Sng describes IBM's distinctive business model as a combination of demand sensing,supply sensing, anticipation, synchronization, and response.

"Most manufacturing companies with integrated business model understand risk factors, and build systems for resiliency," Sng noted.

He shared that access to real-time data and information to assist decision-making are driving the change in the business models among manufacturing firms today. Other drivers include: integration of applications and consolidation of data globally; achieving best-in-class time-to-market and time-to-revenue with collaborative engineering and planning tool; making information asset secure across the distributed enterprise; compliance issues; green manufacturing; and streamlined business processes.

He said some of the companies that benefited recently from IBM's distinctive solutions are automotive and electronics manufacturing firms based in the US, helping them mostly on product development.