Recognized as one of the Top 50 most influential thought leaders in Industry 4.0 (Coming in at rank #1) as part of Onalytica's "Who's who in Industry 4.0 in 2023" report, Jeff Winter possesses a unique ability to bridge the gap between business strategy, industry trends, technology implementation, and change management.

As the Industry strategy leader for manufacturing for Hitachi Solutions, and Smart Manufacturing Advisor at CESMII, Jeff is known to help drive customer success through deep industry knowledge and technical expertise. He will soon be leading a panel on Generative AI: Strategies for Scaling Adoption across the Enterprise at our Connected Worker Summit in Chicago, from 13-15 November.

Watch as he shares thought leadership ideas and insights into the evolution of Industry 4.0 and how organizations can effectively strategize and scale the adoption of Generative AI.

Georgia Pacific is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of pulp, packaging, tissue and building products. The company has over 30,000 employees in 180+ locations worldwide. But a few years ago, the company recognized that it had a problem: a large proportion of its workforce would soon be retiring.

Since then, it has embarked on a journey – both technological and organizational – to address the looming knowledge gap, embed more predictive and intelligent capabilities into its operations and improve its operational resilience.

In this interview, Ron Norris, Director of Operations Innovation at Georgia Pacific discusses what the company has done, lessons learned along the way, and where they’re going next.

The technology landscape is ever evolving, ushering significant changes for the Connected Worker across varying industries and organizations. With the availability of generative AI and numerous software solutions the industry now has at their disposal, implementation can be challenging, especially across large enterprises like Duravant.

Having acquired multiple companies and businesses over a span of 10+ years, Duravant has established itself as a leader in the industry and the manufacturing sector. However, implementing a Connected Worker program across a diverse pool of companies and cultures poses its unique set of challenges and obstacles. Something as simple as harmonizing Microsoft Teams and looking up employees in an “Address Book” across the enterprise poses complexities.

In this interview with Patrick Quint, Chief Information Officer at Duravant, we explore how the company is navigating and leveraging technology to improve their Connected Worker program, and how they are actively integrating diverse operations and acquisitions into their enterprise to enhance collaboration and efficiency.

Advances in technology have revolutionised all aspect of business operations. One area where technology is making a remarkable impact is in workplace health and safety. No longer solely about box ticking and written procedures, the smart application of new technology is enabling companies to improve safety by fundamentally transforming operations to keep people out of harm’s way and to better understand and predict potential safety risks.

Download this latest report to:

• Learn how leading companies such as Amazon, E.ON and TotalEnergies are using digital tools for the next level of insight to reduce workplace incidents, drive compliance and create more resilient business operations
• Understand how drones, robotics, wearable technology and more are shifting the dial on worker safety to enable the next level of EHS performance
• Gain insight what it takes to build a truly resilient safety culture that takes advantage of leading edge technology

Your executive management team has just brought in a fantastic new software that’s going to increase productivity on the shop floor.

The CEO’s pumped up about it. The IT Team have been consuming copious quantities of coffee to deliver it. The program is technically brilliant and employs the latest revolutionary digital development – something cool like artificial intelligence in the metaverse, perhaps.

You’ve nailed the project management and delivered everything on time and on budget. The program is launched with great fanfare. Heck, for this one you even created a launch video with exciting music. Go big or go home, right?

Then, crickets.

Your shop floor takes one look at the app, shrugs, and dumps the iPad the software is sitting on in the dustiest corner of the factory. It’s just been confined to the scrapheap of your company’s digital history.

What happened?

It’s a painful lesson that many leaders have had to learn along the way. You can do (almost) everything right, but the ultimate success of your project comes down to whether it delivers lasting, sustainable change in the way the business operates.

And that means your people must adopt new practices.

What can you do to make sure that your digital solutions offer lasting business impact?

Advancements in digital technology offer radically new ways of working that can improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and optimize manufacturing operations. However, the adoption of technology comes with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest challenges facing the manufacturing industry is a labor shortage.

A recent study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, found that up to 2.1 million US manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by 2030, costing the economy a whopping $1 trillion dollars annually. Part of the problem is a skills mismatch. On one hand, manufacturing workers are losing jobs to automation, even as manufacturers find it tough to hire enough people to do the work they need doing.

That’s why manufacturing organizations need to do more to upskill their existing workforce, argues Hao Dinh, Vice President of Technology at Enpro Industries.

