Synchrono, Inc., St. Paul, Minn., released its “2018 Top Ten Trends in Modern Demand-Driven Manufacturing.”

This list is based on interactions with hundreds of manufacturers and industry experts addressing challenges, innovation and technologies associated with demand or pull-based manufacturing environments.

Demand-driven manufacturing is a method of manufacturing primarily used in discrete engineer-to-order (ETO), make-to-order (MTO), build-to-order (BTO) and make-to-stock (MTS) manufacturing environments where production is based on actual demand (orders or consumption) rather than a forecast. Demand-driven manufacturing combines the best of lean manufacturing, constraints management and Six Sigma principles to synchronize activities, improve production flow, eliminate waste and drive on-time delivery. 

This year’s report topics include synchronization as the next step in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), why many manufacturers are taking a layered approach to technology, the reasons for adopting a manufacturing system of record (MSOR) and more.