The Role of Connected Workers in Modern Industry

In today’s business services sector, there are looming challenges, such as poor productivity growth, ongoing margin pressures, increasing talent challenges, and pricing struggles. It has been observed that there’s a limited use of technology and portable devices like smartphones and tablets in routine work. This contributes to weakened productivity, as indicated by a productivity benchmark report.

A recent Connected Worker report highlighted alarming findings, which include:

• Approximately 13% of workers don’t use digital devices in their work
• A common practice amongst most working professionals is the use of personal smartphones to compensate for technology issues
• Surprisingly, productivity loss of nearly three hours per week per worker occurs due to technology issues
• A substantial automation risk has been predicted, with 25-31% of business services jobs at high risk

This report emphasizes the immediate need for improvement in productivity and efficiency to ensure future profitability. This presents an opportunity to focus on the connected worker technologies, which have the potential to facilitate a collaboration framework and justify investment in a connected frontline workforce applications.

The Concept of Connected Work

The term “connected workers” refers to the working professionals who use digital technology to operate more efficiently in various sectors of modern industry such as manufacturing, construction, and utilities.

The concept of connected work is being widely appreciated in these industries as it significantly improves operations and outcomes. The underlying technology is primarily smartphones and tablets, while the overlying technology is an intuitive, less expensive, and flexible cloud-based software platform.

Implementing connected worker solutions, which can be compared to an online Lean Six Sigma certificate course, improves several factors such as:

• Providing real-time data and communication to workers
• Enabling them to perform tasks more efficiently
• Facilitating instant access to a well-maintained knowledge base
• Assisting in providing solutions for varying levels of workload

Getting started with a connected worker solution requires a mindset to use the solution rather than demanding the certification. The primary goal here is to empower the workforce when help is required and prevent them from being exposed to excessive workload or even unsafe conditions.

Connected worker solutions are like the artificial intelligence behind a highly efficient factory, which are easier to learn and more flexible compared to traditional manufacturing technologies. These technologies help in bridging the skills gap, empowering the frontline employees, practicing a safety culture, and developing a collaboration-oriented mindset. Purdue University even provides further information in their e-book on how to leverage Lean Six Sigma experience and empower the workforce using connected worker technologies.

Benefits of Connected Workers

Connected workers or augmented workers, as they are also known, bring along a host of benefits to manufacturing factories and technology sectors. These include:

• Improved Productivity: With access to digital tools that keep them connected to the equipment and each other, workers can perform tasks efficiently, regardless of their or their supervisor’s location. This enhanced worker communication and collaboration ultimately leads to labor savings, and an increase in operational resiliency and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
  
  
• Operational Resilience: During crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, digital systems have been crucial for companies to keep operations running, with a surprising 94% claiming that these systems helped in maintaining the workflow.
  
  
• Enhanced Safety: Digital technologies track and resolve issues quickly, provide up-to-date safety information, and help prevent common production mistakes.
  
  
• Upskilling of Workers: Implementing connected worker platforms can help close the skills gap and enable the upskilling of new workers.
  
  
• Standardization and Efficiency: Connected worker technologies also facilitate knowledge-sharing, standardize work processes, develop automated workflows, and improve efficiency by connecting workers, equipment, and IoT sensors.
  
  

Technology and Safety in the Industrial Sector

The advancement and adoption of technology in the industrial sector, particularly in relation to front-line workers, is now more crucial than ever. As safety becomes a top priority, connected worker technologies are evolving to ensure worker adherence to safety protocols and promote a safety culture.

The role of the human-machine connection in driving productivity, quality, and safety in the industrial sector is becoming increasingly prominent. Depleting natural resources are now propelling industrial companies to optimize their processes and do more with less. In this changing landscape, different approaches to recruitment, retention, and training of workers are necessitated.

The Potential of Digital Technologies in Manufacturing

Technology is revolutionizing industries, particularly manufacturing, with digital technologies having an enormous potential to transform the field into a fully connected workforce. Connected workers who are armed with digital tools can increase productivity, improve quality, and enhance safety. Connected workforce platforms can help meet organizational needs and goals, including:

• Trust and Empowerment: By increasing employee engagement through collaboration and support for new technologies, turnover can be reduced, and worker empowerment may be enhanced.
  
  
• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence: Adoption of these technologies in the connected workforce can provide a competitive edge.
  

By taking a step towards investing in a connected workforce, organizations can unlock the full potential of their employees and get one step closer to achieving their operational goals.

Implementing connected worker solutions

The role of connected workers in modern industry is indisputably crucial for improving productivity, safety, and operational efficiency. Implementing connected worker solutions can address challenges faced by the business services sector, including poor productivity and high automation risk.

Modern industry relies on connected workers to streamline operations and enhance productivity. Their significance is not just limited to the industrial sector. In fact, the integration of advanced technologies, such as AI and machine learning, is revolutionizing various fields. One notable example is the healthcare sector, where AI and machine learning in clinical trials are paving the way for more efficient and accurate research outcomes.

Technology plays a never-before-seen pivotal role in ensuring worker safety, and driving productivity, quality, and safety within the industrial sector. Furthermore, when appropriately harnessed, digital technologies can revolutionize manufacturing by creating an empowered and intrinsically safety-focused connected workforce.

By embracing this progressive wave of connective technologies and investing in a connected workforce, organizations don’t simply optimize their operations—they open a gateway to trust, empowerment, and a future of unparalleled growth and success.