The factory of the future for us is a fully optimized plan
that benefits from lean management
as it does from new digital and automation technology,
and it potentially even involves structural changes such
as make, build, or buy or a redesign of the shop floor layout.
With that in mind, I'd even argue
that you need a perspective on your factory of the future
to set guardrails that also guide your short-term actions.
Typically, what you want to do is
to prioritize actions in a way
that you implement those first,
that offer the highest return quickly.
By doing this, you ensure that you optimize for cost today,
while at the same time you fund the journey towards your
factory of the future.