As summer arrives in the Northern Hemisphere, there's a familiar shift in pace—schools slow down, out-of-offices go up, and calendars open just enough to take a breath. For many, this season invites a moment to reset, reflect, and prepare for what’s next. And at OpenText Business Network, that’s exactly what our latest releases do for your digital supply chain: they deliver fresh innovations to reduce complexity, respond to evolving customer needs, and help businesses thrive in a world that's always on.

OpenText™ Business Network is a leading cloud platform for B2B integration and supply chain collaboration, enabling organizations to connect systems, partners, and data across complex ecosystems. With AI-driven insights, built-in compliance, and a highly secure infrastructure, the platform helps global businesses digitize operations, boost agility, and scale with confidence.

Since our last update in December, we’ve delivered two major releases—25.1 in January and 25.2 in April—packed with enhancements that simplify operations, strengthen resilience, and accelerate decision-making. Here’s what’s new:

Smarter Insights with Command Center and Trading Grid with Aviator

AI continues to take center stage in Business Network, making it easier for users to analyze integration health and act faster:

• Error message analysis: When B2B transaction errors occur, identifying the root cause can be time-consuming. This feature uses AI to surface patterns, diagnose recurring issues, and suggest resolutions in real time—reducing delays and improving recoverability.

Trading Grid Insights Error Analysis 

• Ask Aviator for Command Center—Integration Monitor: Business users can now get instant answers about document flows, partner activity, and platform performance—without needing technical expertise. This helps teams monitor operations proactively and resolve issues before they impact customers.

Ask Aviator in Integration Monitor 

• Payload Analysis: Business users no longer need to interpret raw EDI data on their own. With Aviator, anyone can simply ask a question in natural language—like “What is this invoice for?”—and instantly receive a plain-English explanation. It’s a game changer for making complex supply chain data understandable and usable across teams.

Trading Grid with Aviator Payload Viewer 

• Transaction Finder: Give your team the power to explore transaction data their way. Using intuitive, conversational search, users can uncover specific insights—such as delayed shipments or missing acknowledgments—without digging through multiple screens. It’s flexible, fast, and built for real-time answers.

Trading Grid with Aviator Transaction Finder 

• Enhanced Historical Analytics: REST APIs and deeper insights into partner and document metrics make it easier to track long-term integration trends and power custom reporting.

Elevating Trading Grid Insights

Formerly known as Trading Grid Lens, Trading Grid Insights is now tightly integrated with Aviator for real-time, AI-driven queries:

• Service Traffic Prioritization: New visibility tools allow IT to manage low- vs. high-priority traffic during peaks, ensuring consistent uptime and service levels.
• Partial Processing Status: Improved tracking for partially processed documents helps teams stay on top of exception handling and reduces bottlenecks.

Global Compliance at Your Fingertips

Keeping up with eInvoicing mandates worldwide is no easy task—but we’ve made it easier with expanded compliance capabilities:

• 25.1 introduced support for the latest Franco-German Factur-X and ZUGFeRD standards, including German X-Rechnung validation.
• 25.2 added support for Romania (via in-house development), Singapore, and E-Reporting on our TG E-Invoicing Navigator platform.

Integration Enhancements: Secure, Scalable, and Self-Service

• Advanced SFTP & Containerization: Enhanced security and streamlined deployment are delivered through advanced SFTP support and containerized services for Messaging and Data Integrator.
• ERP Adapter Expansion: New integrations include SAP S/4HANA P2P, Oracle Fusion SCM, MS Dynamics 365 (Finance & Operations, Business Central), and NetSuite—simplifying ERP-to-B2B integration across more environments.
• Self-Service Capabilities: From onboarding partners to deleting records and setting up translation maps, our TG Quick Connect workflows reduce onboarding time and empower business users to act independently.

Enhancing Supplier Collaboration

• Purchase Order Negotiation: Businesses can now collaborate on POs with trading partners before syncing into back-end systems, improving accuracy and reducing order rework.
• Package Codes and PO Notes: Shipment and order data are now more precise with added support for dimensional package data and embedded notes.

Expanding Platform Access and Security

• SCIM and SSO Enhancements: Streamlined provisioning of users and partners across systems improves identity governance and speeds up community onboarding.
• Vault & Key Management: Credential management now aligns with enterprise security standards, reducing risk and meeting compliance mandates.

Performance and Productivity Boosts

• Faster Processing: Onboarding and deduction tasks are now processed more efficiently, with split batch processing minimizing delays.
• Improved Portal Search and Custom URLs: Enhancements to Core Collaboration Access include more comprehensive search and support for customer-branded URLs in shared communities.

A Season of Growth with OpenText Business Network

Just like summer offers time to pause and plan, OpenText Business Network’s latest innovations help you step back, realign, and move forward with purpose. Whether it's gaining real-time insights, streamlining compliance, or giving your teams more control, our 25.1 and 25.2 releases are designed to help you build smarter, more connected supply chain ecosystems.

We’re excited about what’s ahead—and we’ll be back later this year with even more updates to keep you moving forward.

The post What’s New in OpenText Business Network Cloud appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

As supply chains become more digital, global, and complex, businesses are under growing pressure to modernize the way they connect, communicate, and operate.

Two of the most critical technologies enabling this transformation are Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). While both are used to exchange data between systems and partners, they work in fundamentally different ways—and understanding when and how to use each is key to building a future-ready supply chain. 

In this blog, we’ll break down EDI vs. API, explaining their differences, and why EDI remains vital despite the rise of modern APIs. And, explore how combining the two can give your business the flexibility, speed, and scalability needed to thrive in today’s dynamic environment. 

What is the difference between EDI and API? 

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are both methods of exchanging business data, but they serve different purposes and operate differently. 

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is a standardized method for exchanging structured business documents like invoices or purchase orders in batches—ideal for high-volume, stable transactions. 

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enable real-time, flexible data sharing between systems, suited for dynamic tasks like live shipment tracking or inventory checks. 

