Innovation continues to touch every business sector and the manufacturing industry has been no different. Robotics, automation and 3D printing have been a few of the major technological advances that have manufacturing a breeding ground for some of some big leaps forward.

A recent blog post from Cerasis makes the case that manufacturing innovation can be used to help boost productivity and efficiency in the U.S. sector. The article examines several challenges in the industry including fuel costs and new strategies like quick response manufacturing, which, if managed properly, can improve operations.

The piece also examined the growing impact of big data and analytics. It seems that with every technological innovation, there becomes a new way to create and gather information. With an analytical eye or tool, business decision makers can breakdown nearly every process that find better ways to operate. However, this process is easier said than done and knowing what the data is telling you can be difficult to decipher.

"The amount of data in our world has been exploding, and analyzing large data sets—so-called big data—will become a key basis of competition, underpinning new waves of productivity growth, manufacturing innovation, and consumer surplus," the article reads.

Many discussions about the industry point to the fact that manufacturing plays a significant role in the strength of the economy. Any innovation that helps create a more effective atmosphere in this sector needs to be examined. Whether this means trying out a robot on the line or deploying new inventory management software, innovation will be the name of the game.