Boris says the right technology can free information and processes to enable real-time analytics, which in turn can drive business processes and deliver performance-enhancing information directly to individuals, wherever they are working. "For example, you might deliver engineering information directly to the hands of the operator working on an asset, in real time, and perhaps wrap that information in 3D to provide a richer view," he says.

Creating and using real-time analytics in this way requires capabilities in several areas, Boris says. These include applications, analytics, and modeling around on demand, on premise, on device. The latter "speaks to having a hybrid cloud on premise as well as the necessary database," he says, "but the technology already exists."

"SAP already has in-memory and analytics platforms that are deployed and we are seeing a huge uptake in the market," says Boris, adding that discussions now are under way about moving SAP's suite of business applications to this in-memory platform. The mobility piece simplifies consumption of all the great information created by these applications, he says.

Social media also is having an impact. Boris sees it as a way to share knowledge and best practices, which is becoming increasingly important as the workforce ages and a company's knowledge base is lost through attrition. "We have to use social technology to fill in the gaps," he says. "The younger generation expect it and the older ones can use it because of its simplicity."

Boris says his vision for the next generation of manufacturing and supply chain is one of different processes that can be plugged or unplugged, giving incredible agility and more sustainability with less labor required.

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Keywords: ARC Advisory Group, Industrial Manufacturing, Business Intelligence & Analytics, Business Process Management, Collaboration & Integration, RFID, Wireless, Bar Code & Voice, Cloud, SaaS & On-Demand Systems, Software Architecture & SOA, Technology, Business Strategy Alignment, Supply Chain Analysis & Consulting, Global Supply Chain Management, SAP Business Applications, Business Process Modeling