Turning data into decisions
Minitab’s connected analytics platform is helping manufacturers extract greater value from digital transformation
Manufacturers are generating more data than ever before, yet many continue to face a familiar challenge. Information is collected from production lines, quality systems and connected equipment, but turning that data into meaningful operational improvement remains difficult. For many organisations, the real challenge is not gathering information but understanding what it reveals about performance, quality and process variation.
That challenge sits at the heart of Minitab’s award-winning digital transformation platform, recognised with the Most Innovative Digital Transformation Solution award at the Manufacturing Supplier Innovation Awards UK 2026.
For more than 50 years, Minitab has helped organisations use data to improve quality, solve complex problems and make better decisions. Today, its portfolio extends far beyond statistical analysis, bringing together data connectivity, predictive analytics, process monitoring, simulation and continuous improvement capabilities within a connected ecosystem designed specifically for manufacturers.
“Minitab was founded on the belief that data analysis should be practical and useful in solving real-world problems,” Mark Rhoden, Senior Director, Field Operations EMEA, Minitab, says. “While technology continues to evolve, our focus remains on helping customers make data-driven improvement easier to understand, easier to apply and easier to scale.”
Making digital transformation practical
Many manufacturers have invested heavily in digital technologies, but digital transformation often stalls when information remains disconnected or difficult to interpret. Minitab’s approach is designed to bridge that gap by bringing together the tools needed to collect, analyse and act on operational data within a single environment.
The platform enables manufacturers to understand variation, improve process control, reduce waste, increase throughput and monitor performance in real time. Rather than requiring multiple standalone applications, organisations can manage analytics, simulation, process monitoring and improvement initiatives through one connected ecosystem.
According to Rhoden, one of the company’s key differentiators is its ability to make sophisticated analytics accessible without sacrificing the statistical rigour required for manufacturing decision-making. “Manufacturers need solutions that help them move from data to action quickly,” he explains. “Our objective has always been to reduce complexity and help organisations gain measurable value from the information they already have available.”
The platform supports cloud, on-premise and hybrid deployment models, allowing organisations to modernise at a pace that aligns with their operational and security requirements. Minitab also provides training and deployment support to help customers build long-term capability rather than simply implement software.
That practical focus extends to the company’s approach to innovation. One recent development originated from customer feedback, when users highlighted the need for additional guidance when selecting statistical methods and interpreting results. The insight led to a cross-functional project involving data scientists, engineers and software specialists, resulting in AI-assisted analysis guidance embedded directly into workflows.
“It reflects how we think about innovation,” Rhoden adds. “The goal is not technology for technology’s sake. The goal is to help customers reduce complexity, build confidence and make better decisions.”
Delivering measurable results
The value of any digital transformation initiative is ultimately measured by outcomes.
Across industries, manufacturers are using Minitab solutions to improve quality, reduce downtime, strengthen process control and identify the root causes of operational variation. The results achieved by some of the company’s customers demonstrate the potential impact.
At Tate & Lyle, teams used Minitab analytics solutions to examine more than 1,000 variables within a corn sugar crystallisation process. The analysis identified eight critical factors affecting particle size variation, allowing the organisation to gain significantly greater insight into process performance.
At Anheuser-Busch InBev, Minitab Statistical Software formed part of a Lean Six Sigma initiative that reduced planned downtime by 34 per cent, cut downtime-related costs by more than $430,000 and improved restart times by almost 40 per cent. The resulting toolkit was subsequently deployed across more than 180 facilities.
Meanwhile, quality improvement programmes supported by Minitab at LG Chem contributed to operational gains exceeding $73 million, combining advanced analytics with training and knowledge-sharing to create lasting capability across the organisation.
“Small improvements can have a significant impact when applied consistently across large manufacturing operations,” Rhoden concludes. “The organisations achieving the greatest success are those that use data to improve visibility, reduce variability and strengthen decision-making.”
Looking ahead, Minitab expects manufacturers to place even greater emphasis on operational visibility, process control and resilience as they navigate ongoing economic uncertainty and increasingly complex operating environments. Data volumes will continue to grow, but the organisations that gain the greatest advantage will be those that can turn information into action quickly and consistently.
Winning the Most Innovative Digital Transformation Solution award recognises the role data-driven decision-making continues to play in modern manufacturing. More importantly, it reflects the achievements of the manufacturers using those insights every day to improve quality, enhance performance and drive measurable business results.
For Minitab, the award is also recognition of a philosophy that has remained unchanged for more than five decades: helping organisations solve real problems using data. As manufacturers continue their digital transformation journeys, the ability to connect information, people and processes will remain a critical competitive advantage, and Minitab intends to remain at the centre of that conversation.
