The Growing Importance of Connected Worker in Manufacturing for Digital Transformation Success

Quadrant Knowledge Solution’s Market Insights research provides detailed insights into the growing importance of  the connected worker as well as the connected worker platforms in manufacturing for digital transformation success.

Digital transformation enables competitive advantage of an enterprise through the strategic adoption of technology directly linked to products, processes, and people. A connected worker platform facilitates to easily digitize, manage, and execute work instructions and inspections in typical manufacturing settings. With mobile and digital step-by-step guidance, workers can do their jobs first-time-right, efficiently, and fully compliant.

Manufacturing leaders are confronted with challenges, such as, Quality Assurance / End of line inspection, Improve Service Quality, Training / Product familiarization, Empowering Customers through self-service, Operations / OEE / Line Change Over, Skill Gaps, Reskilling  and Knowledge Retention. Addressing these challenges, then become potential use cases for connected-worker strategies and platforms. Manufacturing leaders see a solution in the software-driven-innovation.

According to Narayan Gokhale (Vice President and Principal Industry Analyst – Research and User Consulting) at Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, “IoT, AR & AI are without doubt the most important underlying connected-worker technologies. Digital Transformation is directly linked to people, processes and products. These technologies and software driven innovations (such as digital thread) therefore, can no longer be considered as “nice-to-have”, but “must have” technologies.

These undelying technolgoes of the Connected Worker Platforms help frontline workers derive benefit, such as, quality improvement, increase in workforce productvitiy & efficiency, increase in enterprise collaboration and ensuring safety and wellbeing of the workforce.

When end users are looking to digitize Operational Excellence (OpExc) activities, investing in a connected worker platform signifies a commitment to both employee safety and operational excellence. The resulting benefits, spanning from enhanced safety measures to increased productivity and profitability, underscore its value as a pivotal asset for modern enterprise.

 Table of Contents

• Introduction - Connected worker / connected worker platforms
• Manufacturing leaders addressing workforce challenges with software driven innovation
• Connected Worker technologies becoming manufacturers’ “must-have” solutions
• Benefits that frontline workers derive from Connected Worker Platforms
• Key Takeaways and Analyst Recommendations.

Author: Narayan Gokhale (Vice President and Principal Industry Analyst – Research and User Consulting) at Quadrant Knowledge Solutions.