Don't Be the Last Dinosaur: Your Plant's Digital Evolution Starts Now!

Plant Managers, manufacturing leaders - look around you. The manufacturing world is not just changing; it's undergoing a seismic shift. While you're grappling with daily firefighting, your competitors – the agile, the digitally native, and those strategically investing – are busy building tomorrow's factories. They are not compromising; they are not settling for just automation, they are digitizing every process, they have rich digital data, they are ready to deploy intelligent, agentic systems that learn, adapt, and optimize production with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

The choice before you is stark: Innovate and adopt, or become obsolete.

If you continue to manage your plants with fragmented data, manual processes, and reactive decision-making, you are literally leaving money on the table. You're bleeding efficiency, compromising quality, and surrendering market share. The 'traditional' way of manufacturing is becoming a relic.

Here are the critical decisions and actions you must undertake RIGHT NOW to avoid being left in the dust:

1. Stop analyzing and planning- Start digitizing today: Your operations are awash in data, but is it usable? Is it real-time? Is it connected? The foundation of every advanced manufacturing system—from IIoT to agentic AI—is clean, contextualized data. 

ACTION: Invest immediately in robust digital data infrastructure. This means connecting your machines, sensors, and systems (OT and IT convergence is non-negotiable). If your data is trapped in silos, you are blind, and your plant will suffocate under its own inefficiency. This is simply critical - not having digital data is a waste, like other wastes in manufacturing!

2. Embrace the Power of Composability: Shift your thinking beyond overarching automation or top-down systems to digitize plant processes. The "lights-out factory" is not only outdated, it never truly materialized. Digital transformation isn't about replacing humans but augmenting their capabilities. Composability focuses on empowering your workforce, leading to significant productivity gains. Deploy pilot projects where AI agents can take over mundane, repetitive, or complex analytical tasks. Think predictive maintenance that schedules itself, quality control that detects micro-deviations before they become defects or failures, and production dispatching that dynamically adjusts to supply chain disruptions. 

ACTION: Identify one critical bottleneck in your plant that could be addressed by a digital solution - yes “Kaizen”, start bottom up and iterate. Adopt technology, find a partner and just start. There are some impactful digital technology platforms (I recommend starting with Tulip of course) and launch a focused pilot. Show your team and leadership the tangible benefits.

3. Future-Proof Your Workforce – Invest in Upskilling, Not Just Training: Your people are your greatest asset. They need to evolve from procedure followers to orchestrators, data interpreters, and system managers. This isn't just about technical skills; it's about fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. And with democratization that digital technologies offer this quickly can create a ground swell, a movement within your organization. 

ACTION: Develop a strategic plan for workforce transformation. Enhance your operational excellence with augmented lean principles and identify critical future roles and necessary skill sets. Empower your team to embrace these new technologies and strike down any skepticism or technology fears.

4. Demand Agility from Your Systems – Ditch the Rigidity: The era of monolithic, inflexible manufacturing systems is over. Your plant needs to be agile, able to pivot production lines, incorporate new products, and respond to market shifts with unprecedented speed. This means moving towards composable, interoperable platforms that can readily empower your operations with the new digital capabilities including critically AI. 

ACTION: When evaluating new solutions (like MES, LIMS, CMMS or other systems), prioritize open composable architectures with cloud-native capabilities, IIoT platforms and and in herent AI capabilities that are not an afterthought or “bolt on”. Demand systems that are built for change, not for static operations. These systems have to enable you to transform, they have to provide you a way to implement according to the 5 pillars of composability. Make agile, emergent control a reality with agentic AI.

5. For Regulated Industries: Make GxP a Competitive Advantage, Not a Burden: If you're in Pharma, Biotech, or Med Device, the GxP implications of these technologies are paramount. But don't let compliance be an excuse for stagnation. Modern digital validation approaches and Pharma 4.0 guidances mean you can innovate with compliance. Transformative digital platforms have inherent built in compliance through detailed digital data, audit trails, and transparency to control mechanisms. Democratization means technology is simpler to understand with that comes transparency and self documentation.

