Companies often decide to dive into digital transformation out of an instinct that it’s the right thing to do, but they don’t know where to start. And they are often beset with doubts about how to do it Where do we start? How much will we have to invest? What are the returns on our investment? Will I be able to change the working dynamic? What we want to do with this article is get rid of all your doubts and show how the people at Aritex Code carry out digital transformation projects that empower companies to face the future.
4.0 integrators: We empower companies
To start with, we want to emphasise that our aim is to empower companies so that they can make use of the technological innovations in the Industrial Internet of Things (or IIoT) and benefit from them. To increase efficiency and productivity. And make them more competitive.
We’re not mere distributors of technological solutions and software. We’re 4.0 technology integrators. We start off by taking a good hard look at the business, then we focus on specific objectives for the project with the user very much in mind.
That’s why the focal point for all our digitalisation projects is dialogue, with a strong emphasis on the work team and user experience. Still interested? Read on for more details about how we develop a project in 6 phases.
Classic mistakes: the 4.0 scout and partial solutions
The most common error made by companies that decide to make the leap to Industry 4.0 is what we call the ‘4.0 scout syndrome’.
It usually goes like this: someone on the team (or the whole team) is assigned with the task of seeking information to set a digitalisation project in motion.
Usually, they find solutions that may (or may not) optimise some processes. But they don’t often apply an integrated insight, or calibrate the solutions they’ve found to see if they can be adapted to the needs of the entire work team.
And so once again the result leaves a lot to be desired.
That’s why here at Aritex Code we feel that what’s needed to make a digitalisation process a real success is to establish an environment of close collaboration between the organisation that wants to digitalise and a company that specialises in digital transformation projects. A company with experience in a wide range of integrated projects. One with a method. Now we’ll show how we do it:
Taking the step towards Industry 4.0 with a 6 phase digitalisation project
Basic premises
The prior phase in this type of projects is to align all the agents involved and carry out an initial analysis.
First of all, we need involvement:
- Involvement and collaboration with the IT department.
- Involvement of Executive Management.
- Involvement of the work team in supporting the change.
We have clearly defined strategies to make these three things happen:
- Internal coordination.
- Training.
Then we run a number of studies for the prior analysis:
- Observation of efficiency. Identification of areas requiring improvement based on data logs.
- Data gathering and analysis. Identifying what data is valuable is crucial for establishing digitalisation strategies.
- Process automation study. Our specialist engineers run an on-site analysis of the current situation.
Once this prior phase is completed, we’re ready to develop a digital transformation project with a fully integrated perspective of your business and a clearly defined return on investment (ROI).
Phases of a digitalisation project for industry
- Defining a digital transformation value roadmap.
The route we need to take. We align your current processes and identify areas with the potential for improvement. The aim is to create a roadmap for prioritising solutions that matches your organisation’s strategy; one that functions vertically and between departments. - Assessment and diagnostics.
This phase focuses on evaluating the return on investment (ROI). We analyse the current state of your business to establish the key areas for digitalisation. This phase includes a review of processes, existing technologies and the organisational culture to draft a User Requirements Specification (URS), a document where users take centre stage and the project requirements are defined. - Design of personalised solutions.
Building on the assessment, we then design personalised digital solutions adapted to specific needs. The solution may include integrated technologies such as IIoT, artificial intelligence, automation and data analysis. - Implementation and execution.
We implement the solutions we’ve designed, making sure that everything is effectively integrated with the existing processes and systems. We use the Agile methodology to prioritise basic functionalities that provide value from day one, to provide a Minimum Viable Product (we’ll explain what that is later on). With that basic structure, we go onto to build the rest of the solution. - Training and enactment (key phase).
To facilitate the transition and ensure the effective adoption and use of the new technologies, we provide training and ongoing backup to all the people involved in the change. This process is a critical one, because it’s vital to overcome employee resistance to change and so ensure that the digitalisation initiatives are successful. Aritex Code gets them involved from the word go, they become participants in the process to make this objective a reality. - Ongoing monitoring and optimisation.
Once implementation is completed, we monitor everything to evaluate performance, make any necessary adjustments, ensure that the ROI is complied with and make very sure that the objectives of the digital transformation project are sustainably met over time.
The Minimum Viable Product: the leverage for digital transformationThe worst thing about any project that changes habits, routines or ways of doing things is the long period in which changes are made before results are visible. And the longer you have to wait for results, the more resistance there is to change.
That’s why Aritex Code works from a different premise: the Minimum Viable Product.
What this consists of is identifying a specific area of improvement and applying an adequate technological solution to bring about evident and objective results in a very short time scale.
This technique enables us to experiment with a first solution and resolve the issues associated with implementing it in a controlled setting.
It also permits us to adequately dimension the integrated solution according to the results of the initial experiences.
And finally, and maybe most importantly, it provides the entire team with palpable proof of the benefits to be achieved as the digitalisation process progresses. The ‘good vibes’ generated by the Minimum Viable Product is often a key factor in giving a solid boost to the project.
Technological solutions for successful digitalization in industry
Every digital transformation process is intimately linked to integrating technological advances. Smart sensors, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, big data, and machine learning all form part of a long list of innovative solutions linked to the evolution of Industry 4.0.
Establishing which ones are the most adequate and how to get the most out of them is one of the aims of a digital transformation project.
The IIoT Platform: the basis of the 4.0 digital ecosystem
What we will always need is an IIoT Platform that holds the new digital ecosystem together. Its function is to connect all the industrial and company management software (from the MES to the ERP), funnel the data coming from sensors and devices, analyse it and send the right data to each team member.
Thingworx, the platform that connects everythingAritex Code uses Thingworx to bring order to the new digital framework and make it easily accessible. It is a software by PTC that can be adapted to the diverse needs of any organisation, and converts any plant into a smart factory, and any industry into an Industry 4.0.
If you want to take the plunge into Industry 4.0, get in touch with us and a specialist at Aritex Code will show how we can take your company right up to the next level.
