Technology Record - Issue 22: Autumn 2021

147 MANU FAC TUR I NG & R E SOUR C E S enterprise resource planning, but it should be,” says Michel. “We encourage companies to con- sider the idea of an extended digital thread, where the supply chain, channel partners and end users should be taken into account. They all generate and need the most current product information that is critical to a successful end-user experience, whether in supporting continuous improvement of product design, production, field service, or supply of spare parts and consumables.” Michel believes that creating that extended dig- ital thread comes from three related activities: instituting modern end-to-end design processes; getting connected to equipment in the factory and the field; and establishing data governance and traceability. “Another area is data orchestration and collab- oration, where the structures for providing both the data and the appropriate context for shared information are put in place,” he says. “This often requires sourcing data across systems, so that different functions, organisational elements and even external partners can participate, with the aspiration to boost the corporate top and bot- tom line and find opportunities for sharing value among value chain partners.” There are more extensive digital transformation opportunities available, as well. “With this data sharing in place, manufacturing companies can now understand how the end customer is using their equipment. That understanding can inform data-driven design, assuring that new product concepts meet user needs and tell engineering teams where they should focus their continuous improvement efforts for the greatest benefit. “Digital twins that enable simulation can be bet- ter informed by real-time data, and if a company is considering innovative ways of doing business, building this extended digital thread is a critical success factor.” The benefits are profound, from improving service costs, reducing new product introduc- tion time and the costs of poor quality, and even helping traditional capital goods suppliers to put recurring, predictable revenue models in place, with connected, outcomes-based transactions. “PTC, in partnership with Microsoft, is uniquely positioned to enable the extended dig- ital thread,” says Michel. “From design, through managing and governing the entire product life cycle, to connecting disparate products and sys- tems and delivering that information, PTC can help manufacturers unify this product informa- tion flow. This ensures that the right informa- tion gets to the right person, at the right time, in a form that’s easy to understand, regardless of where in the world they are.” PTC has integrated with Microsoft technology at the edge and in the cloud in multiple offer- ings, bringing together best-in-class solutions for engineering excellence, manufacturing efficiency and service optimisation with the benefits of Microsoft’s global reach, scale and security. “As companies plan their goals, they should con- sider how PTCwithMicrosoft’s Azure technology can help to realise that goal,” says Michel.