Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Manufacturing News

Manufacturing News

Turn digital transformation into an asset

Michael D'Argenio

Michael D’Argenio, vice president, digital transformation and customer experience, SKF Americas

Photo courtesy of SKF

August 13, 2019

When most people hear the name SKF, they probably think of bearings and seals—and rightly so. Chances are they probably have SKF parts in their manufacturing equipment. 

They might not think of SKF as an information provider. But the bearing manufacturer has realized the importance of the operational insights that can be gleaned from data, and it’s turning this digital transformation into a major part of its business—so much so that the company hired a veteran with more than 20 years of experience in driving digital innovation at major firms, including having been head of digital customer experience at Verizon.

Michael D’Argenio, SKF Americas vice president, digital transformation and customer experience, headed up the talks at SKF’s recent annual press conference in Philadelphia by suggesting: If any company today hasn’t begun in earnest the digital transformation journey, putting it off until tomorrow could result in losing out to the competition. 

D’Argenio pointed to Kodak, which holds the first patents in digital photography. Kodak, now a shadow of its former self, shelved the patents and digital technology so it wouldn’t compete with Kodak’s film universe. Alternatively, Encyclopedia Britannica, which embraced digital technology, ran for 244 years on paper and realized digital was the future when in 1994 Microsoft Encarta came out on CD-ROM, soon followed by community-driven Wikipedia. Accepting the digital challenge, Britannica gave up print and now has a website where its value proposition is a provider of reliable, high-value, verifiable knowledge. Its digital product suite has been especially successful with educational institutions. 

Encyclopedia Britannica chose not to let external digital technology disrupt it, but capitalized on adopting that disruption internally and rewriting its business strategy, says D’Argenio. “Are you being disrupted, or are you pushing disruption internally as part of your strategy? Forward-looking companies are following the latter. They’re looking at disruption as an opportunity built on new successes, new customers and creating their value in new ways. And they’re taking decisive action by applying strategic plans that help anticipate new market potential that previously hadn’t existed.”

“The short story on data is that today with the capabilities we have, data is a strategic asset,” says D’Argenio. “To be successful with it, companies need to break down the legacy silos so they can see this data in a holistic way. Then they need to focus on developing the capacity to transform that data into meaningful insights that create value.”

“Competition used to be a zero-sum game between very similar companies,” says D’Argenio. “But now digital companies have come into the space, and they are about what’s referred to as ‘platform creation’—rather than just product creation. Which means that your competition tomorrow can come from nowhere. And a lot of times, it comes from companies that look nothing like yours.”

For example, D’Argenio pointed to Hilton Hotels, one of the world’s largest hotel chains, which owns properties and rents rooms. Today, its largest competitor doesn’t own one single hotel room. It’s a technology company that has built a platform on Airbnb. It has changed the world of hotel strategies because it wasn’t in Hilton’s space. Airbnb wasn’t similar at all to Hilton’s business model.

Today, digital technology changes the way research and development is done. Historically, innovation was a big-bet, high-risk process run by senior leadership making big investments for the future. “New digital technologies have changed the innovation management process so we can now create small experimental—fast, flexible continuous innovation,” says D’Argenio. This allows innovating and testing new products at much lower cost.

Companies need to be sensitive to value. “Value needs to be dynamic and adaptable,” says D’Argenio. “Successful businesses are looking continuously at their value, and they’re adapting and pivoting to the changing needs of the market to meet these rising expectations and maintain their relevance and competitiveness.”

“SKF has been known for bearings, seals and lubrication,” says D’Argenio. “We’re taking a look at our company, customers and industry through a new lens. We’re identifying the value proposition. That value lies in the area of knowledge and insights. So after a hundred years of engineering expertise, we’re able to deliver products and services to customers. It’s as much about insights as it is about bearings and seals. We’re investing heavily in this area of emerging technologies; we’re developing new business intelligence abilities that provide powerful insights—both internally and externally to our customers. We recognize that the SKF of the future will look different than it does today.”

KEYWORDS: change management digitalization food and beverage companies

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    Latest headlines
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

OT Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Food Manufacturing Facilities

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Understanding Impacts of OT Cybersecurity Events in Food Manufacturing

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

FA&M 2025 in Rewind

FA&M 2025 in Rewind

More Videos

Popular Stories

Conagra Logo

Conagra Brands to Sell Chef Boyardee Brand to Hometown Food Company

Salt

FDA to Amend Standards of Identity to Include Salt Substitutes

Vilter IHP in plant

Industrial Heat Pumps: Sustainable Energy Solutions for Now and the Future

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 5, 2025

Mass Customization Driving Innovation in the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry is at the nexus of transformative global manufacturing trends, driving a shift toward personalized, customer-centric solutions. 

June 5, 2025

How Cafe Spice Uses Automation to Propel Private Label

Learn about Cafe Spice’s new, state-of-the-art, highly automated manufacturing facility in Beacon, New York. 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  •  keep track of maintenance

    Make Maintenance Part of Your Digital Transformation Strategy

    See More
  • SchneiderElectricNew

    Schneider Electric focuses on digital transformation of the food and beverage industry

    See More
  • temperature tracking

    Software solutions help processors turn data into action

    See More

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • August 18, 2020

    How Digital Transformation Impacts the Operational Efficiency and Sustainability of Your Business

    ON DEMAND: Over the past years, the manufacturing industry has experienced massive changes worldwide and the situation continues to evolve further. Highly informed and demanding consumers are shaping the market, supply chains keep remodelling into complex ecosystems and digital transformation keeps being a key player in revolutionizing the way manufacturer sites work.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!