Managing Automation - November 2007 - (Page 6)

david r. brousell/EIC TAKE 1 Why is there often a wide gulf between an idea and the actualization of that idea? Is it a matter of flawed execution or is the gulf just a natural occurrence that we really shouldn’t worry about? Last month’s cover package on the mobile enterprise and this month’s piece on the digital factory both concluded that these ideas have a long way to go before they are fully realized, if ever, in manufacturing. Despite the fact that these ideas have been around for some time and, at least in case of the digital factory, have been expressed in different terms previously, big gaps exist between the vision of what they can do and what manufacturers are actually accomplishing with them today. As Senior Editor Stephanie Neil points out in her article on the digital factory, for example, many manufacturers now have most of the technological tools to integrate their design and production processes, but many are unable to realize the big picture of digitization within their companies. And that’s because of the usual suspects — management and organizational and cultural issues that tie a ball and chain around the concept and prevent it from taking on a full life. Over time, persistent organizations overcome these issues to varying degrees and reap the benefits of the concept. They figure out how to change mind-sets, adapt processes, and get the team moving in a new and better direction. Even if the ultimate actualization of the idea falls short of what they expected in the beginning, the result is far better than if they had not decided to implement the concept. And that’s why the vision aspect of such ideas as the digital factory or the mobile organi2007 Gap Theory Dbrousell@thomaspublishing.com Ideas like the digital factory and the mobile enterprise seem to come up short upon execution. Are the gaps fatal flaws or part of a natural cycle? zation or even the integrated shop-floor-to-topfloor enterprise is so important and necessary. At the outset, the vision creates a notion of what’s possible based largely on imagination. As a result, we are able to visualize a possible future state that is markedly better than the current state. This exercise — what research firm Gartner Group calls the “hype cycle” — kick-starts the idea into action. Then we try to figure out how close we can come to reaching that vision and how long it will take. Invariably, estimates about these goals tend to be wrong, which leads to a sense of underachievement or disappointment. These are useful developments, though, because they feed the next round of refinements to the idea. My sense is that this is exactly where the ideas of the mobile enterprise and the digital factory stand in their lifecycles today. Far from being unworkable, these concepts are moving along at a fairly predictable and natural pace. Only when the gaps are recognized, though, can we figure out what we need to do next to move the concept along to the next plateau. So my advice to all the companies out there experimenting with mobility and digital factory concepts is this: Keep pushing. Don’t worry too much right now about gaps between promise and delivery. You can’t get from point A to point B without the gaps. So make good use of them. They will help you build bridges to the future. What’s your view of the progress of the mobility and digital factory concepts? Write to me at Dbrousell@thomaspublishing.com. ■ maonline managingautomation.com For more of David R. Brousell’s views, visit: ❏ Oracle vs. SAP www.managingautomation .com/takeone40 ❏ Blocking and Tackling www.managingautomation .com/takeone39 ❏ The Quest for Speed www.managingautomation .com/takeone38 ma 6 November Photo: Peter Kolk http://www.managingautomation.com http://www.managingautomation.com/takeone40 http://www.managingautomation.com/takeone39 http://www.managingautomation.com/takeone38

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - November 2007

Managing Automation - November 2007 Contents Take 1 Mailbox SAP's Business ByDesign to Validate On-Demand Model for Enterprise SW Portfolio Management Specialist Losing Ground to Rivals At Incor, It's Time for Some Deep Breathing Can HART, ISA Get Together on a Wireless Spec? Mesa Tries to Help Improve Plant Metrics Notes Cover Story: The Digital Factory Special Report: Breaking Down Walls Integration: Dreaming of One ERP Industries: Locking onto Cyber-Security Transformation: Not Your Father's Time & Attendance Program Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - November 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.