Efficient Plant July/August 2020 - 14

feature | technology solutions

Increased
visibility
helps
identify and
troubleshoot
issues that
invariably
occur in
production.

workers connected and up to date during times of
uncertainty. From a training perspective, new workers
can get up to speed quickly instead of relying on close
direction by a more seasoned worker. Newer employees also can leverage technology to guide their work
and ensure they're completing it correctly.
Existing workers also can improve productivity.
The plant floor is a complex beast-tasks need to be
performed with care or they could lead to negative
production consequences such as ruined end product
or unintended plant shut-down or downtime. Connected-worker technology not only helps ensure
every process is adhered to and that steps aren't
skipped but can connect frontline workers in real
time with co-workers and enterprise systems if any
issues unfold on the floor.

BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING
Connected-work methodologies and technology don't
just digitize SOPs. They capture operator and system
input during work execution, measure and analyze
data to identify trends, and ultimately provide clear
insight, not only into their own self-management
performance, but also for supervisors, managers and
executives tasked with improving safety, productivity,
and quality.
Information about who was assigned to what task,
time to complete the tasks, and the outcomes as a
result of those completed tasks can all be captured
and disseminated to the proper teams. This increased
visibility helps identify and troubleshoot issues that
invariably occur in production. Without having a
complete understanding of every element of production, in real time, it is difficult to be able to address
problems. Pinpointing the reason for a production
issue is impossible to do without granular context.
With more visibility, industrial workers can quickly
develop solutions and address problems head-on. For
example, there may be a process that is not producing
an end product that is up to spec. Data from connected-worker solutions may reveal that one specific
part of the process is taking more time than it should,
which may be a factor in ruining the consistency of
raw materials used in the process. With that data and
level of specificity at hand, more accurate conclusions
and a faster path to a solution can be achieved.

| EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM

EP2007fparsable.indd 14

SAFETY
With the realities that the global pandemic has
brought to the industrial world, where plants have
had to close because of the spread of the virus among
its workforce, standard operating procedures are key
to limiting the spread of COVID-19.
This is not to suggest that connected-worker technology is the only solution to limiting the spread, but
it can help in many ways. Industrial workers are very
much the frontline workers of the pandemic, putting
their lives on the line to produce what economies and
consumers need to survive. Empowering them with
modern digital tools to stay safe and healthy during
and after this crisis should be paramount.
With connected-worker technology, plants can
adjust standard operating procedures to account for
additional safety checks and metrics, such as tracking for symptoms, reminders to wash hands, and
validating the wearing of personal protective equipment. New requirements, such as limiting in-person,
face-to-face contact, also become easier. Because all
operational data, including changes in production
schedule, equipment problems, and incomplete jobs
are digitally captured in real time and timestamped,
interactions such as shift handovers can become
nearly contact-less. Shift A can leave the premises and
shift B can come in and pick up where shift A left off,
with all the necessary handoff information instantly
accessible and stored in the cloud.
Talent shortages and the skills gap will be a massive
issue for the industrial world if we don't take action to
attract the new generation of industrial workers and
leaders. The human worker 2.0 of today can power
productivity and their own safety more effectively
than before with connected-worker technology. For
industrial companies, technology can help supercharge people who are currently employed. EP
As Regional Vice President and CPG Lead at Parsable
Inc., San Francisco (parsable.com), Jaime Urquidi
is responsible for growing the software company's
presence and supporting industrial companies in their
digital-transformation efforts. He has more than 20
years of experience at CPG (consumer packaged goods)
companies such as Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Mars,
and Unilever.

JUL/AUG 2020

7/15/20 2:27 PM

http://www.parsable.com http://www.EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM

Efficient Plant July/August 2020

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