The manufacturing industry is under increasing pressure to operate more efficiently, flexibly and competitively. Digitalisation plays an important role in this, but many companies struggle with the question of how best to tackle this transformation. Where do you start? Which processes offer the most room for improvement? And how do you ensure that digitalisation actually contributes to Operational Excellence? The Digital Shopfloor Scan offers a strategic and data-driven approach to answer these questions.
The Digital Shopfloor Scan offers a structured and strategic approach to help companies on their digitalisation journey. By objectively analysing business processes and deploying digital technologies at the right time and in the right way, this scan helps to identify bottlenecks, exploit improvement opportunities and develop a clear roadmap for further optimisation.
A strong process foundation is essential for this. According to Treacy and Wiersema's model, organisations can achieve market leadership by differentiating themselves in one of three value disciplines: Operational Excellence, Customer Intimacy or Product Leadership. The Digital Shopfloor Scan focuses specifically on Operational Excellence and helps organisations streamline internal processes, reduce costs and deliver reliable, consistent products or services.
What distinguishes the digital shopfloor scan from other digitisation initiatives is its approach. Instead of immediately turning to technology as a solution, the process starts with an objective analysis of the production environment. By mapping the existing processes and performance, companies gain insight into where the biggest improvement opportunities lie. Only then can be determined which digital technologies add value and how they can be optimally deployed. This method prevents companies from focusing on technologies without a clear strategy and ensures that digitalisation has a real impact. This makes Operational Excellence not just an ambition, but a concrete and achievable goal.
The Digital Shopfloor Scan focuses on several areas within the manufacturing industry that directly affect the efficiency and effectiveness of the production environment. To get a better idea of the scope of the scan, it is important to distinguish the process areas where optimisation and digitalisation have the most impact.
Innovation starts with product development, where research, design and testing come together to successfully bring new products to market. Once a product design is established, the procurement process starts with the selection and acquisition of raw materials and components. After procurement, inventory management plays a crucial role in optimising the storage and movement of materials so that the right quantities are available at the right time. Then, within production, these raw materials are converted into finished products through operations such as welding and machining. Streamlined planning, supported by methods such as Master Production Planning and Material Requirements Planning (MRP), ensures that capacity and resources are optimally utilised.
Ensuring product quality requires solid quality control. This includes performance measures such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), which provide insight into the availability, performance and quality of production processes. Through inspections and continuous monitoring, deviations can be detected and corrected in time. Once products meet quality standards, they are transported through distribution and logistics and managed within warehouse and transportation networks. Finally, supply chain management ensures a smooth and efficient flow of goods and information, from supplier to end customer. This ensures that products reach the right place on time and at minimum cost, which is essential for a well-functioning production environment.
Operational Excellence requires more than just more efficient processes. It requires a structured approach in which continuous improvement is central. Business Process Management (BPM) helps companies map, analyse, optimise and, where possible, automate their processes. By applying BPM, organisations can increase efficiency and pursue strategic goals in a more focused way. The Digital Shopfloor Scan integrates BPM techniques and uses the Business Process Maturity Model to gain insights into the maturity level of processes. With these insights, organisations can take targeted steps to improve their operational performance and increase their digital maturity.
Companies go through several phases in this process. In the initial phase, they often operate with ad hoc processes without documentation or standardisation (Initial). As the organisation grows, processes become repeatable and controllable (Established), and then standardised and documented (Defined). In the next phase, performance is continuously monitored and measured (Adherence), so that deviations can be adjusted in time. The most mature organisations reach the level of continuous improvement and optimisation (Optimised), where processes are adjusted dynamically and data-driven to ensure maximum efficiency and quality. By understanding where an organisation is at this scale, companies can take targeted steps to make their operational processes more efficient, effective and future-proof.
Digital maturity determines how well an organisation uses technology and data to operate more efficiently, flexibly and competitively. Manufacturing companies that invest in this strengthen their competitive position and build a future-proof organisation. An important part of this transition is the digital thread, which links Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This integrated information flow ensures that all departments always have access to real-time and accurate product information. This leads to better collaboration, more effective decision-making and higher levels of process control.
To make the most of data, smart applications and integrated solutions are essential. IoT devices and low-code applications such as Mendix, collect and analyse data in real-time, allowing companies to respond to changes immediately and prevent problems before they escalate. In addition, integrated systems allow PLM and ERP platforms to communicate and exchange data effortlessly, resulting in more efficient and streamlined operations. AI and data-driven insights play a crucial role here. By analysing large amounts of data, AI algorithms can recognise patterns and trends that would otherwise remain hidden. This helps companies make better-informed decisions, optimise processes and continuously improve product quality.
Despite the growing need for digitalisation, many manufacturing companies face challenges in successfully implementing it. The transition to a more automated and data-driven way of working is often slower than desired because companies encounter various obstacles.
Many organisations understand that digitisation is necessary, but do not know which technologies and approaches are best suited to their specific situation. Without a clear strategy, digitisation initiatives often remain stand-alone projects without coherence. This lack of a structured implementation plan leads to small, isolated improvements instead of a broad, effective transformation.
