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A well-defined digital transformation strategy is critical for the overall success of IoT implementation in a manufacturing environment. The situation created by Covid-19 has accelerate the need of such transformation. The strategy should cover every aspect of business activity – from development and production, to advanced quality control, delivery, and analysis. A clear strategy is imperative to ensure focus on business and a relevant part of this focus is of course the needs of the customer which should be a central goal of the digital transformation process. A crucial point in the strategy is – of course- create an Industry 4.0 road map.
The roadmap for digital transformation does include a number of challenges. The good news is that there are already many tools and services in place to assist manufacturers in making the digital transformation process structured, predictable, and successful. Here I’d like to present some of the challenges to look out for when implementing digitization in manufacturing:
- Lack of relevant knowledge: Introducing technology alone is not enough without the relevant knowledge to make it work.
- Budget limitations: leading a manufacturing facility through the digital transformation journey requires a substantial investment.
- Rigid company structure: The introduction of 4.0 smart factory to a manufacturing facility is more like a paradigm shift than a slight improvement.
- Employee reluctance: not everybody is open to change. In fact, most people do not welcome changes to their work environment.
- Security and safety of people and data: cyber security should be taken into account at the start of any digital transformation project, as well planning working space with tools that can ensure safety of people also against risk to get infected by Covid-19.
To help diagnose where automation could most profitably be applied to improve performance, business leaders may want to conduct a thorough inventory of their organization’s activities and create a heat map of where automation potential is high. Time is running fast and digital divide is following Martec’s law. Is no longer a question if transformation will impact all global business, but just when.
Partner of Horizon Consulting in Poland – guidiconsulting.pl
