4 Ways Connected Worker Strategies Are Changing the Face of Manufacturing

More than 70% of manufacturers today have experienced negative operational impacts due to difficulty engaging and retaining frontline workers, according to LNS Research. This threat to business continuity, they say, is one driving force behind the rise of connected worker applications, defined as: 

“software applications designed for and used by the frontline industrial workforce to enable the multi-directional flow of context-relevant data, digital content, information, insights, and actions throughout the operational management system, including people, assets, technology systems, and the work environment.” 

Note that LNS Research refers to connected worker as a multitude of applications supporting a strategy, rather than a single solution. Similarly, at EASE, we see the emergence of connected worker as an overarching strategy for improving workforce engagement, quality and productivity, rather than simply a set of tools. We predict this transformative strategy will fundamentally reshape manufacturing in several key ways, which we explore below. 

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1. Bridging the Digital Divide

The expanding number of digital tools available to manufacturing holds great promise for improving efficiency, production and quality. And yet, the very existence of these tools has created a new gap that companies must grapple with to achieve these results. That gap is the digital isolation that occurs when the people doing the work are disconnected from other people, information, machines and systems.  

In this context, it’s worth looking at connected worker as a strategy, rather than just a set of tools. Whether it’s giving frontline workers on-the-job support or giving leaders access to real-time plant floor data, connected worker technology helps break down the digital divide. The result is people are no longer flying blind, and instead have the right information at the right time to make the right decision. 

2. Accelerating Response Time  

One of the biggest inefficiencies created by digital isolation is a delay in response time between when information is captured and when it is analyzed. This lag time only leaves room for problems to grow in scope and impact, when the information to solve the problem is there all along.  

One example would be where people capture information that must be manually transcribed into digital systems. For instance, maybe your team has to enter paper checklist results from plant floor audit findings into a spreadsheet, or employees must use paper or email to log a hazard they see on the plant floor. 

In both cases, the time between discovering and fixing the problem is longer than it needs to be. Furthermore, it’s an area where connecting the right people to the information in a timely manner can have an outsized impact on quality and safety. 

3. Improving Frontline Visibility 

Another significant downside of digital isolation is the lack of visibility into frontline data, which makes it difficult for manufacturers to monitor and influence the variables controlling production outputs. Data buried in paper forms and spreadsheets contribute to the problem, creating a situation where teams spend more time solving problems that have already happened than preventing them outright.  

Connecting people with data on frontline processes, such as data from IIoT sensors and data on process compliance, can provide a window into what’s happening on the plant floor. This data is also vital for developing leading indicators, which are necessary for moving from a reactive to a proactive state. 

4. Sharing Institutional Knowledge

When questions arise during manufacturing for operators, there’s a distinct disconnect between the people executing the process and the information they need to do it right. People are left to either rely on their own judgment or wait until additional help is available, neither of which is ideal from a quality or production standpoint. 

Connected worker systems with functions like remote support, visual training lessons and knowledge base tools can help eliminate this disconnect. Those on the front lines of production have on-the-spot access to critical information, whether it be a reminder to execute a critical process check or clarification on how to troubleshoot a machine.  

As growing numbers of manufacturers adopt Industry 4.0 tools, connected worker strategies will become critical to battling the digital divide to reach their goals of improving productivity and quality. Eliminating lag time, improving plant floor visibility and codifying institutional knowledge the keys to meeting today’s challenges around workforce engagement and retention, and achieving meaningful value from digital transformation.