greenbutterfly AdobeStock_278427509 “It’s different now” is a phrase we hear a lot these days when speaking with manufacturing leaders. Geopolitics, technological advances, the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing threat of climate change are all creating major challenges for most industrial manufacturing firms. Virtually all executives surveyed (97% of the EY 2023 CEO Outlook survey ) believe the only way their company can meet the challenges of the moment will be through innovation. Their company needs to build smarter and more connected products, take advantage of the possibilities opened up by supply chain automation and find ways to meet rising customer expectations. Yet, for a variety of reasons, most companies have had a hard time making those changes. Their resources and talent remain stuck in siloed teams. Their employees still think in terms of function rather than strategy. Finally, their static views of their competitive and operational landscape ignore emerging threats — and overlook important opportunities. Although EY analysts estimate that a minimum of $4.1 trillion in value will be generated by smart connected products by 2030 (in cost savings, efficiencies and revenue), many firms keep behaving in ways that will leave money on the table. Their core misunderstanding lies […]