In this interview, we spoke with him about the various challenges facing digital upskilling and the Connected Worker, and what industry leaders must consider when driving digital transformation initiatives. His advice on how to digitally upskill your existing workforce offers promising insights and solutions.

At LEGO’s Billund factory in Denmark, autonomous robots and smart machines work fastidiously to churn out brick after brick of the world’s most famous building block. Demand for the building toy increased dramatically during COVID as locked down families found themselves looking for new ways to occupy their time.

LEGO was ready to meet that demand, despite ongoing supply chain challenges and the rising costs of materials, freight and energy. How did they do it?

In this interview, Jesper Toubøl, Vice President Operations - Moulding Production at the LEGO Group, discusses how LEGO has built resilient operations during this time of uncertainty and the changing role of the human worker.

The Connected Worker Houston welcomed over 200 digital and operational leaders to the Norris Conference Center Houston, for three days of interactive discussions, debate and creative thinking to understand how to deploy connected worker platforms and supporting technologies for measurable business benefits.

What was evident from the discussions onsite was that our energy leaders were facing numerous challenges as they strive to remain competitive in a dynamic and ever-changing market. With a rapidly aging workforce, attraction and retention challenges and workforce attrition, many of our attendees were looking to understand how they could use data-driven solutions to attract the next generation digital savvy workforce, capture and retain knowledge, and drive continuous improvement though a more flexible, productive and engaged workforce.

We hope you enjoy the conference highlights in this post-event report, and join us for our the Chicago one!

The relentless pressure on operational efficiency has driven the oil and gas industry to focus on improving the effectiveness of its workforce - connecting frontline workers to information so they can make faster, better decisions. This exclusive interview with Brent Kedzierski, Head of Learning Strategy & Innovation at Shell, discusses the work Shell is doing and how humans fit into the new digitally-focused, automated oil and gas industry of the future.

Download your copy today to read how Shell:

• Are connecting the plant, field, and the worker -- and the impact its having on their operations
• Are using intelligent automation technologies to drive simulation and digital-based learning as a strategic capability
• Are delivering real time dynamic connectivity between people, process, data and technologies that can present a step change in safe and reliable performance
  

The transition to a connected workforce is not without its challenges. Some workers will struggle with the transition to a more digital environment. All workers will require new skills and capabilities to deal with the rapidly changing technological landscape. 

Download this report and learn five best practices to prepare your workforce for Industry 4.0, gathered from industry experts and leaders at IX Network’s recent Connected Manufacturing Worker online event.

Companies have been implementing Connected Worker solutions to better connect frontline workers to digital resources to drive efficiency, increase employee retention, and harness the knowledge of their most valuable resource: their people.

But, Connected Worker technology currently lacks standardized approaches in the field. Organizations must find their own way through the digital minefield. Excitement often turns to disillusionment if technology fails to live up to its expectations to make lasting, sustained change to frontline work.

So, how can companies better harness the benefits of a Connected Worker program?

This industry report, harnesses insight from speakers at our recent events and our advisory board of senior digital and transformation professionals to identify common sources of Connected Worker project failure and key factors that can help you pave the way to success.

With Insights from:

As companies ramp up their digital transformation efforts, it can be easy to get distracted by the latest technology fad or shiny piece of equipment. While machine learning, data analytics, augmented reality, wearable tech, mobility, and more, hold enormous potential to transform business operations, they must be adopted by users to realize the benefits.

In this interview, Raphael shares some of the lessons learned from his experience on epic failures and how they’ve inspired a radically new way of engaging with the business by putting empathy with users at the forefront of digital transformation.

Download 'Avoiding Epic Failures By Developing Empathy for Users' now to learn more.

Available to read now

Manufacturing companies have sought for years to harness the productivity and quality gains that can come from the implementation of an Industry 4.0 strategies. Smart new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearables, IIOT, and others, have offered manufacturers unprecedented insight into their operations.

But whether you’re just embarking on a new Industry 4.0 journey or have been reaping the benefits of technology for years, there’s always more to do, says Seonhi Ro, Industry 4.0 Specialist at Ford Motors Company. 

“I don’t think you can ever finish your work with Industry 4.0,” she observes. “You can always push one step further in what you are doing.”

Download this interview, where Ro shares her insight on what it takes to successfully implement Industry 4.0 strategies, elements you need to consider and her top advice to companies just getting started on their journey.

