This is Part 3 of a five-part companion feature to the video series “Digital Transformation in Defense and the Model-Based Enterprise,” created by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and William Sobel, co-owner of Metalogi and chief architect of MTConnect.  In his 1982 book “Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives,” author John Naisbitt says, “We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.” Over four decades later, his quote still describes the current state of manufacturing.  “It’s scary when you think about the amount of data that you’re going to be getting. It begs the question, are companies also ready for that?” asks Michael Gwara, senior manager, model-based definition, manufacture, and inspection at Pratt & Whitney. Part 3, “Why Clear Use Cases Matter,” of the five-part video series highlights how data use cases are not well defined and that primes do not specify which exact data they need. According to Benjamin Urick, president of nVariate Inc., primes are broadly asking for all the data without specifying exact needs.   “For an SME, the model-based enterprise can be daunting, and it can be very expensive given the constraints that they’re under,” says Urick. “We need to clearly define the minimum information that they need to return. If we can better communicate use cases, we can alleviate the tensions and get one step closer to a digital transformation.”  Different primes also require different data. Nicole Wolter, president of HM Manufacturing, says some primes ask for metrology data, and others ask for machine analytics related to cycle times.  “As a small manufacturer, you have to be very careful about all the things that you agree to do just because there’s not enough time, there’s not enough hands to deal with all that paperwork,” she says. The fourth video and article, “Part 4: Shaping Culture and Managing Costs,” of the series explore cultural barriers to adoption. 
Clear, well-communicated use cases and minimum data requirements can empower SMEs to adopt digital transformation without becoming overwhelmed. 

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