The manufacturing world is confronting a wave of disruptive forces ranging from increasing product complexity, demand for shorter time-to-market, pressure to reduce environmental impact, and a shortage of skilled labor resources.
To remain competitive, companies must become more adaptable, not just in how they produce, but in how they plan, design, and operate production systems.
A key enabler for adaptability is simulation, which allows manufacturers to create virtual models of production, processes, and systems to test and optimize decisions and solutions before they reach the shop floor. But simulation alone is not enough. Its full value is realized only when it’s part of the broader framework of digital continuity.
The role of simulation in digital continuity
Digital continuity refers to the seamless flow of data across all stages of the product and production lifecycle, from the product idea and specification through design and engineering to manufacturing, product operation, and recycling. It ensures that every stakeholder works from a consistent, up-to-date source of truth, enabling faster decisions and better alignment between business, technical, and commercial goals.
When simulation is integrated across systems such as PLM, ERP, MES, production systems, and the shop floor, it becomes a strategic asset. Manufacturers can simulate not just product or machine behavior, but also production schedules, resource allocation, and factory layouts, all within a unified digital thread.
Siemens is pivoting toward autonomous, orchestrated AI agents in its industrial automation. The organization has developed an orchestrator that acts like a digital craftsman, deploying a toolbox of specialized agents to solve complex tasks across the industrial value chain. These agents can understand user intent, learn continuously, collaborate with other agents (Siemens and third-party), and access external tools autonomously.
Digitally unified enterprises that use simulation ensure the seamless integration of IT and OT, resulting in optimal process setup.
Digital twin: functional representation of planned operational physical system behavior.
This holistic use of simulation enables organizations to vertically implement and validate business processes, engineering workflows, and industrial systems. Simulation accelerates digital continuity and brings organizations closer to achieving a true digital enterprise.
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Real-world impact across industries
The impact of this approach is already evident. An aerospace customer, after integrating simulation across multiple production sites, reported a 30% reduction in commissioning time. Encouraged by these results, the company expanded the use of simulation to support the development of new products and robotic manufacturing processes. This not only accelerated the design phase but also enhanced cross-functional collaboration between engineering and production teams.
Across industries, simulation users consistently report significant improvements in throughput and early error detection, which helps to resolve issues before physical implementation begins. Energy consumption has dropped noticeably, and ramp-up phases have become faster, more predictable, and more cost-effective.
These outcomes are not isolated. They underscore the tangible benefits of embedding simulation within a digitally integrated enterprise, where innovation, efficiency, and cross-functional synergy thrive.
Siemens and Capgemini enable end-to-end simulation
Siemens and Capgemini partner to bring unique value to their customers. Siemens offers a comprehensive portfolio of simulation and digital twin technologies, while Capgemini provides deep expertise in IT integration as well as domain and industrial transformation.
Simulation, embedded within a digitally continuous environment, becomes more than a tool; it becomes a foundation for scalable, resilient, and intelligent manufacturing.
For manufacturers, we help implement simulation across strategic engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain domains. This assures efficiency, operational excellence, and traceability, enabled by a future-oriented digital continuity ecosystem strategy.
Together, we help customers build the foundation of their digital enterprise by integrating platforms, tools, and technologies to break silos, unify, and optimize workflows and processes under a unified framework across the value chain.
