Process Industries Turn to Collaborative Production Management

The Collaborative Production Management (CPM) market for process industries is expected to exceed $4 billion by 2015, according to a new study by the ARC Advisory Group.  The improving economy is expected to help unleash pent-up demand for CPM solutions that were postponed during the recession, says ARC Senior Analyst Tom Fiske, principal author of “Collaborative Production Management Systems for the Process Industries Worldwide Outlook."Improved visibility, lower cost of ownership, and reduced product costs were key drivers for many CPM solutions over the past year, according to ARC. Sustainability was not as high a priority over the past year due to economic concerns.  Another driving factor is the need to track and trace products throughout plants and the supply chain. Some industries require greater granularity and functionality, while others need traceability for anti-counterfeiting and brand protection purposes.  Depending upon the industry, track and trace can include tracing and tracking the raw materials, production, operations, and information that tracks the product to the consumer or retailer.  Most track and trace software focus on packaging lines and are designed to minimize the impact on line changes, improving efficiency, and overall equipment effectiveness.  For more information, visit http://www.arcweb.com