Veteran valuation expert James Catty comments on the reshaping of the manufacturing industry, the most significant trend being the growing importance of data. The most effective ways to transform data into actionable information are through “machine learning” and “big data analytics,” he says. “All firms should have or introduce an integrated method of obtaining dependable operational and financial data in real time,” says Catty, who is principal valuator of Corporate Valuation Services Ltd. and chair emeritus of the International Association of Consultants, Valuators and Analysts (IACVA).