Understanding EDI vs. API is essential because each serves a distinct role. EDI excels at handling high-volume, standardized transactions, while APIs enable real-time, flexible data exchange.  

By understanding their strengths, businesses can strategically use both to create a connected, agile supply chain that balances stability with speed and adaptability. This hybrid approach ensures seamless integration across partners, systems, and workflows. 

EDI simplifies key transactions 

EDI enables fast, structured, and automated data exchange between trading partners, which simplifies key transactions, such as sending orders, giving notice of deliveries, confirming receipt of deliveries, booking transport, sending invoices, among others.  

EDI is understood globally and follows recognized formats, such as EDIFACT, ANSI X12 for seamless data exchange. It’s secure and efficient at handling large volumes of data transactions, but it can be complex and costly to set up the initial configuration and trading partner mappings, especially for smaller companies.  

Despite being trusted and used for decades, for years now, many believed that EDI would be phased out and replaced by Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). However, given its value in delivering structured, error-free data exchange in an increasingly complex global marketplace, EDI usage continues.  

Companies around the world, from suppliers and logistics providers to retailers and manufacturers, rely on an EDI strategy to exchange critical business documents securely, quickly, and in a standardized format. 

APIs enable instant data exchange 

APIs allow instant data exchange without waiting for batch processing and offer integration flexibility with a wide range of systems, such as CRMs, ERPs, analytics tools, and other cloud-based applications within your digital ecosystem. However, where EDI is all about standardization, API formats vary, requiring custom integrations with each partner, which can be costly and time-consuming in multi-partner environments.  

Many businesses use APIs to communicate between disparate systems within their system chain. Since APIs provide real-time data exchange, this can improve supply chain transparency and visibility.  

And, APIs connect to e-commerce platforms and support the integration of analytics tools, allowing businesses to gain insights into performance metrics and adapt to changing conditions.  

The importance of a strategy that connects EDI and API   

The supply chain workforce is changing. Some professionals are retiring, others joining don’t know much about EDI and want to go forward with API-first strategies.  

There are also business challenges, like rising costs, but fewer resources, supply chain disruptions, and technology innovation initiatives, and more. Given these factors, it's less about EDI vs. API, and more about taking a “best of both worlds” approach, which sets you up for success.  

Rather than replace EDI, integrate it with APIs, other cloud platforms, and AI/ML, so you can enhance automation and flexibility within your digital ecosystem. This connected approach will reduce costs in the long term, improve operations despite possible disruptions and workforce changes, and ensure compliance with global standards.  

With a connected strategy, you can bridge the gap between bulk transaction support and real-time data exchange, making it easier to handle high-volume processes and dynamic, immediate updates needed to keep the flow of business going.  

You can more easily integrate with ERP systems, such as Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle NetSuite, Oracle Fusion, and SAP S/4HANA, that are already in place instead of ripping and replacing to make new technology fit with legacy technology. 

How to get started with EDI and API integration 

Every day you try to keep operations running smoothly, find ways to innovate and drive efficiencies, reduce costs, and simplify your supply chain. But you are asked to do this with limited resources and budget, making it hard to keep up with the speed of technology.  

When managing all these connections and the information attached to them, it's important to think long-term, not just one year at a time. You need solutions that evolve with you and continuously add new capabilities to assist you as your business grows. 

You don’t have to go it alone. There are several solutions out there, but what you need is a partner and a solution that will take the time to understand your digital ecosystem, so everything is done right from the start.  

Here are questions to ask when selecting an EDI and B2B integration solution and partner:  

• Knowledge and Know-How: Can they ensure a successful implementation—on time and on budget? 

• Automated Workflows: Can they help you find ways to reduce manual tasks and errors and increase productivity? 

• Enhanced Visibility: Does the solution – as built out of the box - enable access up-to-date information for better decision-making, gaining insights into your supply chain operations? 

• Cost Reduction: Will the solution reduce long-term costs, including total cost of ownership (TCO), and avoid hidden implementation fees? 

• Compliance: Can they ensure adherence to industry standards and regulations? 

• Ongoing Support: Will you receive regular customer support, including help with data validation and mappings from onboarding through implementation and after go-live? 

EDI and APIs: How OpenText can help 

OpenText Business Network supports both EDI and API-based integration—allowing businesses to connect with all partners, regardless of their technology maturity. This hybrid approach ensures end-to-end visibility, flexibility, and scalability across your digital supply chain. 

OpenText's B2B Integration solutions create a unified environment connecting your ERP system (Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle NetSuite, Oracle Fusion, SAP S/4HANA, etc.) with EDI and APIs in one digital ecosystem. 

OpenText offers pre-built ERP EDI-to-API adapters on a modern, scalable B2B platform and VAN—enabling faster deployment without requiring deep EDI expertise. 

Our trusted, flexible solutions let businesses connect once to everything. With our expertise, you'll streamline supply chain operations and build a foundation for innovations like AI/ML that maximizes your business data value. 

Ready to get started? Learn more about OpenText’s Easy EDI integration. 

The post EDI vs. API: Why both still matter in a modern supply chain appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

Industries today are constantly battling to maintain equipment reliability, reduce maintenance costs, improve safety and prevent costly equipment downtime. Traditional maintenance strategies often rely on reactive approaches, addressing issues only after machinery breaks down. But with AI and machine learning driving the future of maintenance, businesses are shifting toward predictive maintenance and prescriptive maintenance strategies to stay ahead of failures and keep operations running smoothly. 

The Power of Predictive and Prescriptive Maintenance 

Every business knows the pain of unexpected equipment downtime—operations grind to a halt, deadlines are missed, safety incidents occur, and costs skyrocket. For industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and energy, this downtime doesn't just mean a temporary hiccup; it leads to significant financial losses, decreased productivity, and even safety risks. 