ACTION: Engage with experts who understand both cutting-edge digital transformation and the nuances of GxP. Be proactive in defining your digital validation strategies for IIoT and AI, leveraging initiatives like Validation 4.0. This ensures your innovation is robust, secure, and compliant.

The clock is ticking. The question isn't if your plant will undergo this digital transformation, but when and who will lead it. If you hesitate, you risk becoming a case study in industrial obsolescence. Seize this moment, or watch your competition leave you in their digital dust. This is the mindset you need to adopt to thrive in this new era. What's your immediate next step?

Digital Maturity Embracing the Paradigm Shift with Composability

In my last post, The 5 Pillars of Composability, I broke down how composable systems have to be bottom-up, agile, democratized, human centric and compliant to enable a resilient digital  manufacturing environment. However, these pillars don't standalone and you may have noticed that the graphic drew the pillars within a structure, i.e. a house. Yeah a bit cliche but its a simple way to drive the point - the foundations is connectivity and data integrity while the roof is digital maturity. Without connectivity to reliable data and a high level of digital maturity, the benefits of composability can be diminished. 

• Data integrity ensures that the digital solutions operate on accurate, consistent, and trustworthy data, preventing breakdowns in decision-making or system performance. High-quality, accurate data is essential for making informed, evidence-based decisions
• Digital maturity enables organizations to effectively adopt composable architectures, ensuring they have the technical capabilities, culture, and processes in place to take full advantage of modular solutions. 

Together, data integrity and digital maturity complete the story of composability by ensuring that organizations can both build and sustain these flexible, adaptive systems in a reliable and future-proof manner. In this post I want to dive deeper into these concepts as they are foundational concept that propels us forward in the digital paradigm shift to reshape manufacturing operations.

Digital Maturity, Connectivity & Data Integrity complete the composability model

What is Digital Maturity?

Digital maturity represents an organization’s capacity to leverage digital tools and processes effectively based on their strategy with the objectives of significant increases in productivity. It's not a simple matter of capabilities related to adoption or implementation new technologies but rather about integrating them strategically to align with long-term goals. As companies mature digitally, they move beyond basic digital adoption to foster seamless connectivity across systems, data transparency, an empowered workforce and with that comes order of magnitude productivity improvements - the ultimate goal for transformation.

A digitally mature organization is one where digital tools support real-time decision-making, democratized technology access, and predictive insights - aligning perfectly with the benefits of composable principles. This is also what the Pharma 4.0 operational model prescribes, that manufacturers need to do more than automate - they need to integrate everything from operations to compliance in a way that’s seamless, agile, and deeply data-driven.

What is Connectivity & Data Integrity?

Its not news that data must be accurate, accessible, and trustworthy across all systems for true digital maturity. It must be connected, collected, contextualized and stored to ensure that data collected from production lines, suppliers, and product design all feed into a single, reliable source, creating actionable insights and reducing costly errors. Yet surprisingly it still is very much a challenge in many solutions that I encounter. Mostly in legacy situation, implementation of monolithic system, but also if not considered appropriately in newer digital technologies.

Connectivity in manufacturing is all about creating a seamless flow of data across systems, devices, and people. Imagine every machine, sensor, and workstation talking to each other and feeding data into a single network that anyone can access in real time. When systems are connected, it’s like moving from an isolated set of puzzle pieces to seeing the whole picture. Connectivity enables manufacturers to understand what’s happening on the production floor instantly, respond to issues faster, and improve coordination across departments. For example, in a highly connected factory, when a machine experiences a slowdown, that data can flow directly to maintenance teams and operators, letting them address the issue right away.

But connectivity is only as useful as the quality of data being shared, which brings us to data integrity. Data integrity is about making sure that information is accurate, reliable, and complete across its entire lifecycle. It’s not just about having data; it’s about having good data you can actually trust. In the Pharma 4.0 model, where data integrity is critical, maintaining high-quality data is a must, especially for meeting strict regulatory standards. This means putting practices in place to ensure that data isn’t duplicated, corrupted, or altered improperly, so everyone—from operators to auditors—can make decisions with confidence.

