Visual Decisions

What Visual Decisions does

Visual Decisions Inc (VDI) is a U.S.-based smart manufacturing consultancy founded in 2002 in Round Lake, Illinois, that sells professional services to American manufacturers and to industrial software vendors. The firm's core offering combines Smart Factory technology enablement with Lean Factory operational methodology into a methodology it brands 'Real-Time Lean,' intended to address the gap between technology purchase and value realization — VDI cites that 70-95% of smart manufacturing programs fail to meet objectives without proper planning. VDI's core products span a structured service lifecycle: CESMII Smart Manufacturing Assessment, Detailed Blueprint, Solution Selection, Solution Implementation, Value Realization, Strategic Consulting, and a recurring Coaching & Mentoring offering that positions VDI as a fractional digital transformation officer. Adjacent products include Digital Lean training and a Leaders and Smart Manufacturing executive development program. Underlying technical content is methodology and process re-engineering rather than a software platform; VDI integrates with third-party IoT, MES, BI, data, and cloud infrastructure (Rockwell, AVEVA, PTC, Tulip, Snowflake, AWS, Microsoft, etc.) rather than competing with them.

The company is privately held, has 1-10 employees, and reports no funding rounds or acquisitions. VDI monetizes through project-based consulting engagements, training course fees, a monthly subscription coaching product, and a 'Services for Vendors' program that includes education, content creation, sales support, and customer success work for industrial software vendors. Distribution is direct enterprise field sales, supplemented by active participation in industry events (MD&M South, MD&M East, CESMII events, Industry 4.0 Club) and a substantial content marketing footprint of 100+ free webinars and articles. VDI holds a strategically significant credential as one of only four companies nationally certified to deliver the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap, and is engaged by CESMII (the DOE-funded Smart Manufacturing Institute) to define Digital Lean and co-create the institute's official Digital Lean training program — a position that functions as a quasi-regulatory moat. Founder Tim Stuart serves as President and is the visible external voice of the firm across media and industry events.

Name

Visual Decisions

Legal name

Visual Decisions Inc

Website

https://visualdecisions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Visual Decisions is a U.S. smart manufacturing consultancy founded in 2002 that combines Smart Factory and Lean Factory methodologies into 'Real-Time Lean' engagements for manufacturers and industrial software vendors. Services span assessment, blueprint, implementation, value realization, fractional coaching, and CESMII-aligned training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Round Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Coaching and Mentoring Services: Ongoing service provided as a monthly subscription where a VDI resource serves as a fractional digital transformation officer for the company.
2. Professional Consulting Services: Engagements include Smart Manufacturing Assessment, Detailed Blueprint, Solution Selection, Solution Implementation, Strategic Consulting, and Value Realization services. These are typically project-based consulting engagements.
3. Training Programs: Training courses including Digital Lean (4-day on-site class), Leaders and Smart Manufacturing (Introductory 3-hour web meeting class or 3-day Master Class on-site), and education programs for vendor teams. Instructor-led and online course deployment options available.
4. Services for Vendors: Services for solution vendors including Education, Content Creation, Sales Support, and Customer Success programs to help vendors acquire and retain customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Visual Decisions Inc (VDI) is a U.S. consulting firm that helps manufacturers combine Smart Factory technology with Lean Factory methodology to create "Real-Time Lean" environments, driving improvements in Cost, Throughput, and Quality. Its core offerings include Smart Manufacturing Assessment using the CESMII framework, Detailed Blueprint creation, Solution Selection, Solution Implementation, Value Realization, Strategic Consulting, and ongoing Coaching & Mentoring. The company also delivers Digital Lean and Leaders and Smart Manufacturing training programs, plus a Services for Vendors practice covering education, content creation, sales support, and customer success.

