September 3, 2009 — Manufacturing Convergence – the merger of traditionally separate functions and systems across the enterprise – is helping manufacturers address key market drivers of productivity, globalization, innovation and sustainability to overcome strong economic headwinds, according to two new white papers from Rockwell Automation. Unifying manufacturing and production systems with the rest of the corporate enterprise helps companies achieve plant-wide optimization, higher levels of business performance, turn resources into assets, and discover unique opportunities for competitiveness. The white papers explore the latest practices and trends in Manufacturing Convergence and identify potential areas of opportunity.
The first paper, titled “Manufacturing Convergence: Enabling Plant-Wide Optimization in Any Economy,” examines how Manufacturing Convergence and the advanced technology that enables it is helping forward-thinking manufacturers position themselves for prosperity in any economy. The paper provides examples of how leading manufacturers using the core disciplines of Manufacturing Convergence – information, communications, control and power – are achieving their goals and gaining a competitive edge. The second paper, titled “Manufacturing Convergence Practices and Trends: Perspectives from Providers and Customers,” summarizes a panel discussion involving executives from Cisco Systems, Dassault Systèmes Delmia Corporation, Microsoft, Alcoa, General Mills, PepsiAmericas and Tetra Pak.
These industry leaders provide their perspectives about the business value of merging technologies to link the supply chain, factory, distribution and customer base. To succeed, manufacturers must extend their focus beyond productivity to bring innovative products to market faster, meet customer demands in a global market, and produce in safe and sustainable ways, according to the papers. That shift is requiring new manufacturing processes, but it’s also compelling forward-thinking companies to unify manufacturing with other functions throughout the enterprise and across the supply chain. Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs about 20,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries. The Manufacturing Convergence white papers are available for download at www.rockwellautomation.com/solutions/convergence .
