In today’s episode, Craig Brown and Thom Singer welcome the Chief Analyst and CEO of Lifecycle Insights Chad Jackson.  Chad works to help engineering executives understand what drives change in the industry in order to make better decisions about investments, enhancements and other solutions.  Today he shares key components to successful adaptation to digital enterprises, lessons that can be learned from adapting to these new systems, and the career opportunities and trends that Chad sees most frequently in companies today. 

 

On today’s podcast, you will learn:

Key components to successful adaptation to digital enterprises

• Being proactive is the number one indicator of successful adaptation to digital enterprises.
• Recognize that new systems will bring disruption to your company. 
• Identifying your comfort or discomfort level will help to ease the transition to new systems within your organization.
• Recognize the role that organizational politics will play in adapting new systems
• Work to bring all leaders onto the same page in what needs to change and how to get it done.

 

Lessons learned from systems engineering adaptation

• Be keenly aware of the scope of what you’re going to take on. 
• Systems engineering is a mindset rather than a discipline that needs to be approached as an abstract that is open to providing many solutions.
• Cultural changes have to happen across disciplines in order to be successfully adapted.
• The amount of software and electronics in products is overwhelming and presents its own set of problems. 

 

Understanding mathematical modeling

• Innovation within mathematical modeling in mechanical design is the key to meaningful advancement.
• Additives have changed the options with shape — shape is no longer limited but can now effectively affect the functional properties of designs. 
• Benefits include lower cost and increased flexibility and speed of production.

 

Adapting virtual commissioning

• The technology has to be properly developed before companies will fully adapt the option.
• Companies have the opportunity to be more competitive in time to market with virtual commissioning. 
• Visualization and cloud technology are making it possible to more greatly exploit virtual commissioning. 

 

Career opportunities and trends

• Companies are facing increased product complexity, and need systems engineers to help mitigate that complexity. 
• Sharpen your skills around the inherent political nature of organizations. 
• Understand and compromise with leaders to find compromises and solutions. 
• Identify the companies that are willing to adapt with the constant change of today’s digital world. 

 

Do you have an example of extraordinary efforts or innovation during these unprecedented times? We would love to hear your story and possibly interview you for an upcoming episode. Please reach out to us at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org

 

Lifecycle Insights