Together, connectivity and data integrity are the backbone of any digitally mature operation. They enable real-time visibility, reliable decision-making, and the flexibility to adapt to change. Without them, even the best technology can fall flat. So, as manufacturers embrace digital maturity and composability, focusing on solid connectivity and data integrity will be crucial for a smooth, resilient operation.

The journey from Technology Adoption to Strategic Transformation

Many manufacturers today are adopting digital tools, but there's a significant difference between early digitalization and achieving digital maturity. A mature digital approach emphasizes:

1. Strategic Data Utilization: Digital maturity involves a shift from collecting data in isolated pockets to having unified, actionable insights. For manufacturers, this means no longer relying on static, siloed data but leveraging real-time insights that span from the shop floor to the boardroom. Yes, this in a way nothing new and really dates to Industry 3.0 concepts - however with new digital tools this has become and achievable reality.

2. IIoT & Interoperability: Digitally mature systems don’t merely integrate; they interoperate, embodying the composable principle of Bottom Up where IIoT components are autonomous and collaborative. Composable architectures are inherently emergent in both design and control - the manufacturing solution is required to evolve with minimal friction.

3. Human-Centric Technology: In a departure from an automation focus, the current paradigm shift places people at the center of the digital equation. Technology becomes an enabler for employees, from line operators to managers, allowing them to respond dynamically to changes and resolve issues swiftly.

4. Resilient and Adaptive Workflows: A composable manufacturing ecosystem relies on digitally mature workflows that can adapt to disruptions, whether due to supply chain variances or unexpected equipment breakdowns. A digitally mature manufacturer leverages their digital capabilities to enable resilience, be predictive and adaptive.

The digital transformation journey towards order of magnitude productivity improvements

The path to digital maturity requires a tailored, strategic approach that elevates an organization from a technological upgrade to a business transformation—one that enables agility, resilience, and sustainable growth. The first step in this journey is to assess and align digital initiatives with overarching business goals. Defining what a mature digital state means for each organization—whether it's minimizing downtime, improving product traceability, or streamlining supply chain management—is critical. Aligning digital initiatives with operational excellence or lean initiatives by implementing data-driven approaches to cut down production waste and achieve near-real-time optimization are critical. Drive value by prioritizing areas where digital maturity will have the most impact on operational outcomes.

A characteristic of digitally maturity is how well your organization is equipped to handle the ever-evolving challenges and capitalize on new opportunities. Embracing composability allows your organization to not only keep pace with the current demands but to thrive in the future - thrive with the accelerated pace of digital innovation. Digital transformation should be more that mere adoption of new technology - it is embedding it deeply in your operational fabric, enabling sustainable growth and resilience in the face of change.

Orchestrating Digital Solutions With Multiple Perspectives

Contemplating the complexities of a manufacturing system has long been an area that I find deeply interesting. I find that its processes, equipment and technology relies on the contributions of diverse stakeholders, each with their own expertise. They work in concert with diverse technologies, physical and digital, to ensure smooth efficient operation that is continuously improving and adapting to changing business needs.

In the pre-digital world, manufacturing system design often operated in silos, as if orchestrating each instrument to play its part in isolation. The design process of monolithic solutions needed this approach. Engineers, the conductors of this orchestra, had to meticulously plan the production flow one instrument at a time in order to manage the complexity. The watchful eye of the project manager controlling scope, prioritizes and cost optimization meant allocation for different musical sections. Then when putting it all together the silos became painfully evident thus leaving it to the frontline operators, the tireless instrumentalists, to make it all work together and bring the production plan to life.

In the digital paradigm the complexity of a manufacturing system has to be understood using a multi-perspective design approach that dismantles these isolated sections and creates an orchestra where all instruments collaborate. Engineers contribute their technical knowledge, similar to the composer's understanding of musicality and frontline operators, with their firsthand experience, identify potential shortcomings and suggest improvements in workflow and ergonomics, akin to the instrumentalists providing feedback on the score's playability.

This collaborative approach fosters a holistic understanding of the system. It ensures that the designed solution translates seamlessly into the realities of the production floor.  Furthermore, the involvement of frontline operators, like the instrumentalists practicing together, fosters a sense of ownership, crucial for system adoption and success.

