The data story behind sustainability
Together, digital maturity and connected data empower organizations to embed sustainability into engineering, manufacturing and supply chains
How a connected factory drives sustainable operations
Real impact with Tulip and IoT
Sustainability begins with visibility
Sustainability in manufacturing is often framed around ambitious goals: reducing emissions, cutting energy use, and minimising waste. Yet the real challenge lies in translating those goals into daily operations. In my experience, the biggest barrier isn’t a lack of commitment, but a lack of visibility.
Most waste happens quietly. Machines run outside optimal parameters, materials are discarded without traceability, and decisions are made based on assumptions rather than facts. Without the right data, it’s impossible to know where the real opportunities for improvement lie.
This is where a connected factory becomes essential. At 9altitudes, we use Tulip’s next-gen MES and IoT solutions to capture real-time data from machines and operators. This isn’t just about collecting numbers, it’s about giving context to what’s happening on the shop floor.
When data is contextualised, it becomes actionable. For example, a manufacturer used Tulip to monitor rework rates across shifts and discovered that a small adjustment in operator training reduced scrap by 18% within weeks. Another company tracked machine downtime and energy consumption per product, leading to targeted maintenance that cut energy use by 12%.
A connected factory turns sustainability from a strategic ambition into an operational practice. It enables everyone, from operators to managers, to make smarter decisions based on real-time, reliable data.
Kristof Van Ackere
Smart Factory Practice Lead, 9altitudes
"If your factory isn’t connected, how do you know where your biggest sustainability wins are hiding?"
Kristof Van Ackere - Smart Factory Practice Lead, 9altitudes
Contextual intelligence, not just AI
Artificial Intelligence has its place in manufacturing, but it’s not the star of the show. What matters most is how AI complements the data we collect through MES and IoT systems.
Tulip empowers teams to build their own applications, without needing IT support. This flexibility means improvements can be made quickly and tailored to specific processes. I’ve seen teams reduce training time for temporary workers by 40% simply by digitising work instructions and linking them to machine data.
AI adds value by identifying patterns and predicting issues. It can flag when a machine’s energy use spikes or when a process is drifting out of spec. But it’s the combination of AI with contextual data that makes these insights meaningful.
Every factory is different. AI helps personalise sustainability targets and automate adjustments, but it’s the people on the shop floor who drive change. Our role is to give them the tools and insights they need to act with confidence.
In one case, a customer used Tulip to correlate temperature fluctuations with increased scrap rates. By adjusting the process parameters, they not only reduced waste but also improved product consistency. These kinds of insights are only possible when AI is grounded in real operational data.
Making sustainability scalable
Sustainability must be scalable to be effective. It can’t be a one-off initiative, it has to be part of how the factory operates every day.
Tulip’s composable architecture makes this possible. You can start small, digitise one process, track one metric, and then expand across lines and sites. The platform adapts to different teams, products, and workflows, making it ideal for continuous improvement.
Traceability is another key factor. Linking production data to individual components supports quality control, compliance, and customer transparency. It also helps teams understand the full lifecycle of their products, which is essential for sustainable decision-making.
Perhaps the biggest shift I’ve seen is cultural. Data is no longer just for managers, it’s a shared language across the organisation. Operators use it to improve their work, engineers use it to optimise processes, and managers use it to guide strategy.
In today’s world of resource constraints and regulatory pressure, this approach isn’t just smart, it’s necessary. A connected factory doesn’t just support sustainability; it makes it measurable, scalable, and part of the company’s DNA.
5 smart factory wins for sustainability
1. Real-time visibility into waste and inefficiencies
Smart factories enable continuous monitoring of production processes, making it possible to detect and address inefficiencies such as scrap, rework, and energy overuse as they occur.
2. Data-driven decision-making across the shop floor
By capturing contextual data from machines and operators, teams can make informed decisions that align with sustainability goals, reducing reliance on assumptions or manual reporting.
3. Faster and more effective workforce enablement
Digital work instructions and intuitive interfaces help onboard new operators quickly and reduce errors, contributing to more consistent quality and less material waste.
4. Predictive maintenance and process optimisation
Combining IoT data with AI allows manufacturers to anticipate equipment failures and optimise process parameters, reducing downtime and resource consumption.
5. End-to-end traceability and compliance support
Smart factory platforms provide full traceability of components and materials, supporting regulatory compliance and enabling transparent reporting on environmental impact.
Sustainability insights survey
The survey provided insights into the pressures organizations face to supply sustainability data. The results indicate that more than 75% either feel this pressure or anticipate experiencing it in the future. Comparing this with the level of preparation and support from digital business applications, the data suggests that many companies are not yet prepared or do not collect data in a structured manner using such tools. Given these findings, organizations may need to begin focusing on developing data capturing, collection, and reporting practices related to sustainability.