Social computing enables manufacturers to facilitate meaningful engagement and collaboration, rapid innovation and design, and real-time business process management to effectively maintain their competitive edge in a rapidly evolving industry. Some would argue that manufacturers have already invested big in IT systems like Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to accomplish the same goals. So, how does a social enterprise add any value beyond the capabilities these enterprise systems already offer?

A social enterprise supports the innate pillars unique to a business or industry to drive efficiencies, engagement, and collaboration within the workforce. It’s not about another system or another process, but about empowering employees within their roles to connect, collaborate, strategize, and innovate wherever they are within the business process. The result is a connected and engaged workforce that makes the best possible product by minimizing defects, maximizing efficiencies, and contributing to the collective – and often globally distributed – enterprise knowledge base.

Those in the discrete manufacturing industry who are interested in implementing social to drive efficiencies, engagement, and collaboration within the business.

How to bridge business and technology requirements when implementing social using Microsoft's DIRA framework, in particular by addressing:

• role-based productivity and insights to empower authentic engagement,
• social business to create connections among knowledgeable people and networks of experts,
• smart connected devices to allow real-time access via mobile devices, and
  
• dynamic business networks to form quick and flexible connections.

Social Business Solutions