Manufacturing worldwide is on the cusp of a revolution. New information technologies are suddenly offering not only to make the management of manufacturing more effective, as we saw with early versions of plant and enterprise software, but the work itself smarter.

New technologies are making food production more efficient and more environmentally sound. In fact, farmers are using everything from crop modeling tools to drones to generate higher yields.

Lately, it's almost impossible to talk about business strategy without mentioning the transformative potential of big data. Many companies are actively using advanced data analytics, and others are just getting started. But as the beginners are finding out, it's not as simple as just buying some new technology and hiring some statisticians.

Big data is providing supplier networks with greater data accuracy, clarity and insights, leading to more contextual intelligence shared across supply chains.

Most organizations today have access to more than enough data to help improve their operations – the challenge is sifting through and analyzing all that data to find hidden insights so they can make better decisions about the future.

The manufacturing CIO has long been associated with managing new technology implementation, strategic IT planning and keeping tabs on the latest solutions that could boost productivity. The job entails much more than that today.

The traditional supply chain and the supply chain management function are being morphed into an integrated value chain. This optimization makes up for a more efficient flow of supplies and products; and more importantly, an emphasis in customer and business value.