Predictive maintenance offers a solution by using AI-powered analytics and real-time data to forecast when equipment is likely to fail. By analyzing data from IoT sensors, machine performance logs, and other systems, predictive analytics provides early warnings about potential equipment breakdowns, allowing businesses to schedule repairs before failure happens. This proactive approach minimizes downtime and helps prevent disruptions. 

But it gets better with prescriptive maintenance, which goes beyond forecasting failures. Prescriptive analytics recommends the best course of action to fix the issue—whether it’s adjusting machine settings, ordering a spare part, or scheduling a technician. This ensures that every intervention is timely and efficient, cutting down on costs and maximizing machine uptime. 

Why Equipment Downtime is a Business Killer 

Let’s take a deeper look at the impact of equipment downtime. Every minute of downtime leads to direct losses in revenue and productivity, but it also results in higher maintenance costs, damaged equipment, injury risk, and delayed orders. For industries dependent on machinery to operate—whether it’s factory equipment, healthcare devices, or power plants—downtime is a direct hit to profitability. 

Reactive maintenance is often too late—when a machine breaks down, the damage is done. But with predictive maintenance, businesses can prevent those failures altogether. By leveraging AI-powered maintenance strategies, organizations can move from reacting to breakdowns to predicting and preventing them. 

A 30-50% reduction in downtimeⁱ is just the beginning. Businesses that use machine learning in maintenance are also extending the lifespan of critical assets by 20-40%ⁱⁱ and reducing costs by up to 40%ⁱⁱⁱ. These savings add up fast, improving profitability while keeping operations running smoothly and yielding a 10x ROI^iv. 

The Technical Challenge of Implementing Predictive and Prescriptive Maintenance 

While the benefits of predictive maintenance are clear, implementing it comes with technical challenges. Businesses are generating massive amounts of data from IoT sensors, machine logs, and real-time monitoring systems. The key challenge is integrating this data and processing it fast enough to generate useful insights. 

This is where AI-powered maintenance truly shines. With the help of predictive analytics and machine learning, companies can analyze vast streams of data in real time. The challenge, however, is ensuring that these models remain accurate and adaptive as the equipment changes over time. Continuous data integration, real-time analysis, and accurate model training are essential to the success of predictive and prescriptive maintenance systems. 

Furthermore, businesses need scalability to handle the ever-growing data from their expanding operations. Whether you're dealing with thousands of IoT sensors across multiple factories or medical devices producing millions of data points, your system needs to scale without sacrificing speed or accuracy. Finally, concerns about data security and privacy must also be addressed, particularly when dealing with sensitive operational information. 

How OpenText Analytics Cloud Solves the Problem 

This is where OpenText Analytics Cloud steps in as the perfect solution. OpenText Analytics Cloud provides a unified platform for real-time data integration and AI-powered predictive analytics that’s built for scale. Whether your business deals with millions of data points per second or needs to analyze complex machine learning models in real time, OpenText offers a solution that works. 

The in-database machine learning capabilities of OpenText Analytics Cloud allow businesses to train and update predictive models directly within the platform, eliminating the need for data transfers between systems. This speeds up processing up to 50x and ensures continuous, accurate predictions, keeping you ahead of equipment failures. 

With flexible deployment options—on-prem, cloud, or hybrid—OpenText Analytics Cloud ensures businesses can tailor the solution to their infrastructure, minimizing costs and maximizing performance. Its real-time analytics capabilities make it the ideal partner for companies looking to adopt predictive and prescriptive maintenance at scale. And with enterprise-grade security, OpenText ensures your data is protected and fully compliant with industry regulations. 

Real-World Predictive Maintenance Success Stories 

Philips Healthcare 

Philips Healthcare faced a challenge with medical equipment reliability. By implementing OpenText Analytics Database (Vertica), Philips reduced equipment downtime by 30% and increased their first-time fix rate to 84%, while identifying 20% of issues before they even affected customers. This proactive approach ensures medical professionals can rely on critical devices without the risk of unplanned downtime. 

Knorr-Bremse 

A leader in braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles, Knorr-Bremse needed real-time insights into their fleet’s performance. Using OpenText Intelligence (Magellan BI & Reporting), they reduced maintenance costs by 20% and extended the lifespan of their equipment. This allowed them to achieve a significant ROI within 2-4 years by proactively addressing maintenance issues before they escalated. 

Nimble Storage (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) 

As their customer base grew by 600%, Nimble Storage needed a scalable solution to manage the influx of data from their storage systems. By implementing OpenText, they reduced query times by 50-83%, enabling real-time system insights. They also cut support cases by 86% and saw 19% fewer customer support calls annually, greatly improving customer satisfaction. 

Unowhy 

Supporting over 500,000 devices across classrooms, Unowhy faced the challenge of maintaining seamless operations while keeping maintenance costs under control. With OpenText Analytics Cloud, they improved device reliability, reduced support costs, and shifted to a proactive maintenance model that ensured educators could focus on teaching without technical interruptions.

Why Choose OpenText for Predictive and Prescriptive Maintenance? 

OpenText offers a comprehensive, scalable, and secure solution for businesses looking to adopt AI-powered maintenance strategies. With predictive analytics and machine learning integrated directly into the platform, OpenText delivers real-time insights and prescriptive recommendations to optimize maintenance operations, reduce costs, and prevent equipment failures. 

For businesses seeking to transform their maintenance strategies from reactive to proactive, OpenText Analytics Cloud is the perfect partner. With success stories across various industries, OpenText has proven its ability to drive operational excellence, ensuring businesses stay ahead of equipment failures and maintain optimal performance. 

The Future of Maintenance is Predictive and Prescriptive 

In an increasingly data-driven world, predictive and prescriptive maintenance are no longer just options—they are essential for any business looking to improve operational efficiency, prevent equipment downtime, and cut maintenance costs. With AI-powered maintenance and real-time analytics, businesses can prevent failures, extend asset lifespans, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. 