Agile iteration is the secret weapon that allows for continuous refinement throughout the building process. Just as an orchestra rehearses a piece, prototypes are built, tested on the shop floor, and feedback is rapidly incorporated. This ensures the design remains adaptable to unforeseen challenges and user needs. An agile approach allows for quick prototyping of the layout, followed by simulations and feedback from operators on ergonomics and workflow. This continuous loop of design, test, and refine leads to a more robust and user-friendly system. Therefore digital technology needs to support an iterative bottom-up adoption (design, deployment, implementation, integration, etc). In a way its the merging of Agile, from the software domain, and Continuous Improvement which are arguably the same fundamental concept. Both are "bottom up" methods to manage an ever changing environment, designing one step at a time, solving one problem at a time. 

Most pre-digital technology solutions used a top-down (waterfall) design everything first - then implement approach. This does not work in the digital paradigm and therefore digital technology has to not only allow but be a catalyst to these cycle of improvement and change. The magic ingredient here is the no-code frontline operations platform. These platforms empower non-technical personnel, like the frontline operators, to participate actively in the design process. Just as an easy-to-read score allows each musician to contribute their expertise, the platform allows operators to input data, propose changes to workflows, and visualize the impact of those changes. This democratizes the design process, ensuring valuable frontline insights are readily captured and integrated.

To support the bottom up approach - one that takes a problem by problem step wise path to building shop floor solution its important to have a consistent and repeatable design process. The core of the design should have set of  perspectives that effectively support the iterative process and allow for a holistic design. This is not as easy as you may think and needs a methodical study of design principles. This is another interest area of mine and I wanted to share some background before we come to the method that I find most effective. 

Let's start with a holistic design method such as the CATWOE framework that lays the foundation for a collaborative approach. Stemming from the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), CATWOE stands for Customers, Actors, Transformation, Worldview, Owner, and Environment. By examining the system through these six lenses, we ensure all stakeholders are considered and their perspectives are integrated into the design process. This fosters a sense of shared ownership and leads to solutions that are not only technically sound but also operationally feasible and user-friendly. 

The CATWOE Framework

Another multi-perspective design approach that is interesting in this context is TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) standard. TOGAF promotes an enterprise architecture framework that considers the needs of various stakeholders across the organization.  Similar to the CATWOE framework, TOGAF emphasizes understanding the Business Architecture (customer needs, business goals), the Information Architecture (data flows), and the Technology Architecture (systems and infrastructure). By incorporating these diverse perspectives, TOGAF ensures a holistic view of the entire enterprise, just as the multi-perspective design approach ensures a holistic view of the manufacturing system. 

The TOGAF Standard

This synergy between the two approaches creates a robust foundation for designing efficient, adaptable, and user-centric manufacturing systems. SSM and CATWOE were the basis of methods I devised during my research in Holonic Manufacturing Systems, the archetype of modern IIoT solutions. The design approach I am defining here is inspired through CATWOE and a multi-perspective method that was developed by some of my mentors (Jens Bruun and Lief Poulsen) and based on TOGAF. Its a simple holistic design approach that allows a very effective way to move forward with the dynamic duo of agile iteration and no-code platforms.

The process has three sequential steps, each taking a unique perspective of the overall operations and that build on each other. Iterating through this sequence for each solution gradually uncovers the holistic design of the digital system. 

The three perspective for digital solution design:

1. Identify and clarify Business Objectives to find and prioritize the use cases in scope. Solutions should be designed to support frontline activities and business processes that a company has put in place in order to accomplish some specific strategic goals, i.e. the Business Objectives.
2. Define and understand the Physical Operations where the use cases of the digital solution will be implemented. Understand how the physical space, processes and value stream are laid out to meet the defined objectives. What is the physical flow of materials and operators, where are operators performing activities, what equipment is being used, and how the overall process integrates, material flow, equipment sharing, and frontline operators.
3. Understand the Activities and Business Processes that have been implemented to drive the operational value stream in the physical operations space. What activities do the operators perform in order to execute the manufacturing process, what systems and data are used and needed, where does an operation start and end, how is material moved and what are the production control mechanisms, what are the logistics of the operations and how do frontline operators interact with materials and equipment.  

