Software

Manufacturers face continual pressure to expand margins and be more profitable. Smart manufacturing can bring real bottom-line value to a business, helping it do more with less.

In 2017, Tulip raised $13 million with help from New Enterprise Associates Inc., Pitango Venture Capital and a handful of investors who already were onboard for the seed round. Now the Somerville, Massachusetts, startup is back with a round of financing that’s three times that. Toolmaker DMG Mori has joined the ranks, along with Vertex Ventures.

Manufacturing is transitioning from a linear supply chain world to a much more adaptable internet of goods. Just as the internet is built on the TCP/IP stack, the internet of goods will be built on a new manufacturing stack that goes beyond the factory floor.

Engine development company Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions (RYMS) will now use ProShop USA Inc.’s software to manage its advanced manufacturing shop. ProShop’s comprehensive ERP software allows users to control every step in the manufacturing process, from pricing and inventory to inspection data and shipping documentation. The software is especially beneficial to AS 9100 and ISO 9001 certified facilities such as Roush Yates.

The ways in which an enterprise software solution looks, feels and works for a user are increasingly crucial. Now that users have been influenced by their consumer experiences with innovative and digital technology, expectations have increased for their business software to provide a similar user experience (UX). Smartphone apps, online banking, flight purchases, shopping websites and so many other experiences are designed with intuitive, easy-to-learn user interfaces to improve UX. If users find a software experience inefficient, they’ll find ways around it, adoption will lag and organizations may not obtain the return on investment they expected. UX drives adoption, which is an important first step toward realizing business value from manufacturing enterprise software systems, including enterprise resource planning, supply chain management and customer relationship management.

Existing “digitally challenged” assets can be retrofitted or remanufactured cost-effectively to support many digitization goals. Using a simple net present value approach, small and midsize enterprises can assess the value of retrofitting or remanufacturing assets with machine learning, artificial intelligence or other data science applications.

The concept of cloud computing has been around for decades. And it was originally derived from the flow charts and diagrams used to envision the early foundations of the internet. Even then, the concept of linking many devices as an accumulation of computing resources with increased analytical power was seen as valuable.