Choosing OpenText as your partner in predictive maintenance ensures you have the technology, scalability, and security to transform your operations and achieve long-term success. Don’t wait for your next breakdown—start predicting and preventing it today. 

The post From breakdown to breakthrough: How predictive and prescriptive maintenance are revolutionizing operations appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

OpenText was an active presenter and participant in the recent IoT Tech Expo in Santa Clara, CA. We also introduced customers to our AI IoT orchestration solution, Aviator IoT. There’s just something about attending a live event and answering questions as they arise that is incredibly satisfying. I wanted to share some of my observations from attending this event. 

The biggest take away is that IoT continues to be a hot topic for organizations. And with both established and emerging companies vying for attention, there continues to be strong investment and innovation in the technology. As Forrester noted, “82% of organizations are adopting IoT solutions or applications.”

 Additional insights from the IoT Tech Expo

Here are some of the other insights I took note of:

• AI was mentioned everywhere but shown very little.  Although artificial intelligence (AI) was a major talking point, examples of real-world implementations were less common. Many companies are still exploring how to effectively integrate AI with IoT to create value. The bottom line:  AI IoT is ripe for future development.

• The lack of IoT standards is still an issue.  There were many discussions about wireless IoT protocols like LoRaWAN and HaLow and other protocols underscoring that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The choice of protocol often depends on the specific data requirements and operational context of the IoT application. On a side note, stay tuned for an upcoming blog about how Aviator IoT will deliver tools for launching custom themed IoT applications.

• Long live the digital twin!  The concept of digital twins—virtual models of physical devices—remains a hot topic. These models can be used for real time fault detection, particularly in complex machinery and equipment.  Read more about the ever-evolving digital twin here.

• Supply chain traceability is more important than ever. Quality control, safety and compliance are just a few of the reasons. Traceability enables swift identification and recall of faulty products, ensures adherence to regulatory stands, builds consumer trust be demonstrating transparency and aids in pinpointing the source of issues in the supply chain. Ultimately, it helps organizations maintain high standards and responsiveness throughout the production and distribution processes. 

Please reach out to me if you would like to have a copy of my session presentation or to just chat about this exciting event.  And you can learn more about OpenText Aviator IoT here.

From IoT Expo to OpenText World

This reflection leads me to another highly anticipated tech event on the horizon, OpenText World North America, November 18 – 21 in Las Vegas. Learn about the latest innovations and technologies, including AI and IoT, at this marquee event. Hear keynote speeches and sessions led by industry thought leaders and visionaries and gain knowledge and practical insights into how technology can help your business adapt to a rapidly changing world.

The post 2024 IoT Tech Expo: Insights and observations appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

The concept of security posture, as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), refers to an organization's overall cybersecurity strength—including its defenses and adaptability to evolving threats. This blog explores the transition of cybersecurity strategies from a reactive approach to enabling actionable visibility, for proactive protection across the expanding attack surface, and reducing risk in today's digital enterprises. 

Today’s Cyber Threats and Challenges in Maintaining Security Posture 

The digital-first shift has broadened the enterprise attack surface significantly, necessitating advanced security measures to reduce the risk of breaches. For instance, the stealthy tactics of threat actors like Volt Typhoon, who remained undetected in U.S. critical infrastructure for years, underline the need for robust defences. Bolstering an organization's security posture remains a challenge for cybersecurity teams; here are some reasons why: 

• In the application security space, tool sprawl leads to isolated scanning activities that hinder the unified analysis and prioritization of vulnerabilities. And it is worth noting that eight of the top 10 data breaches of 2023 were related to application attack surfaces. 
• Complying with various data residency and sovereignty laws using point tools and spreadsheets is an overwhelming task. Additionally, there is the ever-present risk of inadvertent breaches due to the limited visibility into a) where PII/PHI data resides and b) whether it is adequately protected. 
• Verizon, in their 2023 DBIR report, found that 74% of all breaches are identity related, with threat actors exploiting the human element via privilege misuse, stolen credentials, social engineering, or just plain user error.  

Enabling Automated, Proactive Protection—The Next Crucial Step 

Security posture management is the ongoing process of monitoring and improving an organization's security measures. It includes identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring adherence to security policies, and rapidly addressing new threats to maintain robust security defenses and minimize risks. 

So, beyond simply introducing new acronyms, what essential benefits do security posture management solutions offer to an organization? 

Application Security Posture Management: 

• Aggregates and contextualizes security findings from various scanning tools throughout the SDLC. 
• Implements AI to identify critical vulnerabilities—including internal, LLM-generated, and open-source code—with the highest business impact.  
• Automates vulnerability fix suggestions and remediation early in the SDLC and, by orchestrating workflows, enables DevSecOps collaboration and eliminates tool sprawl. 

Data Security Posture Management: 

• Employs AI-driven analytics to automate the discovery and protection of sensitive data entities. 
• Effectively reduces storage costs and minimizes the risk associated with data breaches through AI-driven financial risk modelling. 
• Ensures compliance with a broad spectrum of regulatory requirements, including user and group access, to enhance overall data security and governance. 

Identity Security Posture Management: 

• Strengthens an organization’s defenses by providing a proactive framework that maintains the security posture of an organization’s identity infrastructure through automated workflows. 
• Provides AI/ML behavior monitoring of identities and user/entity access and implements multi-factor authenication/passwordless authentication. 
• Ensures comprehensive governance through regular assessments and certifications. 
• Applies the ‘least privilege principle’ and provides ongoing security awareness training. 

Conclusion 

The shift from point tools to comprehensive security posture management solutions marks the cybersecurity industry's move from reactive responses to proactive, automated protection in increasingly complex and interconnected IT environments. This transition underscores the need for actionable visibility; to not only detect threats but also to aggregate and correlate data across various security layers to automate defenses and contextualize risk. By adopting this integrated approach, organizations can enable proactive risk management and develop a more dynamic, comprehensive, and automated strategy for cyber resilience. 

