Manufacturers are increasingly using performance-based analysis to provide real-world data on product performance from the field. Rather than making assumptions about performance, this approach offers unbridled access to how products operate once they leave the factory. But for manufacturers who are designing and iterating the next generation of smart, connected products, they need a more advanced approach: Data-Driven Design.
To say connected products is a trend is an understatement. By the end of 2017, IDC estimates that 70% of discrete manufacturers will offer connected products.
This new breed of products, which have connectivity at their centre, is dramatically changing industries and competition as we know them today.
But, for organisations to be able to meet the challenge, they need all the key stakeholders in the product lifecycle to be aligned. At the same time, processes will need to be streamlined, so that organisations are in a better shape to react to customer feedback and the real-time data that connectivity provides.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging as the driving factor behind new technological developments and it’s transforming both the home and business - in a very good way indeed.
In the world of product development, every stakeholder - be they a designer, a manager or within marketing, needs access to the most accurate, up-to-date information, if the organisation is to produce the best products on time and within budget. Simply put, it’s a democracy. If just one stakeholder is unable to access a key element of the design or vital piece of feedback, the entire project may be put at the risk of increased lead times or, worse, failure upon release.
By 2020, experts believe the number of Internet-connected devices in use worldwide will reach 20.8 billion. In 2016 alone, it is predicted that 5.5 million ‘things’ will join the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution every single day.
The prophecies of 1980s science fiction movies appear to have been rather accurate. We can now walk into our homes, shout “lights!” and watch as the room illuminates; our cars talk to us and guide us to our destination; our mobile phones can recognise inference and respond to natural questioning; smartwatches track our heart rates and daily steps.
It’s no surprise that emerging technologies (such as 3D printing, Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality) are going to change the way we all think about product development. Chances are you’re already starting to think about how these technologies will change the way you work and what they’ll mean for future product development.
We are in the middle of a transformation. It’s been a big topic of conversation for all of us in our world right now. We’re in the middle of what is being called the third revolution of the last 25 years. First we had the automation of the supply chain. Then we had the Internet. Now we have the Internet of Things.
Back in the 1950s, everyone who was engaged in moving goods from one country to another knew there was a crisis. Everyone was fully aware that there was a massive bottleneck in the docks and it was strangling the world economy. The system couldn’t cope. It was under pressure and at breaking point.
