“For us, digitalization touches on the entire production process, from designing the car to delivering it to the customer.”

Ranieri Niccoli,

Lamborghini Chief Manufacturing Officer

 

Orchestrating the Perfect Day

For many companies, digitalization means standardization. But for Lamborghini, it’s all about product adaptation – finding a more efficient way to produce more customized cars. Lamborghini Chief Manufacturing Officer Ranieri Niccoli explains.

On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you rank Lamborghini’s current level of digitalization?

While we’ve always used technology, we really began digitizing in earnest starting in 2017, first in the leadup to the launch of the Urus, our Super SUV, and then, most recently, with the launch of the Revuelto, our new flagship vehicle.

In both cases, our digitalization process was a bit akin to trial by fire. For example, with the Urus, not only did we have to produce an all new, high- tech, highly customized luxury vehicle, we also had to more than double our production volumes – going from 4,000 vehicles a year to more than 9,000. This was quite the incentive to change and to fully leverage digitalization. As a result, I believe, at least compared to the automotive industry in general, we are quite advanced in terms of digitalization. If I had to rank us, I’d put us at a high seven.

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What does digitalization look like at Lamborghini?

For us, digitalization touches on the entire production process, from designing the car to delivering it to the customer. In this sense, digitalization, and all the various technologies and processes involved, follow the development of the car. Thus, before a new solution is introduced, we make sure it will advance the vehicle’s development. What we don’t do is introduce technology for technology’s sake.

How do you find the right technology?

This is an ongoing challenge for us. Take for example the development of the Urus and the Revuelto. These are two new products that have never been done before. This makes it extremely difficult to define what you need. It also makes it difficult to find the right technology. Even if you know what you need, more often than not, the right solution does not exist. I guess that’s one of the hazards of being a pioneer in digitizing an industry!

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Is Lamborghini now ‘fully digitized’?

Digitalization is a never-ending journey, and we continue to refine our processes. As I mentioned, with the launch of the Revuelto, we further fine- tuned our digital production processes, adding, for example, the production of carbon fiber.

The challenge is that the more digitally advanced you become, the more difficult – and costly – it is to take the next step. When you first start, digitalization happens in leaps and bounds, often delivering big results. But the further you go down this road, the smaller the changes, the more minute the benefits – with each step requiring much more time and investment. 

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Is there an example of a technology that you’re working to integrate into your processes?

We are currently taking a deep dive into virtual reality. We feel this technology is mature enough that we can explore where its use could potentially benefit our processes. We’re already using VR goggles in our carbon fiber production, with workers using the technology to precisely add glue and stickers to the carbon fiber chassis.

What about artificial intelligence?

While I believe AI has great potential, it’s not yet mature enough for our needs. We need to first understand the technology before we can understand how to best use it. With AI, we’re just not there yet.

Where I think AI will be a real game changer is with data management. Our digitalization process produces tones – giga terra – of data every second. But we don’t have the ability to use this data, which is an absolute waste.

I believe AI will provide us with the tools we need to process – and act – on our data.

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What is the ultimate goal of your digitalization journey?

Whereas most companies draw a direct line from digitalization to standardization, for Lamborghini, it’s all about building flexibility, agility, and customization into our production processes. Our customers don’t want a car, they want to have their car. They want a Lamborghini that nobody else has. So, even as we look to increase volume, we must do so without losing our ability to customize, which puts incredible pressure on our production process.

For us, digitalization is the answer to maintaining this balance. By digitizing, we aim to essentially put customization on autopilot.

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Want to know more?

Whether you have any questions or need more info, we would be happy to help!

“Regardless of how digital a company becomes, you cannot remove the human factor.”

 

Kyle Tansill,
Digital Manufacturing Solutions Architect, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics

 

Revolution 4.0

At Saint-Gobain, which designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets, the Industry 4.0 revolution is just as much about people as it is about digital.

2018. That was the year the revolution started. “There was a lot of hype but also a lot of confusion” recalls Kyle Tansill who, as an automation engineer, was on the frontlines of Saint-Gobain’s Industry 4.0 revolution.

According to Tansill, who today serves as Digital Manufacturing Solutions Architect at Saint-Gobain Life Sciences, the spark that lit the digitalization fire was a spur of acquisitions. “Facing a low level of standardization for our machinery, we turned our focus to automation and connectivity” he says.

It was also a matter of bringing the company from the Paper Age into the Digital Age. “We got to work using Google Maps on our smartphone, but once we are there, we switch the phone for pen and paper,” explains Tansill.

However, as Tansill is quick to point out, the solution to this problem wasn’t as easy as replacing the pen and paper with tech and apps. Change is never so simple. “We brought in all these sexy tools and then we realized that while everyone knew we should be doing something with them, nobody actually knew what that something was,” he adds.

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Bridge a Disconnect

To bridge this digital disconnect, the company took a couple of steps back. They started with skills, ensuring that its people had basic automation skills. They also upgraded their PLCs and invested in automation infrastructure.

As a result, today Saint-Gobain is in a position where most of its strategic machinery features updated PLCs and some form of connectivity. Most importantly, its sites are staffed with people who understand automation.

“Our teams didn’t know what an industrial network was just a few years back” remarks Tansill. “Since then, they’ve developed the necessary skills, which puts us in a really strong position going forward.”

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Digitize Your Head

While going forward does mean increasing automation, it does not mean replacing people. “Regardless of how digital a company becomes, you cannot replace the human factor,” says Tansill.

So, how does one preserve that essential people component in a sector notorious for having a high turnover?

Somewhat ironically, the answer is digitalization.

“Turnover means more than just having to train new people, it also means constantly losing your company’s knowledge base” explains Tansill.

To help plug this leak, Saint-Gobain is in the process of digitizing its know- how. One approach being implemented involves utilizing data to establish standardized operating procedures for its machinery. This ensures that the operational steps are embedded within the machine itself, rather than relying on an individual’s memory or personal knowledge.

The company also decided to bring in a ringer. “We employed a top-level senior software engineer who was an incredibly talented Python developer and all-around software genius,” says Tansill.

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“I don’t even like the term Industry 4.0, believing it gives the false perception that one comes in, does digital, and then is done.”

Achieving the Goal of Performance

While the developer was only with the company for less than two years, his impact remains. “Having this developer allowed our automation developers to learn how to develop properly and then implement a proper continuous integration lifecycle and support system” adds Tansill.

We’d All Love to See the Plan

Over the course of six years, Saint-Gobain went from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0. Yet its journey is far from over. In fact, Tansill doesn’t even like the term Industry 4.0, believing it gives the false perception that one comes in, does digital, and then is done – which clearly is not the case.

“Digital shouldn’t be seen as the end but the means to achieving the goal of improved performance” says Tansill. “Whatever domain you’re working in, you need to accept that even though your expertise might be digital, you are just as responsible as everyone else for the company’s performance.”

Yet while Saint-Gobain’s digital transformation may be an ongoing work- in-progress, they do have the benefit of hindsight – meaning they can offer some sage advice for those just starting off on their journey.

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Having a Clear Plan is Key

“Do not start this journey without a clear plan of where the business is going” warns Tansill.

As Tansill explains, without a plan, you risk deploying technology for technology’s sake. “But with a well thought out roadmap, you can match technology to objective, ensuring that every investment gets results, improves performance and, ultimately, advances the company towards where it wants to be” he concludes.

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Want to know more?

Whether you have any questions or need more info, we would be happy to help!