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Technological changes, a tense economic situation and regulations related to sustainable development make 2024 a year full of challenges for the production industry. For companies that properly prepare to respond to upcoming trends, this will be a year that will open new development opportunities.
2023 was a time of unprecedented challenges – inflation, rising energy costs and strained supply chains became a source of problems not only for consumers, but also for many companies in Poland. However, there were also positive signals from the market – thanks to the gradual digital transformation, more and more companies have made an important business step towards the future.
What challenges and opportunities will the manufacturing industry face in 2024? How can companies prepare for them? To answer these questions, Dassault Systèmes has prepared a list of trends that will be crucial in the coming months:
Sustainability as a business priority – changing consumer habits towards more sustainable activities is important, but the greatest responsibility today lies with business, which is responsible for emitting most of the world’s pollution. The decisions that companies make regarding the environment, social responsibility and corporate governance (ESG) are becoming more and more important also for customers and contractors. The ESG reporting obligation in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will soon apply to virtually every Polish company. The changes are being introduced gradually and will initially only apply to the largest players. However, companies should know that it is worth preparing today.
Advanced technologies increase innovation – the manufacturing industry is on the verge of a technological breakthrough caused by the emergence of innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual twins and augmented reality (AR). These technologies enable the virtualization of the entire product life cycle and the introduction of high quality, efficiency and innovation in production halls. In 2024, they will play a key role in companies, improving business models, training methodologies and design paradigms.
Breaking down organizational silos – There have been many delays in the traditional design, architecture, engineering and production of any product. The reason was that each of these functions was associated with a separate department or division within the company, often referred to as “information silos”. However, sustainable innovation requires continuous collaboration on product definition – both technical collaboration and collaboration between all stakeholders, internal and external, in the value network. These teams need access to up-to-date product information to contribute to the development process and ensure feasibility at every stage. Digitization supports effective information flow – it eliminates cumbersome file exchange and allows stakeholders immediate access to the latest data. The digitalization process therefore extends the benefits of PLM, integrating the entire value network and contributing to the unification of product definition.
From mass production to mass customization, digital manufacturing techniques are becoming increasingly important for companies that seek to differentiate products in a bid to increase their degree of personalization. As manufacturers move to a “pull” model based on customer demand for mass customization rather than simply “launching” a product to market, they will need the ability to visualize both their products and manufacturing processes to ensure that all components and raw materials are available and determine which physical location is best suited for production.
Source: Dassault Systèmes press materials