Industrial organizations:… | TXI – Digital Product Innovation Firm

Manufacturers across industries face a common challenge. Many of the skilled tradespeople who power the manufacturing process are retiring. It’s a brain drain that threatens to impact the production of critical products from airplanes to artificial joints. And with manufacturing on track to see 2.1 million jobs left unfilled by 2030, it’s a problem likely to impact all manufacturers, no matter their size.

One solution? Embrace the industrial internet of things (IIoT) for digital solutions that make it easier for workers to do their jobs (and more comfortable for them to stay at work for the long haul).

In this piece, we’ll look at how industrial organizations can use IIoT-tooled smart factories to enhance employee productivity and reduce burnout. The end result? A better employee experience that adds new value streams and sustains customer relationships.

The digital tools that power better business-to-human connections

For companies invested in a business-to-human (B2H) approach to work, making it easier for humans to do their work is paramount. That means finding new ways for employees to share knowledge, power enhanced productivity, and reduce burnout.

The reason is simple. Burnt-out workers are likely to cut corners and possibly create products that are less satisfying for customers to use. And for products where safety is critical (think: medtech and aviation) even the possibility of error can seriously damage the trust a manufacturer has built with their customers over the years.

Of course, it takes an empathetic approach to build trust with your customers and frame a better workplace for your employees. But the right tools can make that work a bit easier.

Think of smart factories like a toolbox and IIoT as the collection of interoperable tools inside that toolbox. The elements might be more technologically advanced than a hammer, straight-edge, level, and nails; but, like all tools, the result is the same: they make it easier for humans to work.

For more about how IIoT supports a better workplace read on.

Consider, for example, the benefits of a smart factory for a manufacturer that produces medical devices. The manufacture of artificial joints or glucose monitors, along with the components and tools used to fabricate these implants, is regulated by strict sterilization standards. So to maintain those standards, the factory’s climate must be tightly controlled.

Likewise, with critical environmental data (such as temperature and humidity levels) viewable on displays throughout the facility, workers can quickly recognize when an environment has become too hot or cold and choose whether to take actions, such as turning off equipment, that can also impact ambient temperature.