French oil giant TotalEnergies operates oil and gas production facilities, refining and chemicals sites, and service stations throughout the globe. Last year, the company launched the industry’s first internet enabled helmet to help plant workers carry out complex procedures. The helmet leaves workers with their hands free but enables them to communicate with remote subject matter experts.

Over a year since the first deployment, where are they now and where are they going?

In this interview, Eric Duchesne, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing & Projects at Total offers his perspective on what it took to make their Connected Helmet program a success, talks about lessons learned and reflects on the challenges the year ahead will bring.

Download this interview to:

• Get insight into the challenges that TotalEnergies had to overcome to make their Connected Worker helmet a success
• Learn about the company's plans for the upcoming year including how it plans to use data analytics for prescriptive maintenance and its plans to lower its carbon and methane emissions
• Understand what leading oil and gas companies are doing in the field of Connected Worker
  

In this interview, Barnes offers advice of engaging with your people, the role of leadership in establishing the right corporate culture, and what's on his radar for 2022.

Connected Worker technology– a category of applications that includes mobile apps, wearables, and virtual/augmented reality - allows frontline workers to connect with the resources and information that they need to get a job done safely and efficiently. Proponents of Connected Worker technology cite how it can improve everything from training through to asset management, quality, and safety.

Download 'Connected Worker Technology – Get The Right People on the Bus with Sean Barnes' now to learn more.

This presentation was recorded live at Connected Worker: Food and Beverage Manufacturing

The Connected Worker at Nestle Purina PetCare: Digital Manufacturing Transformation

Terry LeDoux, VP Digital Manufacturing, shares how Nestlé Purina’s digital transformation is making connected teams a reality. As a digital thought leader, Terry and his team will talk about their vision for connecting every worker across their 20+ plant network in North America and beyond. In this insightful presentation Terry will share the ‘big idea’ and how they are delivering on this vision.

• What does a connected worker strategy mean to Nestlé Purina?
• How can technology help produce safe, quality food while keeping workers safe as well?
• How does digital collaboration contribute to productivity and Nestlé’s Continuous Excellence strategy?
• How has putting a digital device in every workers’ hand affected productivity and shop floor culture?

As you ask more of your front-line teams than ever before, its critical to arm them with the methods and technologies to support them through this crisis and beyond. Were you ready? What is your connected worker strategy for the ‘new normal’? You know that ownership by your shop floor teams is required to make any continuous improvement program successful. But how can you engage everyone on the floor to own the outcomes? Especially in today’s socially distanced environment, a connected-worker strategy that empowers each associate with a digital identity is not only a game changer but a requirement.

Terry LeDoux, VP of Digital Manufacturing, Nestle Purina

This presentation was recorded live at the Connected Worker online event series -  Connected Worker: Food and Beverage Manufacturing 

Building Resilience Post COVID-19: Keeping Your Frontline Workers Safe, Mobile and Efficient

During this online presentation, our industry leading speakers discuss:

• Can food and beverage manufacturing plants be pandemic resilient?
• Maximizing production - while minimizing the number of people onsite
• Adapting to the new reality: building agility and flexibility into your operations
• What activities should be performed remotely, so that managers and supervisors do not have to be constantly onsite?
• How can we share knowledge and transfer information while reducing physical interaction?
• Leveraging the expertise of your more experienced workers - regardless of their physical location
• Exploiting technology, automation and process change to increase compliance and accountability

Your presentation speakers:

Shelley Morton, Independent F&B Industry Consultant
Matt Cadogan, Head of Environment, Health & Safety, Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland
Taoufik Arif, Vice President, Digital Manufacturing & Innovation, Olam
Adriana Graham, Sr. Director Information Technology, Tyson Foods
Moderator: Alexandre Leclerc, CEO, Poka

The operations of Flint Hills Resources, based in southern Texas, process more than 340,000 barrels of oil a day and produce a variety of products including jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, and the petrochemicals used in carpets, clothing, and tires.

Recorded during The Connected Worker online event series, in this webinar, Brook Vickery, Vice President & Manufacturing Manager at Flint Hills Resources shares how the company has leveraged cutting edge connected worker technology to radically transform operations in engineering design, construction and maintenance. Brook also discusses:

• Digital tools that can enhance productivity in construction and maintenance such as 3D Models, the ProCore App, Lean Kits and Mobile enabled CMMS.
• Design tools that enable better productivity such as MS Teams, Laser Scanning and Blue Beam.

Watch the recorded webinar now...