"We are drowning ourselves in information," said Mahyar Khosravi, director of industry solutions at Canvass Analytics, in a panel discussion. "But you end up creating a sense of panic. Now you have so much stuff you're trying to make decisions on." For Canvass, "We are forcing ourselves into creating a culture of collaboration to manage that information effectively," he said.
Panelist Marie Getsug, program manager for strategic asset consulting – asset management at Jacobs Engineering, noted that there's often a disconnect between an industrial organization's goal and reality, and between an idea and strategy. Working to address the organizational culture gaps that stymie collaboration or result in mistrust between different groups, whether it's union employees and management or maintenance technicians and the IT department, can help address that disconnect.
"We like to talk about breaking down silos, (about) bridging," Getsug said. "I believe in order to accomplish that, you have to honor the perspective that each individual brings. You don't know what you don't know, because you didn't spend 20 years in that guy's boots or this woman's boots."
For any organization, the necessary end goals—becoming more nimble, more flexible, better able to meet customers' accelerating demands and deliver unprecedented levels of service and security—aren't really negotiable, if the business seeks to thrive in a changing, more-connected marketplace. "Adaptability and agility are not just for the other guys," said Arnold "Marty" Martin, director of process control technology at Air Liquide's Center of Technical Expertise. Having people who can articulate the value of the IoT to everyone from technicians to the C-suite and "paint that strategic vision" is imperative, SpencerStuart's Burns noted.
At the plant-floor level, "When you're giving operators a tool to make their jobs easier, it's amazing how quickly they get on board," Martin said. But that happens only when those tasked with training MRO personnel and encouraging buy-in for the use of new tools can demonstrate a given tool's potential and can speak craftspersons' language to address their biggest concerns about changing processes and adopting new technologies. In getting craftspersons to adopt new technologies, "You have to hold people to a higher standard, but you have to train them," he said.
A collaborative culture, a coordinated strategy, and continual training—all need to be in place for manufacturers' digital initiatives to achieve sustained success, Monday's Smart Industry speakers and panelists concluded.