Digitalization & New Technologies

Investments in products, platforms, and portfolios are increasingly evaluated over long time horizons. Value is no longer created only at launch, but over years of operation, adaptation, and extension. In this context, the way documentation and underlying data are structured today has a direct influence on future returns. Documentation decisions are rarely framed as investment decisions, yet they fundamentally shape cost predictability, scalability, and the speed at which future innovations can generate value.

The market conditions for manufacturing companies have fundamentally changed. Demand is less predictable, regulations are increasing, and cycles of growth and contraction are happening more rapidly. As a result, the focus has shifted from classic optimization to a core question: how can operations remain manageable in a constantly changing environment?

Technical documentation is a strict requirement for manufacturing companies. For safety, compliance, service, audits, and customer support, this documentation must be present, up-to-date, and accurate.

For industrial operators, the key objective is to maximize uptime. To achieve this, companies are increasingly investing in automation, IoT, and artificial intelligence. However, even the most advanced technologies will not work without one absolutely critical ingredient: high‑quality master data.

The success of a company producing complex industrial equipment depends on its ability to provide end customers with smooth services. These days, companies also need the ability to provide digital product passports. These abilities are badly hampered if any irregularities occur in the data value chain, especially in PLM and BOM. Why does digital maturity play a key role in avoiding unreliable or missing product data?

Executive teams in manufacturing companies may assume their core business data is in perfect shape, informing what is in production, what is being sold, and what has been delivered. However, a surprising number of companies have far less control than they believe. Why? Because master data has serious gaps, leading to hidden, but significant operational waste.

Industrial companies are rushing to adopt AI, advanced analytics, and many other digital systems that demand data to function. Yet few grasp what the prerequisite is for any success. It’s well-managed master data, which too often is left in neglect. Start treating master data as the crown jewel in your company and stop losing productivity, making poor investments, and struggling with regulations.

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