How does a manufacturing company embrace the future of technology? When it comes to applications and the systems they run on, should you start from scratch and embrace a new technology paradigm or is there a way to capture the benefits of new technology in incremental steps?
To some extent, these questions invoke an age-old choice: revolution or evolution? Putting the question this way is, admittedly, something of a setup. Rarely are choices so stark, so black-and-white. Could there be a middle ground — let's call it "accelerated evolution" — that would be a better approach?
These questions are a clear and present concern for manufacturers because many companies are trying to develop sound strategies for dealing with old and inflexible legacy systems that are hampering their ability to effectively manage their operations and compete in their markets.
Many organizations, particularly those that have been built through acquisition, are also dealing with multiple, incompatible systems. It is not unusual for MA's editors to hear of companies with 10 or more ERP systems, for example, or even dozens of CAD or CRM systems. We published a story recently that identified a company with 600 CRM systems. Imagine that.