Synchrono LLC, a vendor of manufacturing software, has launched an application known as SyncView.

Formidable challenges, from tough economics to rising market complexity, are driving a profound rethinking in the manufacturing industry, according to a global survey by IDC Manufacturing Insights called "Business Strategy: The Journey Toward the People-Intensive Factory of the Future." In this context, effective factory management is essential. In fact, more than 43 percent of survey respondents declared they have a formal process in place to design future production plants.