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Colin Masson articles

Colin Masson
Global Industry Marketing Director, Manufacturing
Published 
4 min read

Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing: Build agile factories of the future 

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing world, the ability to adapt quickly to rapid change is a defining factor between manufacturers that merely survive and those that thrive. As they face ongoing challenges like rising costs, supply chain issues, and skills gaps, many manufacturers are building agile, smart factories to ensure a resilient and sustainable future. These
Published 
4 min read

Hannover Messe 2022: Empowering people for the future in manufacturing 

After more than three years, we were excited to join global leaders and our manufacturing colleagues in Hannover, Germany at the world’s biggest trade show for industrial technology, Hannover Messe 2022.   Since we last met, Microsoft has released new solutions and capabilities to help our customers and partners thrive through this disruptive era. Most notably
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4 min read

Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing: Boost supply chain resilience 

Supply chain resilience, or the ability of companies to adapt to unforeseen challenges in production and distribution, has come into the spotlight due to COVID-19. Manufacturers are under pressure to prevent and minimize disruptions, and as a result, almost 90 percent of supply chain professionals plan to invest in ways to make their supply chains more
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3 min read

Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing: 3 ways to transform your manufacturing workforce 

To keep up with the fast pace of digital manufacturing trends, today’s manufacturers need to build a capable workforce that can adapt quickly to new ways of working. However, studies show that many manufacturers are concerned about the challenges of attracting, retaining, and training effective employees. Only 60 percent of manufacturing chief financial officers say
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3 min read

Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing: Discover new ways to engage with customers 

In today’s shifting manufacturing landscape, customer engagement is critical for organizations that want to gain an edge. In fact, 86 percent of manufacturers say that improving customer experience is a key differentiator1. However, now more than ever, manufacturing organizations are struggling to connect with customers, as they face eroding margins and the challenges of selling
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7 min read

Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing: Partnering to manufacture a more resilient and sustainable future 

A few months ago I laid out the 5 manufacturing trends driving the need for an industry cloud including my passionate and research-substantiated belief that partnerships and ecosystems are more critical than ever to manufacturing a resilient and sustainable future. As observed by Catherine Kniker, Chief Strategy Officer, PTC: “Manufacturing edge environments, are remarkably complex
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4 min read

Microsoft Ignite: Top 5 takeaways for manufacturers 

Microsoft Ignite is where we showcase much of our technology innovation, but the technology intensity can be hard to navigate if you are a manufacturing executive trying to zero in on what will help you increase resilience and achieve sustainable growth, or build a hyperconnected business. Below are my top 5 takeaways from Ignite for manufacturers, and links to the most relevant blogs and sessions.  Use
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2 min read

Frontline workers: The heartbeat of the manufacturing industry 

One of the clearest realizations made in the midst of industrial transformation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has been that global manufacturing is powered by the frontline workforce. The industry witnessed a sea of change: a significant disruption in terms of business continuity, operational visibility, remote work, employee safety, and the list goes on. Businesses