TECH DAY “Digitization in SMEs: technologies and new opportunities”

The team of the project “PMI-NWTWORK” promotes a Tech Day as a moment of meeting and confrontation on topics related to product innovation, process and supply chain, with a focus on challenges and opportunities, which Industry 4.0 and digitalization propose to companies in the cross-border area.

Program

11:00 – 11:10 Tech Day Part 1 Introduction 

Andrea Barni, Swiss manager PMI NETWORK, SUPSI

11:10 – 11:50 Purchasing and Supply Chain digitalization to face new challenges. Download slide

Federico Caniato, Full Professor at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano

Nowadays companies operate within complex production chains, where the management of supply relationships and product flows, information and payments are crucial for survival and competitiveness. The seminar will present the role of digital technologies and tools for modern purchasing and supply chain management, particularly in the current context, providing an overview of the available solutions.

11:50 – 12:30 Redefining supply-chain thanks to digital platforms. Download slide

Alessio Gugliotta, Ph.D in Informatics, is responsible for the ICT area of Innova Srl in Rome

The development of digital platforms for online business (B2B) is one of the main trends of recent years. Such solutions can enable new opportunities for SMEs in terms of access to new suppliers and/or customers, dynamically review their supply-chain and also develop new business models. Currently there is no reference platform, while there are several platforms that offer limited support and benefit. The seminar will present a new platform, called MANUSQUARE, which will offer advanced services for SMEs, with a particular focus on the possibility to make the best use of their own or to access non fully used capacities and resources such as company machinery, waste materials and surplus production.

12:30 – 13:00 Intermezzo Tech Day

13:00 -13:10 Tech Day Part 2 Introduction

Beatrice Saglio, innovation expert PMI Network, Politecnico di Milano

13:10 – 13:50 Lean Manufacturing and value flow: principles and application ideas. Download slide

Marzio Sorlini, senior teacher-researcher at Department of Innovative Technologies, SUPSI

Adopted in Japan by Eiji Toyoda, Taiichi Ōhno and Shigeo Shingo in the 930s, rediscovered and adapted for Western manufacturing by James Womack and Daniel Jones in the 990s, Lean philosophy, practices and tools can be an effective response to the growing need for cost control and waste reduction resulting from re-shoring and production rationalization initiatives. The seminar introduces the topic and proposes some ideas and examples of applications in manufacturing. It is addressed to a wide audience of professionals belonging to different business areas such as production management, supply chain management, purchasing and logistics.

13:50 – 14:30 Big Data and Real Time Analytics. Download slide

Andrea Vaccarella, assegnista di Ricerca at Politecnico di Milano and innovation expert PMI Network; digital specialist for Camera di Commercio di Como-Lecco

In reaction to the increasing number of Machine Learning opportunities that companies are approaching, the seminar introduces the topic of big data analysis in real time. Measuring the movement of people within a store to the related analysis between social postings and the movement of large amounts of people. The intervention is addressed to a wide audience of professionals from different business areas such as design, IT, marketing, logistics and anyone who wants to understand the possible applications of Machine Learning in industry.

14:30 – 15:15 Virtual and augmented reality in SMEs. Download slide

Mario Covarrubias, associated professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano

Virtual reality and augmented reality not only change the user’s perception and interaction with the product, but can also contribute to innovation in design, production, marketing, sales and service. The seminar introduces the topic of these technologies in SMEs, which have been experiencing important developments in terms of performance and application possibilities over the years.

15:15 – 15:30 Tech Day Closure 

Marco Tarabini, scientific coordinator PMI Network, Politecnico di Milano