Transforming Industry

44 MANUFACTURING Improving factory performance Until late 2018, commercial paint manufacturer AkzoNobel monitored the performance of its machines using pen and paper. A Digital Performance Portal solution provided by Avanade using Industrial IoT and Microsoft Azure helped the company maximize its use of data to quickly identify and respond to manufacturing issues. As a result, AkzoNobel can instantly compare the performance of machines not just within a single factory, but also at different sites around the world. “It gives us the complete picture, allowing us to see exactly where we can make performance gains across multiple levels of the business,” says Philippe Huberts, Director for Digital and Automation Technology at AkzoNobel. Luca Ottolini, Production Manager at AkzoNobel Como, says AkzoNobel’s employees have benefited: “My full focus with the team was to make this system as user-friendly as possible. A year down the line, the system is now accessible for everyone—no matter their level of technical expertise.” Read the full case study > RETAIL 360-degree customer view Dubai-based Al-Futtaim operates six divisions and covers brands including IKEA, Toyota, Marks & Spencer, and Orient. The company adopted an intelligent customer data platform (CDP) that leverages data consolidation, integration, and analytics to provide hyper-personalized consumer experiences. Developed in collaboration with PwC, the CDP combines Microsoft Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Synapse Analytics services to provide a single source of truth about each buyer in real time, boosting profitability and fostering customer loyalty. Buyers receive personalized up-sell and cross- sell opportunities and products. Previously, the organization lacked a way to interpret and leverage consumer data from more than 40 sources, including loyalty programs, social registering, and retail points of sale (POS). This changed with the introduction of the new platform. “CDP will fundamentally change how we interact with customers,” Wingfield says. “We’re going to get more visibility on how customers behave, and better understand who they are, where they are, and what they are buying.” Read the full case study > 45