Digitisation brings changes, but without a clear picture of the expected benefits, decision-making often remains absent. This lack of understanding makes it difficult to justify digitisation initiatives internally, making companies hesitant to take the next step even when the benefits are clearly visible. This procrastination increases the risk of organisations being left behind in a market where digitisation is increasingly the norm.
Digitisation is not only about technology, but also about the people who can successfully implement and apply it. Many companies struggle with a shortage of employees to carry out digitisation projects. One in three entrepreneurs experience this challenge and say they struggle to find and retain qualified staff. This shortage not only delays digital transformation but also hinders innovation
In addition to internal challenges, external factors also play a major role. Rising energy prices, falling margins and economic uncertainty make companies reluctant to invest in digitalisation. Although the long-term benefits are clear, financial constraints are causing many organisations to postpone their digitisation plans.
A successful digital transformation starts with a strong vision and active management commitment. When this support is lacking, digitisation projects often get stuck in the planning phase or fragmented initiatives without coherence. Without a clear direction and commitment, opportunities are missed and inefficiencies arise that in the long run weaken a company's competitive position.
The Digital Shopfloor Scan not only provides companies with insight into their current production processes, but also helps them make strategic choices. By doing an in-depth analysis of the shopfloor, organisations gather essential data that guides their strategy and operational execution. This enables them to set priorities and optimise investments in a targeted way.
By identifying exactly where technology and resources add the most value, companies can avoid unnecessary costs and increase efficiency. At the same time, risk management plays a crucial role: by identifying disruptions early, organisations can take proactive action and keep their operations stable. In addition, the scan provides valuable insights to refine processes and implement strategic improvements, making companies more flexible and responsive to change. Furthermore, to direct process optimisation, the scan helps create a clear roadmap for growth and innovation. By basing strategic decisions on data and insights from the Digital Shopfloor Scan, organisations build a future-proof and continuously improving production environment.
To gain insight into the digital maturity of your production environment, we conduct a Digital Maturity Assessment on the shop floor. This scan is specially designed to identify the biggest challenges within your production environment and implement targeted improvements. The method combines in-depth business insights with more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, giving your organisation not only theoretical models but also concrete, practice-oriented advice.
The Digital Maturity Assessment offers a holistic approach to analyse and optimise your production processes. Instead of focusing exclusively on the shop floor, this scan also maps the processes that directly or indirectly influence it. Think of goods receipt, assembly, inventory management, planning, quality control, purchasing and logistics. This broad focus creates a complete picture of your production environment and provides strategic insight into opportunities for improvement. The aim is not only to improve individual processes, but also to optimise the cohesion between departments. Inefficiencies and bottlenecks that normally remain under the radar are identified, allowing your organisation to take targeted steps towards smarter and more effective working methods.
Identifying improvement opportunities is only the first step. To turn these insights into concrete results, effective implementation of digital solutions is essential. Digital transformation goes beyond technology. It calls for an integrated approach in which processes, organisation and systems fit together seamlessly. At Emixa, we take this holistic view so that your organisation not only operates more efficiently, but also becomes future-proof.
Business processes are the backbone of your organisation. They determine how efficiently and effectively goals are achieved. By optimising workflows, minimising waste and improving cooperation, your organisation can reduce costs and strengthen its competitive position. A strong foundation in process optimisation is essential to successfully implement digitalisation.
But technology alone is not enough. The organisational side of digital transformation plays an equally important role. This includes the corporate culture, structure and roles within your organisation. Innovation only really succeeds when employees are open to change and embrace new technologies. A digital mindset and support within all layers of the company make the difference between a superficial adaptation and a sustainable transformation.
Besides processes and organisation, systems are the third pillar of digital maturity. Technologies such as ERP software, IoT devices, AI and cloud computing make processes more efficient and your organisation more responsive to changing market conditions. The right combination of these systems not only strengthens operational performance, but also enables real-time data insights for faster and better decision-making.
For managers who want to promote digital maturity, it is essential to consider business processes, organisation and systems as a whole. Together, these elements form the foundation for a successful digital transformation. Emixa's Digital Shopfloor Scan focuses specifically on optimising business processes and systems. This ensures that operational improvements and technological innovations go hand in hand, without immediately requiring a complete organisational restructuring. This allows your organisation to grow in phases and strategically towards a more efficient and smarter way of working.
Digital transformation doesn't have to be a complex challenge. With the Digital Shopfloor Scan, Emixa helps your organisation gain insight into current processes, identify improvement opportunities and draw up a concrete action plan. By cleverly combining data and technology, we ensure that digitalisation is not only used strategically, but also has a measurable impact on your organisation's efficiency and productivity.
Want to gain insight into your organisation's digital maturity? With the Digital Maturity Asssessment, you will discover where the biggest opportunities lie and how you can digitise strategically. Take the next step towards a more efficient and data-driven operation today. Contact Emixa and start your digital transformation.