Optimise your factory planning and operations

Drive efficiency, transparency, and agility throughout the entire project lifecycle with digital solutions.
Design and Make Report - Spotlight on Digital Factories

95%

of data generated during factory construction goes unused

70%

of companies still rely on spreadsheets to develop and run their factories

Transform your factory with a modern toolset

Whether you’re dealing with an existing brownfield factory or starting from scratch with a greenfield project, you’re always under pressure to ‘do it right the first time’. Transforming your operations into a seamlessly integrated digital ecosystem offers unparalleled benefits: 

Speed up time to market

Enable real-time collaboration between all project stakeholders for greater efficiency and productivity.

Reduce operational costs

Consolidate workflows and break down data silos to reduce costly errors and rework.

Avoid downtime

Continuously monitor and adapt your factory operations based on digital twin insights to ensure optimal performance.

Digital Factory Webinar

So what would a modern, end to end factory process look like?

It would be built using common data, be highly collaborative, with predictable schedules and fewer surprises. Delivering more agility, with higher quality, at a much lower cost.
Although each customer needs differ, the examples below are intended to highlight how organisations are delivering against their Digital Factory goals, by taking advantage of a connected end to end process.

PLAN

Before commencing factory design activities, Task Management is crucial to define timelines, allocate teams, understand workloads, and distribute tasks effectively. Creation of initial layouts and simulations using a Process Concept, enables decisions to be made faster with more confidence. Whilst if the site being constructed or redeveloped lacks accurate records, capturing the as-is state using Reality Capture becomes essential for informed decision-making and successful project execution.

DESIGN

Once the space envelope is defined and the process agreed upon, detailed design can commence. A more detailed design, incorporating both 2D and 3D Design, allows for a better understanding of all the moving parts, enabling optimizations before on-site work begins. Given that Design Collaboration with third parties is often integral to any project, coordinating this information becomes critically important. With numerous disciplines potentially generating model data, identifying fitment issues with Clash Detection early in the design process can help reduce costly mistakes. Additionally, Factory Simulation and Design Review are essential for building stakeholder confidence and fostering collaboration, as they provide a platform for stakeholders to review the design and offer feedback before construction.

BUILD

Organizations aim to connect the office to the site to streamline constructability, ensuring that progress is documented and monitored for transparency across all teams involved. Effective site management is crucial, as it allows for real-time Progress Monitoring and Issue Management. When issues arise, they can be promptly captured and communicated, overcoming traditional barriers that often hinder project success.

OPERATE

Future successful management of a facility hinges on the accurate data handed over from previous stages. Information generated during the design stage is invaluable for navigating complex data providing a foundation for Connected Assets linking to other sources of data, from Maintenance to asset management. Once the facility becomes operational, the organization can leverage this connected data to gain visibility and control over the production process, ensuring efficient and effective Production Management.

Digital Factory Benefits 

according to industry analysts like Deloitte and Mckinsey

86%

believe Digital Factory will be the main driver of competitiveness over the next five years.

Source: Deloitte

10 - 30%

increase in throughput by maximizing operational productivity, alleviating waste, reducing equipment downtime, avoiding disruptions, and increasing supply chain efficiency.

Source: McKinsey & Company

30% - 50%

percent reductions in machine downtime.

Source: McKinsey & Company

Anchor: StateofDesign-Make2025

State of Design & Make 2025 (Design & Manufacturing Insights)

The State of Design & Make report is a global, annual, longitudinal study for leaders who design and make places, objects, and experiences. It identifies the most pressing issues shaping today’s businesses and helps leaders make informed, strategic decisions about how to prioritize and invest for the future. 
Anchor: Digital-Factory-Ebook

Make your move towards modernizing your factory.

An interactive ebook to improve efficiency, reduce risk and grow your business with digital factory.

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Download Ebook
Anchor: Kundenreferenzen

How can you benefit from digital factory planning

Anchor: e-book

Breakthroughs in factory planning

Area by area. Discipline by discipline. Data silo by data silo. For decades, that’s the way factories have been designed—the way they’re often still designed today. But there’s an emerging importance of a modern factory planning approach. Of converging building and production information. And making information readily available.Learn how industry leaders are streamlining their operations with the help of digital factory planning tools.
Anchor: contact

Let's talk about your business goals

Design and manufacturing organizations like yours are working with Autodesk. Contact your account team today to stay ahead of the competition!

Viessmann | How the Viessmann smart factory pumps up the heat

Heating and air-conditioning specialist Viessmann is using digital factory planning to boost production at its new heat-pump smart factory.

