Pioneering any aspect of technology can be both exhilarating and frustrating. Ultimately, however, it's always empowering.

That's been the experience of Jim Caie, who, as chief of quality, information, and control systems at General Motors from 1984 to 1992, led the Factory of the Future project, an initiative aimed at creating a "lights out" facility for front-wheel-drive axles.

"The concept was that it would be automated and could run the whole night without anyone there," Caie said. "It never got to that point, but that was the vision. It was way ahead of its time, so it was more of a test in order to understand what could be done and what was needed to make it work in the future."

Fast-forward 16 years, and one of the key elements of his vision — simulation — has become Caie's cause. He played a key role in getting GM to embrace simulation and manufacturing process modeling. And GM's success with simulation has influenced other major manufacturers inside and outside the automotive industry to follow suit.

Caie retired from GM in June 2006, after 36 years, to join ARC Advisory Group as an industry consultant specializing in digital manufacturing and common system strategies for the discrete manufacturing industry.

Digital manufacturing is loosely defined as the integration of simulation and control technologies in order to apply virtual validation of the manufacturing line prior to commissioning a project.

Caie, whom some industry onlookers have dubbed "the founding father of the concept of virtual validation and commissioning at GM," learned about the potential value of digital manufacturing the hard way: by expending time, sweat, and money.

From 2004 to 2006, while working as director of controls, conveyors, robotics, and welding, Caie spent most of his time figuring out the best way to build new plants. At the time, GM was grappling with poor plant start-up performance, which undermined productivity and quality. Caie's assessment resulted in a common control architecture at the automaker.

Part of the process Caie outlined for the new approach involved modeling and simulating the mechanical and electrical aspects of the plant prior to the launch — something he learned from the Factory of the Future initiative. Today, that kind of modeling and simulation is a major aspect of the digital factory concept.

It took a while to educate everyone at GM on the benefits of the digital factory, but slowly the idea took hold.