OpenText™ offers solutions in application security, data security, and identity security as part of its broad-scope cybersecurity portfolio. Customers utilizing these platforms report: 

Application Security 

‘We looked at alternatives but found it a challenge to find a solution that identifies a wide range of vulnerabilities and makes them visible in an easy-to-action way. Once we saw what Fortify on Demand was capable of, we knew it was the solution for us.’ Jair García Osorio, Chief Technology Security Officer, Coca-Cola FEMSA    

Data Security 

‘We had investigated other vendors, but OpenText demonstrated clearly that it was the only company to provide integration between its solutions and our specific data repositories. This, coupled with the expertise we saw from OpenText consultants, convinced us that Voltage Fusion and File Reporter were the right match for us.’ Senior VP of Infrastructure & Information, Major United States Bank. 

Identity Security 

‘We have worked with the NetIQ suite of identity and access management solutions for the last 20 years and felt NetIQ Identity Governance ticked all required boxes. We introduced it in a proof-of-concept (POC) and beat the other vendors in the mix.’ Brent Kynaston, Solutions Architect, TriVir 

The post Beyond the buzzwords: Automating protection with AI-enabled solutions for modern cybersecurity appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

In recent years, the manufacturing sector has experienced notable disruptions – including supply chain instability, product demand fluctuations, transportation issues, and workforce shortages. However, amidst these challenges, a crucial lesson emerged that highlighted how harnessing information effectively can yield a distinct competitive edge and enhance overall profitability.

As we anticipate the forthcoming year, here are my five industry predictions for the next 12-months:

AI enabled digital twins

Manufacturers have been building digital twins of their products and physical production environments for a few years now. In fact, digital twins have been used as part of the product design process for nearly 30 years, with the aim of removing the need for physical prototypes. The emergence of generative AI will transform how users interact with their digital twins. The manufacturing industry has a technological perfect storm ahead of it in 2024 as companies look to leverage the benefits of IoT, AI, Augmented Reality, and 3D engineering models. Generative AI will allow engineers and maintenance teams to literally have conversations with their products. The ability to monitor, control and adjust physical equipment through a 3D virtual representation will transform through life support models. AI will learn through the digital twin as to how the physical model should be operating in real life and based on historical data will be able to fine tune the physical equipment for optimum performance. We are just learning about the potential for generative AI, and 2024 could be a transformational year for the technology in the manufacturing industry

Sewing a digital thread through manufacturing information systems

The manufacturing industry is the most global of industries and yet it struggles to ensure that information is accessible anytime and anywhere around the world. Part of the problem is that manufacturers use multiple systems, from ERP, PLM, WMS, TMS and B2B integration solutions to digitize the supply chain. In 2024 we will see more extensive digital backbones being introduced across global manufacturing operations which in turn will allow digital threads to be established between manufacturing, engineering, and process-based information systems. Companies have struggled for years with siloed information but digital threads, through a combination of APIs and other application integration technologies will allow information to be exchanged seamlessly between different manufacturing systems. Digital threads will be critical to the successful deployment of an AI based solution as to obtain real time insights into manufacturing operations as all information needs to be aggregated into a central data lake for processing and analysis. Digital threads will provide manufacturers with the ability to extract valuable insights into their operations and allow processes to be optimized to meet customer and market demand.

Accelerated exploration of the industrial metaverse

Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have been around since the 1990s but has seen mixed adoption in the enterprise. This is mainly down to the technology used to project the 3D environments but also identifying valuable use cases for where the technology can be used. Augmented Reality (AR) has seen an accelerated interest during 2023 with the service support sector leveraging the technology for maintenance purposes. Meta quietly introduced the Metaverse nearly two years ago now and received a mixed reception. However industrial companies have been exploring interesting use cases for the technology. Taking industrial digital twins into the Metaverse will likely accelerate in 2024 as companies realise the benefits of using the Metaverse to test digital mock ups of products, to train service technicians in how to maintain complex equipment and for business leaders to test certain ‘what if’ scenarios to see how their business or supply chain operations will perform. There is a debate as to whether VR or AR will succeed but it really depends on the use case and which technology users feel most comfortable using. The Metaverse will likely define a new form of content management system as each 3D object will have data and other assets associated with it that will need to be managed in an efficient way.

Embracing ESG and SCOPE 3 emissions mandates

Consumers are forcing manufacturers to rethink how they design, build, and maintain their products. Manufacturers are starting to embrace the Circular Economy by designing new products so that they can be recycled more easily at end of life. Being able to monitor all processes and all external trading partners for ESG compliance will accelerate in 2024, especially as more countries follow Germany’s lead on ensuring that companies are accountable for how they source materials and goods to produce finished products. Developing more sustainable products and processes has been on the increase in recent years but consumer interest in knowing what goes into manufacturing today’s products is forcing manufacturers to comply with new ESG regulations. Manufacturers will become more accountable for emissions not only being produced by themselves but by their multi-tiered supply chains and the logistics carriers transporting raw materials to factories and finished products to their customers. Connecting all trading partners to a common business network will potentially help to track emissions across the supply chain but it may require new EDI document standards to be developed to allow emission values to be captured at each stage of the supply chain process. The technology is certainly available to help improve the monitoring and tracking of ESG and SCOPE 3 emissions and 2024 will see new supply chain technologies and processes emerge to achieve this.

Migration to industrial clouds

As manufacturers continue to globalize their operations, they need to connect to a central information management system to ensure they can access any digital asset as required. Manufacturers have been migrating to the cloud for many years but in 2024 we will see industry specific clouds accelerating across different sectors. So, whether you are operating in the automotive, high tech or process sectors, new industry-based clouds will appear that contain pre-built adapters to allow you to seamlessly integrate with any ERP, PLM or B2B environment. They will contain pre-defined process templates to ensure that information flows according to specific business rules used by a particular industry. Finally, they will embrace all the necessary standards to operate effectively in each industry, whether that is embracing ODETTE supply chain standards in automotive sector or IP protection regulations in the high-tech sector. Industrial clouds will transform how companies archive, integrate, and derive insights from industrial information flowing across their internal and external business ecosystems.

