________________________________________________________________________________ Critical Manufacturing
maintenance , logistics , and quality . Francisco outlines : “ Altogether , our core MES has around 30 different modules that can be specifically selected and implemented by the customer , who can also use our separate equipment integration and analytics platform if desired .
“ Mapping these processes through digitalization is crucial to making Industry 4.0 a reality for all manufacturers ,” he states . “ You need to be able to trace those processes at the right level of granularity to collect and analyze data . This enables us to generate tailored insights and then apply different types of technology and features on top of it .
“ Most of our clients have very automated factories , so they require solutions that can gather data directly from the equipment , but also have bidirectional connectivity to the equipment ; meaning that we control what the equipment does according to production demands or unique specifications .”
Future plans
Working with highly automated clients , it is inevitable that Critical Manufacturing is passionate about research and the development of innovative technologies and processes . “ Since the very beginning of the company , we ’ ve had a dedicated research and development department ,” Francisco details .
“ We also have a muti-year research roadmap of product features , made up of competitive information , different customer requests , and insights from industry groups ,” he adds . “ As a set pace for innovation , we release one major product per year , and typically do two additional minor releases each year .”
When asked about the future of the company , Francisco proposes : “ We still have a lot of room to grow ! We will continue to evolve and implement our main strategies with system integrators to deepen our global presence . Even within our own verticals , there ’ s room for growth , but there ’ s even more potential as we extend beyond the sectors we currently serve .
“ Aside from organic growth ,” he concludes , “ I think we ’ ll have some inorganic growth through acquisitions of companies that expand our geographical footprint , and acquisitions of smaller startups or new business ideas that can generate additional product offerings .” ■
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