The synergy between these three elements creates a dynamic and responsive design process. The multi-perspective approach fosters inclusivity, agile iteration ensures continuous improvement, and the no-code platform empowers frontline participation. This collaborative environment leads to the creation of digital solutions that are not just efficient but also user-friendly, sustainable, and adaptable to future challenges.

In conclusion, a successful manufacturing system requires a conductor – a multi-perspective design approach with agile iteration and a no-code frontline operations platform. This approach fosters a collaborative environment where diverse voices are heard, leading to a more robust, efficient, and user-centric manufacturing system. As manufacturing landscapes continue to evolve, this dynamic and responsive approach will be instrumental in ensuring long-term success, just as a well-rehearsed orchestra delivers a powerful and moving performance.

Skepticism Stifles More Progress Than Failure Ever Does!

Much of what I have written about lately deal directly or indirectly with the general confusion around the topics of digital transformation in the manufacturing industry. I try to bring clarity to many topics such as Industry 4.0, digital transformation, IIoT, etc. and I am seeing a significant change in the industry especially in the last 6 months. Yet, skepticism about the ongoing paradigm change driven by digital technology is still rampant. 

Digital transformation is the engine that propels businesses forward in today's dynamic world.  Companies that leverage new technologies to automate operational activities, improve operator productivity, improve efficiencies, and manage quality are poised to outpace their competitors.  However, lurking in the shadows of this exciting shift is a potential innovation killer - skepticism.  Unfounded negativity towards digital initiatives can create a culture of resistance, stifle groundbreaking ideas, and ultimately hinder progress. Its understandable that new technologies need to be evaluated, and that without proper change management digital transformation can fail. However by being a skeptic you are robbing your organization of potential productivity gains. 

Writing off emerging technologies too soon is a centuries-old practice. New technologies often seem to inspire equal - and often counteracting - surges of enthusiasm and skepticism. 

A Clash of Paradigms - Using a Monolithic Mindset for a Composable Solution

I am involved in a few projects where there is an attempt to implement a composable MES by a traditional IT organization and their methods. In other words using a traditional mindset of a monolithic systems for a composable solution that requires enablement of citizen developers. Surprise - its not working out so well!

The results is a clash between tradition and innovation, which is a recurring theme. Tension is particularly pronounced with the use of the traditional waterfall approach instead of a bottom-up iterative development. While the waterfall model has been a longstanding and reliable methodology, its compatibility with the rapid pace required for composability and new digital technology raises a host of conflicts.

So much has been written and said about implementing traditional monolithic MES systems and their inherent challenges compared to the modern approach of leveraging new digital technologies that advocate for citizen development. Monolithic systems have tightly integrated architectures and demand a comprehensive understanding of complex technologies and extensive coding expertise. Developing, deploying, and maintaining these systems requires specialized skills, making it challenging for non-technical users to actively contribute or engage in the process. On the contrary, the rise of citizen development, facilitated by user-friendly low-code or no-code platforms, empowers individuals with diverse backgrounds to participate in building solution that are tailored for their need. 

This clash understandably results in a number of conflicts. I am listing them here as a cry for help - we need to transform and it feels tradition stands in our way driven by the need to manage the unexpected. Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.

• Rigidity in Requirements: The waterfall model and monolithic systems demands a comprehensive set of requirements upfront, often assuming a level of predictability that digital projects may not inherently possess. In the dynamic world of digital technology, user needs and expectations can evolve rapidly, leading to conflicts when rigid requirements fail to accommodate changes.
• Limited Flexibility: Digital technology thrives on adaptability and iterative development, characteristics that stand in stark contrast to the waterfall approach's rigid structure. The inability to pivot quickly in response to emerging trends or user feedback can result in missed opportunities and stifle rapid value creation diminishing project outcomes.
• Slow Value Creation: The sequential nature of the waterfall model can lead to prolonged development cycles. In the fast-paced digital realm, where time-to-value is critical, these delay means creating solution to requirements that have already changed and missing requirements that were not known.
• Communication Challenges: The waterfall model emphasizes documentation and formalized communication, which may hinder the fluid and collaborative communication required in digital projects. The rapid exchange of ideas, quick decision-making, and constant feedback loops are essential elements impeded by the waterfall methodology.
• Risk Management: Digital projects inherently carry a higher degree of uncertainty and risk that traditionalist need to get used to and embrace. The waterfall approach's linear structure is not good at mitigating unknown risks. It does not adequately address uncertainties and is poor in managing unforeseen challenges during later stages of development.
• Human-Centricity Concerns: The waterfall model's focus on completing one phase before moving to the next results in a final product that does not fully meet the need to support the frontline operator. In the digital space human centric solutions are paramount, this misalignment can be a significant source of conflict.