A prevailing theme knitting these predictions together unsurprisingly lies in the significance of technology within the manufacturing sector. As the industry continues to advance through its digital transformation, groundbreaking technologies – such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Metaverse - are poised to take centre stage. To maintain competitiveness, the manufacturing sector must expedite the adoption of these technologies and take a proactive approach in navigating the evolving landscape of modern manufacturing.

Learn more about how OpenText solutions for the manufacturing and automotive industries can help your organization overcome its challenges.

The post Top 5 predictions for manufacturing in 2024 appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems hold the definitive version of the truth for released product design and development information. Manufacturing operations across high-tech, industrial and automotive sectors use PLM systems to define, create and store product-related information, such as 3D models, drawings, documents and specifications.

However, PLM systems don’t easily integrate with other tools and applications used throughout the value chain, resulting in manufacturers relying on manual processes such as paper, email, or third-party file management systems to share product information. This leads to reduced productivity and uncontrolled, unsecured copies that hinder quality management and put intellectual property at risk.

Modern manufacturing must be digital, agile, frictionless and connected. Integrating PLM systems with enterprise content management (ECM) systems can help manufacturers modernize information management to securely connect data with business processes.

Here are some of the benefits of integrating PLM and ECM systems.

1. Break down PLM silos within manufacturing operations

Manufacturers produce vast amounts of product-related information, which is typically stored in PLM systems that don’t integrate easily with tools such as ERP, MES and maintenance and services applications. PLM systems also don’t scale easily, and scaling can be extremely expensive.

When critical information is trapped in siloed PLM applications or distributed manually, users struggle to find what they need, and productivity slows.

OpenText™ Digital Thread for PLM helps businesses build a digital thread that breaks down silos and speeds the delivery of timely and relevant information across the organization. This ensures users get the right information, when and where they need it, boosts productivity and collaboration, simplifies processes and improves decision making. 

2. Power digital threads to boost productivity

Knowledge-based employees in manufacturing spend up to 25% of their time searching for relevant information and content. Housing information in disparate systems can lead to employees keeping local copies of product information to speed access, which are not automatically updated when changes are made. This means that employees may be using outdated information, which not only results in poor quality management, but can also cause mistakes in manufactured goods, leading to expensive rework.

The use of digital thread technology can close the loop necessary to effectively harness data across the manufacturing value chain. Providing a single source of truth for released product data, available to all downstream employees, means employees don’t have to spend time searching through siloed systems. This allows employees to focus on value-added tasks and improves productivity.

Digital thread technology can also increase productivity and efficiency across the production process. By connecting the various stages of production, manufacturers can quickly identify bottlenecks and take corrective action to improve overall performance. Additionally, the automation capabilities of digital thread technology eliminate manual labor, which further increases efficiency and decreases costs associated with labor.

OpenText solutions provide employees with easy, secure access to the most up-to-date information, whether they’re in the field, in the office or online, allowing them to focus on more value-added tasks.  

3. Secure product information while maintaining ease of access 

As manufacturing organizations leverage solutions that ensure easy access to content, securing that information is more critical than ever.

Sharing information by email, paper or file shares is inherently risky and leaves organizations open to data loss, uncontrolled access and even industrial espionage. Providing a centralized and managed platform for product data enables effective and secure sharing of data inside and outside the host organization, while maintaining ease of access.

OpenText is a trusted ECM partner, delivering solutions that provide easy access to information while automatically securing and governing that information throughout its lifecycle and across multiple repositories, applications and processes. By ensuring the highest level of security, OpenText helps teams master modern work without the worry of information falling into the wrong hands.

OpenText Digital Thread for PLM for manufacturing operations

The OpenText™ Digital Thread for PLM solution helps organizations build a digital thread across the value chain, integrating with primary systems such as SAP, Maximo and Microsoft 365 to make up-to-date product content and data available when and where it’s needed. With this ecosystem of smarter information, manufacturing organizations can maximize quality and operational excellence while building a future-ready information system. 

With Digital Thread for PLM, manufacturers can:

• Export engineering drawings and related content from PLM systems to a structure that maintains connectivity and intelligence, enabling scalable distribution to service large and geographically dispersed workforces.
• Overcome version control challenges by allowing change control procedures to be initiated from the field, while ensuring updated product models are relayed to the field in real-time.
• Easily add data to product definitions that are created or managed outside the PLM for a full, 360-degree view of all data related to a product or Bill of Materials.

Ready to optimize your product information and manufacturing operations?
Get the Top BOM Practices for Building Digital Threads in Discrete Manufacturing Industries report.

The post Supercharge manufacturing operations appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

Product information is the backbone of the manufacturing industry. Released product data, documents and drawings are of critical importance throughout the manufacturing value chain, from concept design to production to sales and service. But most of this critical information is trapped in siloed product lifecycle management (PLM) systems or distributed manually, making content difficult for stakeholders to access and lowering productivity.

To achieve efficient, agile operations, product information management needs to be easily shared and consumed across the manufacturing value chain, leveraged within the various bills of material (BOMs) used by departments across the organization.

Here’s how smarter information—and smarter product information management—can optimize your PLM.

What is product information management (PIM)? 

Product information management (PIM) is the process of managing all the information about a product from a central location.

Today, manufacturing companies define, create and store vast amounts of product-related information, such as drawings, 3D models and specifications, in PLM systems. However, PLM systems aren’t built for information management. Additionally, PLM systems don’t easily integrate with tools such as ERP, MES and maintenance and services applications, which support different stages of the product lifecycle.

To deliver smarter product information management, organizations need solutions that bridge this gap by creating a digital thread to integrate product data into key business systems, making critical product information available to all downstream users.

What are the current challenges of product information management?

