How Virtual Twins Help Optimize Supply Chains T 14 hey say experience is the best teacher, and the manufacturing sector has learned some hard lessons over the past two years. Unprecedented and unrelenting market turbulence has shown that the old ways of supply chain planning and manufacturing production are outdated and vulnerable to disruption. Manufacturers now have evidence of what happens to a " just-in-time " globe-spanning supply chain that operates without contingency planning. At a time when manufacturers are expected to produce increasingly customized products with shorter production deadlines, some companies are still using planning solutions that require manual entry in spreadsheets. Now we're seeing clear separations between businesses that have embraced the data-driven optimizations of the new manufacturing renaissance, and businesses that still struggle with legacy processes and systems. Data-driven solutions are reshaping how the manufacturing sector operates, and the businesses that incorporate analytics and connectivity are building the capabilities needed to compete and thrive. It seems there is no shortage of ways to acquire business data these days, but the real benefits come from putting that data to work for you, and separating insights from the distractions. One of the most powerful digital technology concepts in manufacturing is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which connects the machines and processes in a factory so they www.techbriefs.com Tech Briefs, January 2023http://www.techbriefs.com