The Paint and Coatings Industry in the Age of Digitalization

By Cynthia Challener

While digitalization may, Upon initial reflection, be associated with smartphones, voice-driven home-monitoring and search devices, and advanced Internet-based purchasing systems, in reality, it has begun to pervade all aspects of all activities across all industries. The paint and coatings sector is no exception. While only a few companies have established business groups focused on digitalization, most are addressing digitalization to some degree – to enhance the customer experience (both consumer and B2B), improve manufacturing processes, and/or introduce new business models, including new ways of working that previously were not possible. Those companies that are not actively exploring how to digitalize their operations and leverage new digitalization tools and technologies do so at their peril.