Introduction to the benefits of a Smart Paint Factory and the way to get there

By Wolfram Keller (corresponding author), Ulf Stalmach, Ralph Wörheide, June 2023

For several reasons digitalization and coatings industry don’t go hand in hand yet. Blaming the lack of resources, competences, and “touch-and-feel” of the virtual digitalization and the current, fast changing world is not helpful.

Instead, a clear vision, a sound benefit case, and a step-by-step implementation roadmap towards becoming a Smart Paint Factory will secure coatings companies and industry’s mid- and long-term competitiveness. The Smart Paint Factory Alliance orchestrates the development and roll-out of cooperation- and partnership-based digital and sustainable solutions. Any company along the coatings value chain and its periphery can benefit from these solutions, provided it is willing to cooperate and securely share data in its rapidly changing ecosystem as required. 

We believe every coating company will have to move into this direction. How far? We are convinced that company specific targets, e.g., adopted business model, product and service offerings, and the level of sustainable digitalization will have to be individually set.  

In the next weeks we will be giving food for thoughts on how to become a Smart Paint Factory and how the Smart Paint Factory Alliance, SPFA, is supporting coatings companies and their periphery in a series of short articles:  

00 – Introduction to the benefits of a Smart Paint Factory and the way to get there

A – The current status quo of digitalization in the coatings industry is still poor – however, technical, economic, and ecologic potential is high

B – „New economy“ and digitalization are steeply evolving since the 1990-es – it’s time for the coatings industry to catch up

C – The digital transformation for coatings companies is a big challenge, but without alternative 

D – What is “smart” in a Smart Paint Factory?

E – Joining forces and combining competences in the Smart Paint Factory Alliance

F – Examples for cross-company cooperations in the SPFA