iBase-t, the company that simplifies how complex products are built and maintained, today announced the results of an original survey of more than 100 discrete manufacturing executives in the U.S., which found that a lack of a clearly defined roadmap is the biggest challenge for manufacturers looking to digitally transform their operations.

iBase-t, the company that simplifies how complex products are built and maintained, today announced the results of an original survey of more than 100 discrete manufacturing executives in the U.S., which found that a lack of a clearly defined roadmap is the biggest challenge for manufacturers looking to digitally transform their operations.

A full 60% of respondents said they did not have a clear understanding of the model-based enterprise (MBE), which employs CAD systems, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to help manufacturers fully digitize their operations.

Respondents confirmed that although paperless manufacturing and digital transformation are very important priorities, more than two-thirds (67%) of manufacturers reported that less than half of their operations are digital.

"Manufacturers have increased their digital investment over the past few years and accelerated the adoption of emerging technologies but without a clearly defined roadmap, companies struggle to reach their ultimate goal of becoming a model-based enterprise," said Naveen Poonian, CEO of iBase-t. "Establishing a model-based enterprise is a long-term endeavor that many companies in complex discrete manufacturing should be undertaking now, if they wish to remain relevant in the future. Having an actionable path will allow them to reach this goal."

"Manufacturers who adopt a model-based enterprise strategy will realize improved traceability and agility, faster delivery, greater efficiency, and lower costs," said Jeff Gleeson, MBE expert and retired executive at leading aerospace company, Lockheed Martin. "If you're a manufacturer who wants a competitive advantage, the question isn't whether you should embrace MBE, but when."

Beyond a lack of understanding of what MBE is, the survey found that more than half (54.5%) of respondents lack the interoperability across operations to adopt an MBE strategy. An additional 55% said that their manufacturing systems are not mature enough to support MBE. To learn more about the model-based enterprise architecture, please attend our MBE webinar series.

Other Key findings:

According to the survey, 62% of total respondents said that they believe paperless manufacturing is "very important" to their organization.

The top four goals for manufacturers heading into 2024 are efficiency (66%), on-time delivery (66%), done-right first time (49%) and profitability (47%). An MBE strategy empowers manufacturers to reach all of these goals.


Resources:

View more information read: Manufacturing Transformation Reaches ‘Tipping Point' as Survey Finds Lack of Clear MBE Roadmap

Methodology
iBase-t's independent research was conducted in August of 2023 across the US. In total, more than 100 manufacturers (from the aerospace & defense, medical device, industrial equipment, electronics and ship building sectors) provided feedback.