Siemens USA CEO Eric Spiegel believes American manufacturing is in the middle of a “software revolution” that will lead it to the “mass customization” of products around the globe.
So instead of ordering products from a fullfilment center somewhere, they will be made on an advanced-manufacturing production line somewhere else. Instead of golf club companies introducing a new driver each year for Tiger Woods wannabees, a duffer can order the production of a customized club with the attributes that will help him keep the ball in the fairway, Spiegel says.
Ford Motor Co. is already doing some mass customization now with the production of the new lightweight F150 pickup truck. The high-tech production line allows the automaker to introduce up to 1 million variations along the production line without the added costs of retooling and re-equipping the line.
That same process allows Ford to cut its new-model introduction process to 18 months from about four years over the last decade.
“Software is driving just about everything we make,” Spiegel said, referring to Siemens’ production. New-age software helps in advanced manufacturing by making it automated and efficient, helping to add innovation and speed to market and giving a production facility flexibility.
“Manufacturers can change things quickly but do it at the same cost,” he said.
Spiegel was the keynote speaker today at the Global Competitive Summit. Charlotte Business Journal co-hosted the event, which included presentation of its Advanced Manufacturing Awards, both held at Central Piedmont Community College’s Harris Conference Center. CPCC was the other co-host of the combined events.