I have not exactly found the magic bullet resolution in these cases and it is inherent to paradigm changes that the biggest problem lies in transforming people and organizations. Some key elements however are emerging. To bring people over to the new paradigm it is critical to combine elements of both approaches and done right will also allow for greater flexibility and adaptability. Basically ease them in to adoption of incremental and iterative development with the rational that it is less risky. Introducing collaborative goals with cross-functional teams enhances communication and aligns more closely with the collaborative nature of digital technology projects. Breaking the supplier-customer mindset also allows the introduction of citizen development to the project teams with continuous feedback loops. Identify and address issues early, being proactive to find solutions increases the sense of accomplishment, aligns with the rapid pace of digital evolution and allows for timely adjustments.

The bottoms up approach to MVPs, Kenneth Cheung

Waterfall approaches have been a cornerstone of project management and IT has a full set of "baggage" from dealing with monolithic system from the old paradigm. IT needs to get with the time and understand that they are no longer in charge of implementation but rather embrace enablement of citizen development. This will allow their companies to harness the digitally native work force to create value fast. It will ease the ongoing and inevitable IT/OT convergence and shine a light on IT as an organization than can rapidly address evolving business needs in the digital era that can show rapid creation of value.

The Decline of Monoliths and the JAM (Just Another MES) Trap

How many times have we heard this? "We are implements XYZ system and the project plan has a go live date in 1.5 years." We also know that immediately after hearing this statement that anybody with even minimal experience will adds 6 months to this date - just to be realistic. This is what we have been accustomed to in the area of traditional manufacturing systems -there is a sense of inevitability and even desperation. 

Good news, in the current era of digital technology this does not need to be so. As I have explained many times before transformative digital technologies time to value is measured in days and weeks and not years. They are implemented in a bottom up iterative manner that is focused on adding value by making frontline operations more productive. 

But what makes this possible and why can't traditional systems do the same? That is because traditional systems are monolithic, they are built on the premise of providing a business function that works the same for all. The same solution that can serve all industries, in all modalities, in all scenarios, with any equipment, and for all operators. They have to be implemented top-down with a lengthy implementation process that maps out all the requirements, scenarios and contingencies upfront. They require the adaptation of existing operational processes to what the system can support and in the way that it supports it. They provide standardized rigid hierarchical structures for representing manufacturing operations with a standard data model in a one-size fits all approach.  Monolithic systems are also designed for maintainability, meaning that they try to optimize to ease the maintenance and management of the solution by a team with specialized skillsets. 

Bottom Line! Monolithic Solutions rob your organization of rapid time to value and exponential productivity increases that is at the core of the digital transformation (Industry 4.0, Smart Factories, etc).  This may not be news to some but the reason I felt it was necessary to discuss this topic is because I see many companies adopting new digital technologies but then go happily down the path of recreating monoliths. A path that will inevitably result in what I call "Just Another X": JAM, JAL, JAW, JAC - Just Another MES, LIMS, WMS, CMMS, etc. These solutions that will at best be “just as good” as the other MES, LIMS, WMS, CMMS, etc., and will inherently have all the associated shortcomings.

A Composable solution is built from the bottom up in an iterative manner. It is inherently agile and adaptable and provides the most efficient way to digitize manufacturing operations. It provides a solution in which the manufacturing execution is organically integrated with the operations and business processes. It provides the most robust and effective way to increase productivity with a modern digital tools specifically a Frontline Operations Platform.