The information produced and managed by PLM systems is needed throughout the product lifecycle. Today, released product information is often stuck in a PLM system, making critical information difficult to access. As a result, many organizations rely on manual processes using paper, email or third-party file management systems to share this information. This leads to:

• Duplicated data
• Difficulty managing change requests
• Decreased quality management

In addition, product information is disconnected and spread across disparate systems with no digital thread. It’s estimated that knowledge-based employees, like those who drive manufacturing operations, spend up to 25% of their time searching for relevant information and content. Having multiple places to locate product information not only means that employees spend more time looking for the information they need, but it also leads many employees to download local copies of files, breaking the connection between the data they use and the original data sources. This results in reduced productivity and uncontrolled, unsecured copies that hinder quality management and put intellectual property at risk.

Change processes between product information and business information are also disconnected, which means issued changes may not be distributed to those who need it. This is a significant problem for manufacturers when handling change requests. If employees are working from outdated information, this can also cause critical mistakes, leading to expensive rework.

In addition, manufacturers are faced with challenges ensuring that data is accurate and current, maintaining process continuity and understanding relationships between business items.

Sound familiar? Learn how to solve these pressing challenges through smarter information.

What are the benefits of smarter information for manufacturers?  

By integrating an enterprise content management (ECM) platform with your PLM system, you can deliver smarter product information management that creates a digital thread. This delivers a solution that allows manufacturers to create a seamless flow of information throughout the entire product lifecycle and enables better coordination and collaboration among various teams and departments involved in different stages of the product’s life. It can also ensure that lines of business get the information they need for their unique BOMs.

This kind of integration also enables manufacturers to be more agile and responsive to market demands. Feedback mechanisms reduce risk and keep information relevant and up-to-date. By connecting various systems, such as ERP, PLM, and MES, manufacturers can quickly adapt to changes in customer requirements, supply chain disruption, or design modifications, ensuring efficient production and delivery.

Other benefits include ensuring version control and traceability of all documents and content related to product information, as well as creating an audit trail of changes, approvals and revisions. This enhances regulatory compliance, facilitates audits and provides a comprehensive history of product-related information.

Smarter product information management with OpenText

OpenText™Digital Thread for PLM helps businesses build a digital thread that breaks down silos and speeds the delivery of timely and relevant product information across the organization. OpenText seamlessly integrates information into any workflow and application, ensuring users get the right information when and where they need it, boosting productivity and collaboration, simplifying processes and improving decision making. 

Ready to master modern work in the manufacturing sector?
Get started with the Digital Thread for PLM.

The post What is product information management? appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

Willkommen to the first of three OpenText World EMEA 2023 – Innovation Summits: join global thought leaders and regional experts for an unforgettable experience in Munich, Germany (April 24-25).

During two days at the beautiful and centrally located Infinity Hotel and Conference Resort Munich, the event explores new ways technology and machines can harness information management; how people can experience, process, and trust this information; and how this new way of doing business will change the way we use information to optimize work and collaboration across every industry.

Inspiring keynote speakers

The kick-off includes two keynote addresses from Mark J. Barrenechea, CEO & CTO, OpenText, and Muhi Majzoub, EVP and Chief Product Officer, OpenText.

The Munich event also brings guest keynote speakers to the stage:

• Waltraud Gläser is an organizational coach and expert who will share how to be successful and master one’s life in the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world by implementing change to self, organization and ultimately, corporate culture.
• Dr. Steven Boyes is a conservationist and founder of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP), a foundation to help promote the protection of the Okavango’s watershed and wildlife. Dr. Boyes will challenge the audience to view the world and their impact on it with a fresh perspective, using stunning imagery to share what he’s learned about leadership.

Unique networking opportunities

Travel through the history and evolution of motoring at Munich Motorworld. Fuel up and become an auto enthusiast, surrounded by the world’s most valuable and exclusive vehicle brands. With live entertainment, dinner, and refreshments, it'll be a license to renew connections and meet new colleagues.

Regional industry highlights

Meet your peers at the industry forums and roundtables that will focus on five key areas: Financial Services, Manufacturing and Automotive, Public Sector, Oil & Gas and Utilities, and Cross-Industry. Forums will be led by regional industry experts reviewing common trends and challenges for their sectors, then followed up with smaller roundtables for peers to exchange ideas and information, and lead discussions around what their sectors are specifically facing.

The industry forums and roundtables include the following:

Banking and insurance
Providing the “total experience” by improving employee experiences to boost customer satisfaction has become essential in the digital world.. Hear helpful research about related challenges facing Financial Services institutions and join the roundtable for a deep dive into solving the sector’s biggest pain points.

Manufacturing and automotive
The manufacturing and automotive industry has had several challenges over the last few years, from global disruptions to shifting focus to electric cars and automation. Find out how to create intelligent, secure, and sustainable manufacturing environments and learn how to leverage digitization and technical innovation to achieve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

Public sector
Governments are looking for ways to provide more sustainable, trustworthy solutions for capturing citizen information and providing improved service levels. Hear from industry experts about trends and predictions in this sector and discover how digital government services can better serve agencies’ citizens and employees.

Oil & gas and utilities
The global energy industry is in transition and oil & gas and utility companies have increasing mandates to provide affordable, sustainable, and reliable energy sources. Learn about top trends, best practices, and what’s being done to solve the world’s energy problems such as creating greener supply chains and promoting sustainable energy use.

Cross-industry
This forum will cover a cross-segment of industries talking about trends, research and issues facing them. Discover how to future-proof your business for 2030.

Learn and network in Munich or online

Register and meet us at OpenText World EMEA 2023 - Innovation Summit in Munich or register for the virtual event today.

The post OpenText World EMEA 2023 – Innovation Summits kick off in Munich   appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

B2B integration is widely recognized as a cornerstone of digital transformation efforts. It allows companies of any size to realize the potential of their internal line-of-business and supply chain applications by securely connecting them to their external trading communities.

