a “floating” factory floor in Hamburg has taught us (5:27) 3 ways live data can be linked to products (10:52) The purpose of the final digital twin, or the “bookend’ (13:56) Connect with Suzanne Kopcha: Linkedin Thought Leadership Women in Leadership Symposium Connect with Alastair Orchard: Linkedin Youtube: Trusted Traceability PLM Webinar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    18 mins
  • The Digital Threads Simplifying the Manufacturing Adaptation Process

    The Digital Threads Simplifying the Manufacturing Adaptation Process
    Aug 10 2020
    We’re living in a time where change happens fast. Whether it’s directed by the needs of consumers, changes in regulation or worldwide events like a pandemic, industries of every persuasion require the ability to adapt swiftly. When a single change to a product translates to hundreds, even thousands, of alterations in manufacturing specifications and procedures, how does an organization make those changes without significant financial consequences?  This is where product lifecycle intelligence comes into play. An integrated program including lifecycle management, smart product, and process design, and production design optimization is the difference between potentially crippling product alterations and seamless adaptation.  Riding the heels of our last episode, we’re back with Suzanne Kopcha who is responsible for industry strategy for consumer products, and Alastair Orchard, one of the first to shape the company's digital enterprise portfolio. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into the digital threads that are helping companies stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.  Some Questions I Ask: Can you tell us how smart product and process design works? (5:52) How is the apparel industry adjusting to the current market? (13:38) How do we create a completely integrated, seamless digital thread? (19:37) What You’ll Learn in this Episode: How digital threads can be applied to products outside of the consumer market (1:02) A detailed explanation of the digital threads and their benefits (2:57) How a single change can ripple through the production process, and why traceability is so valuable (10:37) Why production design optimization presents a huge opportunity (14:33) Why digitalization shorted the gap between manufacturability and manufacturing efficiency (17:34) Connect with Suzanne Kopcha: Linkedin Thought Leadership Women in Leadership Symposium Connect with Alastair Orchard: Linkedin Youtube: Trusted Traceability PLM Webinar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    21 mins
  • Digital Solutions and Sustainability in Consumer Product Manufacturing

    Digital Solutions and Sustainability in Consumer Product Manufacturing
    Jul 27 2020
    In our last episode, we talked about some of the challenges facing the consumer goods market, particularly within manufacturing. Harnessing the power of social media, consumers are now the drivers of change. In order to meet those ever changing needs, the manufacturing industry must find innovative ways to keep up if they want to remain relevant to the consumer.   To achieve this, we need solutions and technologies which cater towards the needs of each unique market. Today we’re talking to leading industry experts about how we can create individual and sustainable solutions for customers.  In this follow up to Episode 1, we circle back with Suzanne Kopcha who is responsible for industry strategy for consumer products, and Alastair Orchard, one of the first people who defined the company's digital enterprise portfolio.  Some Questions I Ask: How does digitalization unlock the solutions to these challenges that consumer product manufacturers face? (1:08) Is digitalization a sustainable choice? (5:01) What options does a manufacturer have when it comes to manufacturing a product while also finding the most efficient way to do so (9:29) How do you work with these companies so they can adopt these digital solutions to their best advantage? (16:14) In This Episode, You Will Learn: How customers react to seeing the digital simulation (3:24) A product specific example of the digitization process (7:48) Why the question of “manufacturability” is so important (8:20) Why Fixed Manufacturing routes are so inflexible (13:22) Why individual product markers are important to consumers (14:55) Connect with Suzanne Kopcha: Linkedin Thought Leadership Women in Leadership Symposium Connect with Alastair Orchard: Linkedin Youtube: Trusted Traceability PLM Webinar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    18 mins
  • Planning for Flexibility in a Consumer-Driven Product Market

    Planning for Flexibility in a Consumer-Driven Product Market
    Jul 13 2020
    When it comes to driving product innovation, the consumer is king. Millennials today recognize a desired change in a product or brand, and in no time they’re using the power of social media, creating momentum to drive that change. This consumer behavior is changing the dynamics of the industry, making the need for flexibility increasingly important. Meeting the demands of consumers by having the ability to customize products on a mass scale can catapult a business to the forefront of the consumer goods market. Advancing digital capability within manufacturing is truly a game-changer.  Our guests today are Suzanne Kopcha and Alastair Orchard. Suzanne is Vice President of Consumer Products & Retail Industry. Here at Siemens PLM, she analyzes industry trends and uses that data to explain how digitalization can turn challenges into opportunities. Alastair is the Vice President of Digital Enterprise at ‎Siemens PLM Software, and has been a driving force behind digitalization at Siemens since the beginning. He was one of the first people to define the company's Digital Enterprise Portfolio.  Questions I Ask: Can you explain what we mean when we talk about “Consumer Products”? (2:04) How did Anton S. Huber replace hardware with software as the basis for innovation? (5:52)  Can you talk about the current crisis within the consumer products industry? (9:40) How is the consumer demand for sustainability affecting the industry? (11:41) In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why digital capability is the new currency (4:22) The origin story of digitalization at Siemens (5:03) How Siemens shift to software has grown (8:20) The hottest current topic in discussions with customers (13:51) Connect with Suzanne Kopcha: Linkedin Thought Leadership Women in Leadership Symposium Connect with Alastair Orchard: Linkedin Youtube: Trusted Traceability PLM Webinar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    15 mins
  • Digital Powers Flexible

    Digital Powers Flexible
    Jul 2 2020
    Join Steve, Alastair and Suzanne in this first episode of our 4 part series of Digital Powers Flexible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    Less than 1 minute