Product overview

Visual Decisions Inc (VDI) is a consulting and professional services firm specializing in Smart Manufacturing and Digital Transformation for American manufacturers. Founded in 2002, VDI offers a structured service portfolio combining the Smart Factory with the Lean Factory to drive improvements to Cost, Throughput, and Quality. The core service suite includes Smart Manufacturing Assessment (using the CESMII framework), Smart Manufacturing Detailed Blueprint, Solution Selection, Solution Implementation, Value Realization, Strategic Consulting, and Coaching & Mentoring. Training offerings include Digital Lean (combining Lean principles with real-time digital insights) and Leaders and Smart Manufacturing (executive development for digital transformation). VDI also provides services for technology vendors including Education, Content Creation, Sales Support, and Customer Success, along with specialized offerings in Lean Six Sigma, Data Analytics & Business Intelligence, and Supply Chain & Factory Planning. The company's methodology emphasizes that technology alone does not drive improvement without process adaptation and cultural change, using a Fitbit analogy to illustrate that Smart Manufacturing systems require operational excellence programs to achieve value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Manufacturing Assessment A facilitated engagement using the CESMII industry-standard framework to assess a manufacturer's current Smart Manufacturing maturity level across six dimensions, create a high-level roadmap, and determine the potential value of a Smart Manufacturing program. VDI is one of four companies certified for this process nationally.
• Smart Manufacturing Detailed Blueprint An engagement creating a comprehensive blueprint for Smart Manufacturing programs, including detailed use-case definition, future-state vision, and value proposition development, covering infrastructure, hardware upgrades, software, process change, cultural change, and employee upskilling requirements.
• Solution Selection Assistance in evaluating and selecting appropriate Smart Manufacturing solutions and vendors based on the customer's blueprint requirements, leveraging VDI's extensive relationships with vendors throughout the Smart Manufacturing solution space.
• Solution Implementation Installation, configuration, and commissioning of Smart Manufacturing hardware and software selected by the customer, drawing on over two decades of implementation experience across industries.
• Value Realization An ongoing engagement designed to maximize the probability of Smart Manufacturing program success by expanding use case coverage, adapting existing processes to new capabilities, educating teams on data fluency, driving adoption, and organizing value management sprints.
• Strategic Consulting Executive-level consulting services including Digital Transformation strategy, Operational Excellence program design, Supply Chain Strategy, Sales & Operation Planning, and Collaborative Design, providing fractional C-Level resources and project-based expertise across manufacturing and supply chain domains.
• Coaching & Mentoring Ongoing fractional resource providing Smart Manufacturing guidance, mentorship, and thought leadership on a monthly subscription basis; VDI coaches serve as confidants and educators, participating in cadence meetings and steering committees while focusing on team enablement.
• Digital Lean Training A 4-day on-site training program combining Lean manufacturing principles with Smart Manufacturing digital capabilities, covering digital production systems, problem-solving enhancement, Lean tool modernization, and quality improvement through variation reduction using real-time monitoring and analytics.
• Leaders and Smart Manufacturing Training Leadership development training focused on maximizing Smart Manufacturing initiative success, covering adapting leadership practices, driving competitive advantage, building Smart Manufacturing ecosystems, and leveraging Smart/Lean/Green synergies, available as an introductory 3-hour web class (up to 20 participants) or 3-day on-site master class (up to 12 participants).
• Services for Vendors A dedicated program for solution vendors in the smart manufacturing space, providing Education, Content Creation, Sales Support, and Customer Success services to help vendors acquire and retain customers; can be white-labeled and executed at scale.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% increase in OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration21 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CESMII (Smart Manufacturing Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDI is engaged by CESMII (the official Smart Manufacturing Institute for the USA, funded by the Department of Energy) to define Digital Lean and the value proposition of Smart Manufacturing initiatives. VDI has completed more CESMII Roadmaps than anyone outside of CESMII itself. VDI is working with CESMII to create their official Digital Lean training program. VDI is one of only four companies across the country certified for the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap process.
• Sandalwood Engineering & ErgonomicsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a Solution Implementation Partner on VDI's website, providing systems integration services.
• Industry 4.0 ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDI partners with Industry 4.0 Club on content series including 'Lean Industry 4.0 - Operational Excellence meets Technology.' Tim Stuart participates in discussions with Industry 4.0 Club on smart manufacturing topics.
• Fraunhofer USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Marcel Schäfer from Fraunhofer USA joined Tim Stuart for discussions on using data to drive business results as part of Industry 4.0 Club series.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture (Industry X): Accenture's Industry X practice delivers digital manufacturing and Smart Manufacturing transformation services end-to-end; broader portfolio and larger delivery footprint than VDI but targets overlapping manufacturing buyers.
• Capgemini Engineering: Engineering and digital industrial transformation services arm of Capgemini, focused on Industry 4.0, smart factories, and connected operations for manufacturers — comparable scope and buyer, with greater scale.
• Boston Consulting Group (Operations & Manufacturing): BCG's Operations Practice includes Industry 4.0/digital manufacturing advisory work for global manufacturers; a broad incumbent that targets the same executive-level digital transformation engagements as VDI.
• Deloitte (Smart Manufacturing / Operations Transformation): Deloitte's Operations Transformation offering includes Industry 4.0, digital factory, and Smart Manufacturing advisory; broader consulting mix but competes for enterprise Smart Manufacturing roadmap and blueprint engagements.
• KPMG (Industrial Manufacturing): KPMG's Industrial Manufacturing advisory includes Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 transformation services; broader advisory mix but overlaps on digital manufacturing strategy engagements with manufacturers.
• Cognizant (Manufacturing & IoT practice): Cognizant's Manufacturing and IoT practice delivers digital manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and connected factory services; a broader IT services player competing for the same enterprise manufacturing budget pool.
• McKinsey & Company (Operations Practice): Global management consultancy with large Industry 4.0 / Operations practices serving enterprise manufacturers; competes for the same Digital Transformation and Smart Manufacturing advisory engagements at the high end of the market.
• HCLTech (Manufacturing / Industry 4.0): HCLTech's Engineering and Manufacturing Services include Industry 4.0, IoT, and digital factory transformation services for global manufacturers; broad incumbent with comparable buyer and overlapping methodology focus.

Direct peers

• ARC Advisory Group: Industrial software and automation market research/advisory firm serving manufacturers and vendors; competes with VDI for the same buyer attention and Digital Transformation advisory wallet, with similar practitioner-led content.
• LNS Research: Independent research and advisory firm focused exclusively on industrial operations, manufacturing, and Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0 — closely overlaps VDI's domain depth, target buyer (manufacturing executives), and advisory services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Visual Decisions