Manufacturing Innovation/CPS

Amid the growing trend toward smart factories, initiatives―such as digitizing factory equipment data through IoT and AI-enabled cameras, leveraging production and quality data to improve productivity, and enhancing workplace safety―are gaining attention as key strategies to address labor shortages. 

However, the reality is that many manufacturers remain reliant on human judgment based on veteran intuition, legacy production, and quality management practices. This is largely due to challenges such as insufficient data infrastructure within factories and the inability to demonstrate a clear return on investment. 

At Fortience Consulting, we take a holistic view of the entire value chain—including production systems, delivery models, sourcing strategies, and support structures—and propose Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) tailored to client needs. This transformation approach focuses on integrating the physical factory environment with its cyber counterpart into a systemized framework, leveraging emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, and image analytics to accelerate digital twin adoption. 

Looking ahead, we develop future-state roadmaps that identify the transformations required to realize extended product lifecycles and warranty programs through control updates, and to monetize aftermarket services. These plans incorporate considerations such as spare parts strategies and dealer network models to ensure sustainable value creation. 

From the perspective of delivering differentiated value to globally expanding and rapidly evolving customers, we explore what next-generation manufacturing should look like. Beyond diagnosing challenges and defining a vision, we provide hands-on support for operational transformation—covering equipment, production lines, entire plants, and ecosystems. Our approach emphasizes the optimal sequencing of changes to ensure quality stability and successful adoption on the shop floor, leveraging our in-depth experience in manufacturing operations.