If that number seems large to you, take a look at some of the major players already making significant strides in that direction – and talking about it openly. Here’s Nestlé: “To delight our consumers, our teams in operations must master every step of the production process, from sourcing of materials to manufacturing in our factories, to the supply of our products at the point of purchase. At the same time, we are increasing our ability to tailor our products to our customers' specific needs.
All of this is made easier by innovative digital solutions and capabilities. We call it connected operations and have deployed the core technology to more than 100 sites worldwide. All of our factories, not only the most advanced and modern, are benefitting from the changes.
It all starts with better connected workers, giving our people the tools and information to take the right decisions quickly and easily. AI and predictive analytics enable the delivery of consistently exceptional quality and zero breakdowns, while collaborative robotics support factory automation and end-of-line customization. That gives us a new level of flexibility to produce for different channels and routes to market.”
Now there’s obviously a lot going on in there including a whole host of topics that are fascinating but not what we’re here to talk about today (like smart factories). No, what we’re here to talk about is Quality Management.