This is in stark contrast to a Monolithic approach where top down hierarchical process is used to provide a solution that fits within specific constraints that is hard to change. The goal is to fit the solution to the process in contrast to fitting the process to the solution. Composability removes the difficulties associated with adhering to complicated standards and systems. It frees the engineers to focus on rapidly building targeted apps that solve a specific problem, fit the process, and increases the rate of solution development by an order of magnitude.

• Tailored specifically to each process, activity, operation - no compromises.
• Instrumentation of each discrete process - capturing granular data about each activity
• Complexity is distributed across the solution's Apps and easier to maintain
• Highly adaptable and agile - easy to change, minimal impact to overall system behavior

From: "The 5 Trademarks of Agile Organizations"

This brings us back to Holonics and holarchies which explain the fundamental principle enabling agility and why monolithic system will never be able to support agility. We talk all day long about digital transformation but until we understand that the technologies we use have to enable these fundamental principles we will not get the promised order of magnitude productivity increases. Let me close with a quote from what was once the Agility Forum, one of the research initiatives that is the foundation for Industry 4.0: 

“Instead of building something that anticipates a defined range of requirements based on ten or twelve contingencies, build it so it can be deconstructed and reconstructed as needed.” 

                                                                                                   -Rick Dove, Agility Forum 

4 Questions As a Guide Towards True Digital Transformation

Most people that have heard me talk about digital transformation are probably sick of hearing me talk about the "order of magnitude" productivity gain that is promised by the ongoing digital industrial revolution. But here again it is a key principle that can be used to understand transformation and navigate through the existing maze of confusion of what is and is not digital technology. Simply put digital technology is a technology that can directly impact industrial or manufacturing operations to bring about an order of magnitude productivity increase. 

I have compiled 4 critical elements that can help you sort through the maze of different technologies that are touted as digital, Industry 4.0 or Smart Manufacturing technologies based on this principle. These 4 elements can be framed as question that guide evaluation and selection of technologies:

Is it adopted and implemented in a "Bottom Up" manner?

Adoption and implementation are performed in an agile method, starting small in an iterative manner and building on outcome of each iteration. Agile approaches are an inherent part of the digital transformation and advocate a way to learn faster by short and rapid test-fail-learn cycles. The overall manufacturing systems solution is built from the bottom up in an iterative manner. 

This is in stark contrast to the traditional system approaches, including MES, where top down hierarchical processes are used to provide a solution that fits within specific constraints that is hard to change. There should be no "gap assessments", the technology is adapted to the process in contrast to fitting the process to the solution. It also removes the difficulties associated with adhering to complicated standards and systems. It frees engineers to focus on building solutions rapidly that fit the process and increases the rate of implementation by an order of magnitude (here I go again...). There are some interesting implications to this approach one of which is that Industry 3.0 standards such as ISA-95 becomes less relevant in this context.

Does it inherently support and enable Continuous Improvement?

Lean principles are still the most effective way to achieve productivity increases in an industrial operation and therefore the technology should be a tool to implement these operational improvements. The adoption of the technology should be done in a methodical PDCA or DMAIC cycle with each improvement supporting the next. Changes and modifications to a solution are easy and support iterative and constant improvement. The technology solutions are targeted at improvement areas with clear and quantified goals.   

It should be no surprise that regardless of the paradigm shift that is going on Lean and the principles of TPS are still real and valid. There is a close connection between the continuous improvement process and agile (bottom up) development approach of using the technology/solution. Th technology should be a Lean tool that allows engineers to rapidly iterate thru solutions to problem building digital content to an effective solution. 

Does it offer a Democratized approach and how does it enable "Citizen Developers"?

Users and implementors of the technology do not need to have unique and specific skills that are common for software, IT or automation engineers. Engineers and SMEs can rapidly adopt the technology to develop solution for the operations. The technology is so easy to use and learn that it is effectively accessible to most people with a basic level of technical aptitude. This allows the people that are closest to the process to craft solutions that are focused on solving a problem or provide an improvement. The technology should be adopted by people from within the operation rather than implemented by external parties.

Democratization and the citizen developer is an important aspect of the digital transformation. With modern digital technology we all can become builders of digital content. We already do this when using office tools such as Word and Excel and now we can even easily program our IoT door to open automatically when we get within range so we don’t have to take our key out. This is a big change compared to the high level of skills and expertise needed to build even simple automation tasks in traditional systems. No-Code/Low-Code is a key enabler of Democratization, it allows people with no programming or IT skills to build content that automates manufacturing processes in a simple and intuitive way. 

