President, IFS Industries
As the President of IFS Industries, Antony’s responsibilities include acting as the Global Industry Director for Industrial Manufacturing and High Tech as well as managing the other global industry directors. Antony has over 20 years experience in the IT industry, including working in the manufacturing sector. Prior to joining IFS in 1997, he held Business Analyst positions with Ford Motor Company and AlliedSignal. During this time he implemented ERP applications as well as business process improvements.
Amazon recently announced record profits of $3.03bn, breaking its own record for the third consecutive time. However, Amazon appears to be at a crossroads as to where it heads next. Beyond pouring additional energy into Amazon Prime, many have wondered whether the company may decide to enter an entirely new sector such as manufacturing to drive future…
A new generation of point AI solutions will prove themselves in 2019. They’ll build new trust, urgency and understanding of what ‘AI’ actually is, and just how much it can deliver. Voice-driven solutions will lead the charge. And we’ll see pick-and-place robots in smart warehouses delivering a major competitive edge, as companies advance their use…
Choosing new software for your business is not easy, as many of the manufacturers I meet tell me. Everyone says that they have the perfect solution and that the customer is the centre of everything that they do – but what can you do to help uncover the truth? In this new infographic we have…
“AI” is one of the most overused technology buzzwords of the last 2-3 years. But the term is not going anywhere, so I’d like to make a plea on behalf of the weary: when talking about AI, don’t stop the conversation at ‘shiny new technology’. Instead, continue to shift the AI conversation: why consider investing…
As manufacturers face a customer that increasingly demands sound, eco-friendly products , they are increasingly looking at how they can become a smarter, greener producer and how they can track and document their environmental initiatives. The United Nations define ‘sustainable manufacturing’ as a form of manufacturing development that meets the needs of the present without…
Businesses are constantly told they will go broke if they do not digitally transform and quickly, but for manufacturers it’s not quite as simple. If production goes down even for a day, the impact can be irreversible, with potentially millions in revenue lost. From an ergonomic, economic and environmental perspective, smart factories are heralded as…
“How much do you think it will cost?” This is often a common question a manufacturer will ask themselves when developing new products and something that we as a manufacturing solutions provider we can help answer. When I go and see companies that aren’t using IFS solutions, one of the issues that they raise is…
Businesses looking to differentiate themselves in the industrial manufacturing industry should consider combining traditional products with new services (servitization). By learning how to derive value from servitization, manufacturers can rise above the competition. Manufacturers today live in a very competitive, price sensitive and crowded world. Today’s companies that operate in developed economies can no longer…
The oil and gas industry is recovering, but companies need to deal with a new reality where a lot of the former experience, knowledge and skills no longer remain. The upstream oil industry was severely damaged by the collapse in oil prices. The crisis began in 2014 when oil prices started to drop, and this…
The Internet of Things (IoT) being built into the product design, manufacturers adopting a more service-centric business model and 3D printing reaching the tipping point of realizing business benefits on a large scale. These are the three game-changing predictions that Antony Bourne, Global Industry Director of Industrial and High-tech Manufacturing at IFS, outlines for 2018….
