In the 1990s, industry analyst firms like Forrester, IDC, and AMR Research were highly respected throughout the manufacturing sector. After Gartner acquired AMR, manufacturing industry analysts looked for other opportunities and Gartner’s services were no longer affordable for mid-sized manufacturers with hefty upfront annual membership fees that could range from $25,000 to $125,000. While some more nimble analyst firms survived the consolidation, such as ARC Advisory Group, many analysts continued to bounce in and out of the industry. Valuable insights and information that industry analysts brought to the table for manufacturers is no longer available. However, today’s mid-sized manufacturers need not be excluded from these valuable perspectives thanks to small manufacturing industry analyst groups like Tech-Clarity. 

Jim Brown, founder of Tech-Clarity is one of the few analysts that have withstood the test of time and continues to display his commitment to manufacturing research. With a robust background including manufacturing, management consulting, and software implementation, Jim brings a wealth of knowledge and industry perspective. Jim leverages his experience and expertise to focus on every manufacturer’s concern: how to serve customers in a way that they are driving product quality, reliability, and performance through high operational efficiency throughout their organizations. 

To better serve customers, increase margins, and drive profitable growth, Jim and his Tech-Clarity team combine their focus on the people, process, and technology aspects to improve business in a way that that is meaningful, digestible, and accessible to mid-sized manufacturers that are not able to purchase an expensive subscription to an analyst service. Although Tech-Clarity is a significantly smaller operation compared to the Gartner, the company’s research features hard hitting reports such as: 

Identify High Impact Areas 

Mid-sized manufacturers that are not investing in Industry 4.0 technologies and are neglecting digital transformation will find it difficult to take advantage of new opportunities, and it may be nearly impossible to survive, regardless of industry focus. In order to derive value from Industry 4.0, organizations must know exactly what it is that they are trying to accomplish and identify high impact areas of their operations. With governmental regulations surrounding manufacturing, companies are going to have to meet evolving quality, traceability, and sustainability requirements, and Industry 4.0 technologies are the key to that success. 

“A lot of manufacturers approach with the mindset of ‘I need to digitally transform,’ and yes, they do, but why?” said Jim. “I ask people what their goals are, and some say that their goal is to ‘go live with a software by x date’. If your whole goal is to simply go live with new software, I am going to save you time, money, and trouble – just say you did it and don’t really do it. If you don’t have business goals, like trying to reduce order lead times, improve quality, or something tangible like that, software isn’t going to provide any business value whatsoever.” 

Having clear, measurable business goals is essential when taking any step toward digital transformation. 

Join Jim in Charlotte 

Jim is bringing his impressive background and valuable insights as the keynote speaker to Charlotte, North Carolina on October 6, 2022 at The Barrel Room at Triple C Brewing Co. After a successful event in Cleveland earlier this year and a noteworthy event in Charlotte last year, FactoryEye is bringing “The Secrets of Industry 4.0” back to the Carolinas. FactoryEye witnessed the value that Industry 4.0 can bring to mid-sized manufacturers in the area, and this intimate lunch event and happy hour is a great opportunity to network and learn from some of the best in the industry. Beginning at noon, attendees will enjoy lunch before joining a jam-packed agenda featuring expert speakers and personal break-out sessions. The event will wrap up with a happy hour, giving manufacturers a chance to network with their industry colleagues. 

“The audience is going to get a broad perspective as well as the chance to interact and network with peers who work in the industry every day,” said Jim. “This event will be a great representation of the manufacturing community, and the audience is sure to leave with actionable steps that they can start implementing into their business practices right away. I know I got a lot out of the Cleveland event.” 

Come join Jim and other manufacturing experts by registering for the event here.