1. Why slow technology adoption is now riskier than early adoption
2. Why disruptive technologies will transform manufacturing
3. Why innovation is now essential to business survival
4. How to seize the opportunity to lead as an innovation-driven manufacturer
5. How to innovate successfully through cross-pollination
6. How a free flow of data and ideas can innovate your whole business
7. How Ignition empowers innovation throughout the enterprise, and more

Have you ever wondered how they can train a powerful, full-grown elephant to stand still? When the elephant is young, the trainer chains its foot to a heavy stake in the ground. The elephant learns that if its foot is chained, it will feel pain if it tries to go beyond a limited area. As the elephant grows, the trainer doesn’t use a heavier chain but simply takes the stake out of the ground. A trained adult elephant will stay put as long as its foot is chained, even though it has grown strong enough to break free. The only thing holding it back are its beliefs based on past experiences.

Many companies in today’s fast-changing world are like trained elephants: They have been conditioned to resist change by past experiences or outdated ideas about technology. They only adopt new technologies slowly, if at all. These companies are not moving forward even though competitors who embrace technological change are leaving them farther and farther behind.

Too many companies remain chained to a 20th-century mentality that has become unworkable in the 21st century. They must realize that the greatest risk is not trying to innovate too quickly; the greatest risk now lies in not innovating quickly enough. To succeed in today’s data-driven world, manufacturers can't simply compete in the game – they have to change the game.