I find that for bigger organizations citizen development may be alarming, i.e. they feel it is akin to "arming the rebels". However there is no way around it, the benefits far outweigh the risks in this case and democratization of technology is key element of the new digital age. At the same time most of the new platform technologies provide accessible and transparent control and management of content being created and consumed. 

Is the technology able to provide Human Centric solutions?

The use of the technology should result in solution that serve humans or specifically frontline operators. It has to be intuitive, simple, easy to understand and easy to use. It has to serve the frontline operator by making him more productive, the operator is the key to the productivity gains promised by digital technologies in I4.0  

Modern digital technologies and tools are built on the principle of supporting human activity, that is what makes them so effective and so widely adopted. People are the key to unlocking productivity gains from digital technologies, that therefore have to focus on supporting human activity. The premise is that in order to increase productivity technology needs to support the human operator. In the new digital age manufacturing needs to enable the connected worker whose tasks are monitored and supported by a larger network of digital tools. In addition the technology should be used to capture additional digital data streams such as instrumentation of the human activity, the data that human operators collect, input they can provide about the process, and more. 

In conclusion, if a technology is not able to impact your operations in this significant way then its not digital technology - simply drop it from the list. Let's take a simple example: SaaS MES that is purportedly in the cloud and requires experts with specific skills set to configure and use with a 6+ months implementation time frame. This is not and example of digital technology. You should be seeing quantifiable productivity increase results within weeks of adopting any technology.  Another example is if the technology implementation requires a waterfall/phased method that requires design of the substantial parts of the solution upfront then it is not a digital technology!  

You can watch me talk about these topics on the Manufacturing IT Podcast with Daniel Langley.

Maybe this will also nudge the skeptics out there since speed, effort and real world double and triple productivity gains are becoming real and undeniable. Charlie Chaplin once said "if you look down, you will not see the rainbow".

Its still about people!

Is it technology or people that are driving digital transformation? Both I suppose, its people that can make this change and transformation, but they are also the ones blocking it sometimes. I was  reading the article "Why Most Digital Transformations Will Fail" and speculated why we may be surprised that the key to transformation is people. It is in nearly every single article about digital transformation and also a central component of Pharma 4.0.

The article states "...such digital transformations are far from trivial to undertake, in great part because it requires changing both infrastructure and culture within an organization". This is no revelation, its not the first or last transformation in history and this statement is universally applicable.  What is astounding is that, we see it as a challenge unique to the digital transformation. Let's not re-invent anything here and see how we have dealt with it in the past. There are so many examples and to sum them all up, if that is possible, I would say it takes leadership!

In order to drive transformation people need to believe the change is good, they need to understand that it will bring improvements and that they can have a hand in making the change. Therefore the first question to ask is why is it so important to digitally transform? Is it because we need to keep with the times - no its the promise of increased productivity, the promise of being able to do more with less, to do it smarter. I have for many years pondered this topic - hence the name of my blog "Intelligence in Manufacturing". When I was doing research the theme was Intelligent Manufacturing and we would joke that what we did until then was unintelligent manufacturing. Are we becoming more intelligent? Well I hope so in general and we are in fact continuously learning and with that improving. This time around we are doing it smarter, hence Smart Manufacturing.

Back to the topic of people, it obvious that without us non of this would work and yes it is us driving the change, us the people. The article I mentioned goes in length to describe the hesitation that people have to change. It is the same problem that we face any is a revolution (or change, or big change...) like the manufacturing digital transformation aka Industry 4.0. Hesitancy and resistance to change is always there, in every corner of an organization. Every time I present a new technology to manufacturing organizations, it rears its ugly head, Oh no its new technology hide! However I believe that this transformation introduces technologies that are focused on us the people, not automating processes but helping, augmenting, supporting us in how we work. Instead of year long implementations with weeks of training and months of ramp up it will be as simple as using an app - you know like the ones on your mobile phone. That is why its revolutionary.

The change monster :-)