Frost & Sullivan's MLC urges industrial companies to embrace new leadership models, enterprise-wide digitization and information-driven factories for future growth

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 22, 2016 ­/PRNewswire/ -- The Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), an executive-level leadership organization dedicated to achieving transformational growth for the manufacturing industry, announces its Critical Issues roadmap to Manufacturing 4.0, the next wave of industrial progress.

With the global manufacturing industry at a pivotal point in its history, the MLC, a unit of global consultancy at Frost & Sullivan, identifies six Critical Issues facing the manufacturing industry as it undertakes its journey to the information-based future envisioned by Manufacturing 4.0. These issues include:

Factories of the Future
The Integrated Manufacturing Enterprise
Innovation in Manufacturing
Transformative Technologies
Next-Generation Manufacturing Leadership & the Changing Workforce
Cybersecurity

Based on extensive consultation with more than 500 senior executives and associate members of the MLC and Board of Governors, the latest Critical Issues agenda is designed to help manufacturers align their thinking and practices for a successful journey to Manufacturing 4.0.

"The future of manufacturing is not only going to be full of new opportunities for strong growth based on the intelligent use of new cyber/physical technologies, such as the Internet of Things, Big Data and the Cloud, but it is also going to be an exciting place to work for a new generation of employees," said David R. Brousell, co-founder of the MLC. "To enable this vision to become a reality, manufacturing executives need a strategic roadmap to transform their businesses for the digital era. The MLC's Critical Issues agenda brings both focus and clarity to the mission of Manufacturing 4.0."

"Our future cyber/physical environment will be based on connectivity -- connected products, connected supply chains, and connected factories," added John Fleming, a member of the Manufacturing Leadership Council's Board of Governors and former Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Labor Affairs at Ford Motor Co. "The Council's leadership is needed to develop the roadmaps and the skilled people necessary to ensure that we can fully utilize the 'Industrial Internet of Things' and deliver further progress on the key metrics of safety, quality and cost efficiency."

About the Manufacturing Leadership Council

Founded in 2008, the Manufacturing Leadership Council's vision is to create and inspire a global community of manufacturing executives who believe in the proposition that manufacturing is the fundamental driver of economic and social prosperity, and that its growth will lead to a better future and a higher standard of living for all people. The MLC's mission is to inspire manufacturing executives to achieve transformational growth for themselves, their companies, and for the industry at large through enlightened leadership.

The Council focuses on the intersection of advanced technologies and the business, identifying growth and improvement opportunities in the operation, organization and leadership of manufacturing enterprises. In support of this, the Council produces an extensive portfolio of leadership networking, information, and professional development products, programs, and services.

For more information and to join the MLC, please visit www.frost.com/mlc

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.

Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.
For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community.