Integrating internal and external stakeholders in this way provides a solid foundation for the real-time exchange of order-to-cash and purchase-to-pay transactions while dispensing with slow and expensive manual paper-based processes.

The digital transformation challenge for mid-market companies

EDI – or Electronic Data Interchange – has formed the backbone of these kinds of exchanges between enterprises for many decades, but due to its complexity has remained out of reach for many smaller businesses.  EDI is a set of standards and protocols that enables fully automated system-to-system exchanges of business documents, such as purchase orders and invoices, in a structured format.

Historically, businesses had two primary options for implementing B2B EDI integration solutions – either leveraging an internal “DIY” approach with on-premises software or accessing a trusted partner that provides a cloud-based outsourced “managed service” delivery model.

These approaches each have advantages and disadvantages, but for mid-market companies, it may feel like the negatives of both options weigh heavily. In-house “DIY” solutions require a lot of day-to-day support as well as highly specialized skills to manage the complexities of mapping and translation between internal and external data formats. While a fully outsourced managed service addresses these challenges, it often proves cost-prohibitive for growing businesses, especially as other economic pressures take effect.

There is, however, a middle ground where scalable B2B solutions can provide the best of both approaches – a cloud-based outsourced integration platform with self-service tools to empower smaller businesses to easily manage the day-to-day operation of the platform without all the added complexities.

These kinds of self-service tools typically include:

• ERP adapters to rapidly integrate with common mid-market ERPs such as Oracle NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics 365
• Trading Partner kits that provide connectivity to large buying and supplying hub companies
• Self-service visibility tools that allow business users to address the day-to-day problems that may occur during the exchange of business-critical transactions such as orders, invoices and shipping notices.

Five key benefits of self-service integration tools

Achieve more with less

Integration can be complex, and smaller businesses lack the resources and expertise to manage complex integration tasks such as EDI mapping and API connections.

Self-service tools allow companies to manage key integration activities without specialist expertise. They simplify the complexity of these tasks and empower smaller businesses to manage these integration tasks with existing resources, significantly reducing the cost of implementation and implementation timelines. Retaining control over these activities means businesses can respond rapidly to market opportunities, and this can be a key competitive differentiator.

Accelerate integration with business applications

Pre-built adapters for common ERPs enable a point-and-click approach to integration that quickly automates your order-to-cash and purchase-to-pay transactions without the need for programming by specialists.

Self-service adapters leverage the APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) built natively into these ERPs specifically for this purpose. They present key supply chain processes so that external applications can seamlessly interact with them.

APIs are designed for developers to integrate between systems, so these types of self-service adapters also shield you from the complexities. You can connect rapidly without having to understand the API of your ERP.

Simplify trading partner onboarding processes

Large established buyers and suppliers across manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and other industries have long relied upon EDI. Like APIs, EDI can be complex, with many industry and region-specific standards for business documents. Large buyers and suppliers may further customize these EDI standards to support their specific business data needs.

Because of this, on-boarding partners with an established EDI can be a lengthy process, involving much technical discussion around communication protocol, EDI format, and extensions to the EDI standard. It can take weeks of onboarding before you are ready to exchange your first documents.

Pre-built Trading Partner kits for your external buyers and suppliers can simplify this process in the same way ERP Adapters simplify the integration to your ERP. They are customized for each partner and recognize which EDI standard the partner is using, as well as their preference for communications protocol. The kit will manage the connectivity for you with a simple point-and-click interface.

Trading Partner kits work with ERP adapters. They include pre-built transformation technology to automatically manage the translation from the ERP system’s internal format to your partner’s EDI format, meaning you don’t need to understand EDI at all.

Businesses can dramatically cut onboarding times for key. Connecting to your trading partner can be done in minutes, not days or weeks.

Optimize key business processes with pre-configured application and industry specific adaptors

While Trading Partner kits are specific to individual buyers and suppliers, often, there are industry-specific standards used to automate business processes across an entire industry or at least in a particular region. One example of this would be PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online).  

PEPPOL is widely used across Europe and parts of Asia for business-to-government purchasing and is a key enabler for cross-border e-commerce and e-procurement activities in these regions. PEPPOL consists of a secure e-delivery network as well as a set of business document standards (BIS – Business Interoperability Specifications).

Pre-configured adapters for PEPPOL, like the Trading Partner kits described above, will significantly simplify the process of connecting to PEPPOL-enabled buyers and suppliers. They shield businesses from the complexities of PEPPOL Access Points and the BIS document formats, which differ from region to region, enabling them to automate these business processes rapidly without significant investment.

Improve long-term control with a modular integration environment

B2B integration is the foundation of digital transformation for supply chains. Connecting your internal line of business applications with external providers is essential to reaping the benefits of investing in technologies like ERP, WMS, and TMS. After all, business does not happen within the four walls of your enterprise.

A modular integration approach that leverages self-service tools, as described above, allows you to scale and grow your integration activities as your business expands while controlling costs. These types of tools can be used without specific technical expertise reducing staff costs in hiring API and EDI specialists, and training existing staff. By reducing onboarding times, you can rapidly transform manual processes, while controlling the associated expenses of large scale onboarding programs.

On-premise, in-house solutions can be expensive to operate and maintain, requiring both an up-front capital investment as well as a lot of day-to-day support and expertise to implement and manage. Although outsourced enterprise-managed services address these challenges, they often are out of the reach of cash strapped businesses.

A scalable, cloud-based integration platform with self-service tools provides the ideal compromise, allowing you to connect to your internal ERP system rapidly and integrate your order-to-cash and purchase-to-pay processes with external partners. And all of this can be accomplished without investing in API and EDI expertise, thereby controlling your costs and freeing up your team to focus on core business activities.

Readt the CIO Market Pulse report about EDI value-added networks (VANs)

For more information on how your business can take advantage of these tools and build your own scalable B2B integration platform, see our BN Cloud Foundation page.

The post Five ways self-service B2B integration tools deliver a competitive advantage appeared first on OpenText Blogs.