SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CEOs and experts from China’s leading companies gathered in Shanghai and Beijing to explore how smart manufacturing will deliver value to the manufacturing industry and support government initiatives including China Manufacturing 2025. Hosted by Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK), “The Connected Enterprise CEO Forum” was led by Rockwell Automation’s new president and CEO, Blake Moret.
Rockwell Automation refers to The Connected Enterprise as the connection of information from the plant floor to the rest of the enterprise. This delivers unprecedented business value by bringing together people, processes and technology to achieve enhanced productivity, sustainability and economic performance. The Connected Enterprise is enabled by an integrated control and information architecture that delivers a smarter, more productive and more secure environment.
“The Connected Enterprise is a future-proof vision available today that is perfectly aligned with the Chinese government’s “China Manufacturing 2025” and “Internet Plus” initiatives, to help China transition to smart manufacturing,” said Moret.
“Connecting operations technology with information technology has become a business imperative,” added Moret. “The Connected Enterprise is how companies will realize tangible business value. For example, it will enable pharmaceutical companies to comply with stringent regulations; the consumer industry to be more flexible to changing market trends; and bring greater efficiency to heavy industry.”
China’s traditional industries, facing the problem of overcapacity, are considering moving abroad for further development. Last year, China’s Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) surpassed its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the first time. It is crucial now for Chinese companies to enhance quality as well as plant productivity to compete globally. As they move to cultivate markets outside of China, The Connected Enterprise will help those companies address a number of challenges, including global differences in standards and regulations.
“Rockwell Automation is well-positioned to help Chinese companies invest globally,” said Bob Buttermore, managing director, Rockwell Automation Greater China. “Our Connected Enterprise can help Chinese companies boost global competitiveness by connecting their people, processes and assets for global optimization. Additionally, our global network covers over 80 countries and can help companies meet local manufacturing standards, access available support resources and build the infrastructure for global plant-wide optimization.”
Rockwell Automation boasts extensive experience in helping Chinese companies expand globally. The company signed a strategic agreement with SGMW to implement an automation control system for SGMW’s plant in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rockwell Automation provided the automation control and information solutions, technical support for SGMW’s equipment suppliers, and training for an overseas team. This collaboration ensured SGMW could maintain the same standard across different countries.
In another recent case, a Chinese tire manufacturer planned to build a plant in the U.S. Rockwell Automation helped the company with plant design to meet local safety standards. A seamless Manufacturing Execution System (MES) in the company’s China and U.S. plants helped to ensure integrated control of both plants.
Since starting operations in China in 1988, Rockwell Automation has rapidly expanded. Rockwell Automation now has over 2,000 employees in 34 offices, a global R&D center in Shanghai, a software development center in Dalian and two manufacturing facilities. With world-leading control and information technologies, Rockwell Automation serves a wide range of industries in China, including automotive, tire, oil and gas, chemical, food and beverage, life sciences, mining, subway, and water and wastewater treatment.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.