Technica International | Pushing for total transformation

Fuelled by an ambitious growth plan, automated product systems designer Technica International makes big gains in efficiency with the Autodesk Product Design & Manufacturing Collection.

PMT | Digital transformation for a place under the sun

True sustainability through digital transformation: PMT manufactures aerodynamic photovoltaic substructures – and benefits from digital methods.

Blue Projects | Managing factory project complexity

See how multidisciplinary firm Blue Projects used Revit, Recap Pro, and BIM360 to improve collaboration and reduce errors.

Porsche | Digital planning means zero impact

To make Porsche’s first electric sportscar, the company used digital factory planning to create a smart, flexible facility – one as green as the car it manufactures.

Gigafactory construction at lightning speed

Gigafactories, or factories that produce electric-vehicle batteries, are being erected in months. How can gigafactory construction be so quick?

Northvolt | Optimized factory design

Digital factory design for sustainable battery production Northvolt achieved both sustainability and profitability by connecting factory design and battery manufacturing through digital factory de...

Northvolt | Case Study | Autodesk

Digital factory design for sustainable battery production We introduce the case of Northvolt, which achieved both sustainability and profitability by connecting factory design and battery manufact...

FlexSim 2025 | Get Information & Free Trial | Autodesk

FlexSim is easy-to-use 3D discrete event simulation software with high-end capabilities, transforming existing data into accurate, profitable production decisions.

Bridgestone | Their Journey to Smart Factories

Explore the role that BIM and new technologies can play in the future of manufacturing

Masterclass: Empowering Factory Design Transformation through Digital Factories

In today's highly competitive manufacturing landscape, efficiency, precision, and innovation are more critical than ever. Join us for this masterclass where we delve into the transformative potenti...

ON-DEMAND | Innovation at Work: The Opportunity for Digital Factories

Digital factories promise manufacturers efficiency, innovation, and stability – but only if they are designed, built, and operated thoughtfully. Hear top leaders describe the opportunities on offer.

ON-DEMAND | Streamlining Operations for Optimal Factory Returns

Factory operations must adapt so companies can maximise the efficiency and productivity of every asset. Discover data strategies to monitor, automate, and streamline operations for maximum RoI.

ON-DEMAND | Design & Manufacturing Industry Keynote

Transformation is an opportunity for design and manufacturing businesses to rethink how they work. Hear Autodesk leaders detail important updates to Autodesk Fusion platform.

ON DEMAND | ECOFACT Digital Twin Platform: An Energy and Resource Management System for Factories

ECOFACT is a Horizon 2020 project to develop an ECO-innovative energy FACTory management platform for four demo sites serving various industries. In this session you will learn how the project impl...

From Plan, Design, to Build: Optimizing the Digital Factory with Data-Driven Strategies | Autodesk University

Unlocking a digital factory's potential demands innovation, collaboration, and data-driven decisions. In this second session of the Digital Factory Symposium, experts share insights on how connecti...

Autodesk Factory Design Utilities

Plan and validate digital factory layouts with Autodesk Factory Design Utilities software. Buy a subscription from the official Autodesk store or a reseller.

Autodesk AutoCAD

2D and 3D design software enhanced with insights and automations powered by Autodesk AI. Buy an Autodesk AutoCAD subscription from the official Autodesk store or a reseller.

Autodesk Product Design & Manufacturing (PDMC) Collection

Create your products using the latest 3D product design and manufacturing software, including Inventor, AutoCAD and Fusion 360, together at one great price.

Autodesk Inventor Software

Autodesk Inventor 3D CAD software is used for product design, rendering and simulation. Buy an Inventor subscription from the official Autodesk store or a reseller.

Autodesk ReCap Pro

Use Autodesk ReCap Pro reality capture software for 3D models from photographs and laser scans. Buy a ReCap Pro subscription from the Autodesk store or a reseller.

Autodesk Fusion | 3D CAD, CAM, CAE, & PCB Cloud-Based Software

Autodesk Fusion is a platform for 3D CAD, modelling, manufacturing, industrial design, electronics and mechanical engineering. Subscribe or download for free.

Autodesk Vault Software

Autodesk Vault PDM software helps organise data, manage documentation and track revisions. Buy a Vault subscription from the official Autodesk store or a reseller.

Autodesk Revit

Revit BIM software is for architectural design, MEP, structural design, detailing, engineering and construction. Available alone or as part of the AEC Collection.

Autodesk Fusion Manage

Autodesk Fusion Manage is cloud PLM software that allows easy connection of your data, people, and processes.

Navisworks | Get Prices & Buy Navisworks

Navisworks is a 3D model review software solution for architecture, engineering and construction. Buy a Navisworks subscription from the Autodesk store or a reseller.

Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro

BIM Collaborate Pro is a cloud-based design collaboration and co-ordination software solution for AEC teams. Buy BIM Collaborate Pro from the Autodesk store or a reseller.

2025 SDM Report – D&M Final.pdf

Adopting a modern, start-to-finish factory process

Traditional approaches to factory planning, designing, building, and operating lead to lost data. Learn why companies are going digital to deliver more agility across the factory lifecycle.

Adopting a modern, start-to-finish factory process

Traditional approaches to factory planning, designing, building, and operating lead to lost data. Learn why companies are going digital to deliver more agility across the factory lifecycle.

The digital factory with Autodesk

Experience the power of combining BIM and digital factory design to create a dynamic 3D representation of manufacturing plants and equipment. Our innovative approach enables all stakeholders to col...

Progress Monitoring

Progress Monitoring Manage Design & Project Complexity Click here to see how organizations can manage complex projects, from understanding timeline variations & budget impacts, to utilizing comple...

Factory Simulation

Factory Simulation Optimise Factory Design Click here to see an example showcasing how detailed designs can be enhanced to include operational characteristics, resulting in the ability to understa...

Reality Capture

Reality Capture Improve Design Quality Click here to see how organisations can utilise LiDAR and photogrammetry to enable millimetre-accurate facility capture, aiding detailed design via Point Clo...

2D & 3D Design

2D & 3D Design Optimise Factory Design Click here to see how companies can enhance 2D layouts by adding intelligent assets with parameter-driven variations. Further benefits include using these la...

Design Review

Design Review Improve Collaboration Click here to see examples of how visualizations can be used to improve the design review process, from planning applications to complex process flythroughs. He...

Task Management

Task Management Increase Task & Process Automation Click here to see an overview of how task management capabilities can benefit organisations early in the project definition. This example demonst...

Process Concept

Process Concept Increase Manufacturing Flexibility Click here to see an overview demonstrating the importance of defining a process concept before detailed design, taking advantage of 2D drawings ...

FlexSim overview

state-of-design-and-make-2024-spotlight-on-digital-factories.pdf

Tesla | Reinventing the electric car

Tesla Motors reinvents the electric car with help from Autodesk software.

State of Design and Make 2024: Spotlight on Digital Factories

Data and digitization are revolutionizing factories. To better plan, design, build, and operate their facilities; to reconfigure them more quickly; and to maximize the efficiency and productivity o...

State of Design and Make 2024: Spotlight on Digital Factories

Northvolt | Driving sustainability through a digital factory approach

Using a digital factory approach, Swedish electric vehicle battery manufacturer Northvolt has optimised its factory design to give architects, engineers, and construction teams full visibility of s...

Design Coordination

Design Coordination Improve Supply Chain Agility Click here to understand how companies can deliver data in shareable formats while protecting their intellectual property without the traditional c...

Maintenance

Maintenance Expand and Diversify Services Continuing from the Connected Assets topic, this example highlights how the complete digital representation can navigate to other platforms, access servic...

Autodesk digital factory

Clash Detection

Clash Detection Reduce Errors and Rework Click here to see how organizations can streamline project coordination, reduce manual tasks, and improve delivery efficiency. In this example, design coll...

Simulate before you spend: Smarter manufacturing decisions that's ROI driven

How industry leaders are digitizing their processes and transforming factory projects

Learn how to take advantage of integrated collaboration by coordinating the layout of production lines, manufacturing facilities and building systems in a holistic digital model.

How industry leaders are digitizing their processes and transforming factory projects

Learn how to take advantage of integrated collaboration by coordinating the layout of production lines, manufacturing facilities and building systems in a holistic digital model.

Production Management

Production Management Increase Manufacturing Throughput Click here to see an example highlighting how businesses can gain greater visibility into their processes using a cloud-based manufacturing ...

Digital Factory Overview

A better electric car springs from modern factory design

e.GO manufactures a range of electric vehicles and is also pioneering modern factory design as a key to its business model: its smart factories and single digital platform keep all construction con...

Issue Management

Issue Management Reduce Defects at Handover Click here to see an overview of how stakeholders can access up-to-date information which is crucial for project success. From the installation site, is...

Connected Assets

Connected Assets Improve Data Driven Decision Making Click here to see an example demonstrating the value of having a complete digital facility representation available at project handover. It hig...

Why digital factories are the future of manufacturing

Explore how digital factories enable cross-functional coordination, create greater agility to adapt to the changing world, and give companies a competitive edge.

Why digital factories are the future of manufacturing

Explore how digital factories enable cross-functional coordination, create greater agility to adapt to the changing world, and give companies a competitive edge.