The unprecedented amount of volatility in supply and demand has caused economic uncertainty throughout the world. To navigate today’s challenging economy, manufacturers must digitize their supply chain and manufacturing processes. Digital advancements such as smart manufacturing and automation through AI, machine learning (ML), robotics, and IoT require a connected value chain ecosystem with a secure, scalable, and flexible data platform. The Snowflake Manufacturing Data Cloud is a global network that connects the data, applications, and services you need to enable industrial use cases at scale. 

Here’s how the Manufacturing Data Cloud enabled Molex, a leading connectivity and electronic solutions company, to securely and easily share data and improve performance across the enterprise.

Acquiring new capabilities from digital transformation

Molex operates 86 manufacturing locations in 38 countries, delivering more than 100,000 products with the support of 18,000 suppliers. Through digital transformation, Molex is achieving its vision to make a connected world possible by enabling technology that transforms the future and improves people’s lives. 

Molex’s digital transformation focuses on four “advantaged capabilities” driven by data:

  • Product development: Creating an end-to-end digital thread from initial design to delivery of the finished part that differentiates the employee and customer experience 
  • Intelligent digital supply chain: Creating an intelligent end-to-end supply chain that improves how Molex sources, plans, makes and delivers its products with better coordination, agility and risk mitigation
  • Manufacturing and operations: Making manufacturing plants more flexible and efficient with a common set of processes and a modern technology stack, which includes Snowflake
  • Customer experience: Driving powerful customer experiences grounded in voice of customer engagement that builds trust and loyalty

All of these capabilities are underpinned by Molex’s critical technology: the data information security and IT support systems that keep Molex running. 

A complete view of the enterprise

Now, Molex can ingest large volumes of data from customer interactions, SAP production lines, and financial transactions with Snowflake’s cloud-based platform. Snowflake provides a secure environment that meets regulatory requirements such as GDPR and HIPAA. By integrating data into Snowflake from the different systems such as ERP, CRM, and logistics Molex can see a comprehensive view of its global supply chain operations in near real-time. 

All of this data helps Molex generate and maintain daily KPIs for supplier performance, lead times, inventory levels, receipts, order backlogs, forecast plans, pricing, and more. These KPIs enable Molex to identify potential supply chain disruptions, take proactive measures to mitigate risk, optimize production, and reduce inventory levels. And with Snowflake’s separation of storage and compute, Molex only pays for what it uses, enabling its team to dramatically scale the amount of data without having to spend time and money obtaining and managing data resources.

Easy data sharing and collaboration

A key feature of Snowflake is the ability to share and collaborate on data. Instead of copying or transferring data sets for different teams and use cases, Molex leverages Snowflake Secure Data Sharing with internal data consumers, as well as with its parent company, Koch Industries. Data shares are secure, configurable, and controlled completely by the provider account. Data can be shared near-instantaneously, saving time and costs for building export processes and increasing data storage. Access to a share can be revoked at any time. The Data Cloud also helps Molex share data with third-party AI vendors that help with its supply chain risk management and component sourcing. 

Improving performance across the enterprise

Previously, Molex’s KPIs had to be manually updated at the end of each month or week. Now, using Snowflake tables and views, all of the KPIs are automatically published at the same time every month. With integrations supported across many data sources such as SAP; audit tools; HR systems; financial systems; health, safety, and energy applications; indirect spend applications; digital daily management tools on the shop floor, and the Molex Operating System (MOS). 

Snowflake helps Molex deliver dozens of metrics to its factories, upleveling the performance of its manufacturing plants worldwide. With Microsoft Power BI, a data visualization tool, users can drill down to understand the exact reasons why a KPI is not being met. Snowflake also enables supervisors at the shop floor level to see and understand the causes of the voluntary turnover rate and take proactive measures to control it.

For more details on how Molex creates value from Snowflake’s Manufacturing Data Cloud, watch our webinar, Powering Manufacturing Digital Transformation with Data.