9MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSJUNE - 2023The impact of i4.0 on organizational structures is crucial as i4.0 changes not only the production environment through developing technologies, but it also shapes the future of work. The capability of the organizational structures is vital to manage the integrated digital value chain. Flat organizational structures are the basis of integration to boost agility. Three points are prominent in enabling the of flattening hierarchy; information sharing, empowering, and the capability of people. While digital tools ease the access to information, organizational transformations and perception about the hierarchy may change in long-term and requires a massive skill investment. Moreover, as the vital element of the "Fluid Organization", a collaborative working environment needs to be supported by culture, leaders, systems, and performance measures. THE STRATEGY IS THERE; HOW ABOUT EXECUTION? The technology-driven opportunities, introduced by i4.0, promise differentiation in many fields. i4.0 implementation requires the unique way of technology and process combination for various cases. Solving this sophisticated equation holistically is vital in order to realize the benefit of innovation and its opportunities. On the other side of the coin, settling the innovation management and culture takes time and requires structured effort from many aspects related to the internal and external environment, such as resource management and skill development. Besides, culture needs to be adapted to value failure in a constructive way or to overcome excellence obsession.The technical capability of a firm is essential, however, the dynamism of the technological development itself complicates the implementation process. We derive three hints for mastering adaptation of technology. First, people who have deep technical and process knowledge. Second, an accurate business case definition is vital to managing technology projects, together with a well-settled prototyping approach. Finally, capable partners and a high-tech eco-system is a significant accelerator for i4.0 transformation. IS IT POSSIBLE TO TIDY-UP A MESSY COMPANY DIGITALLY?Many practitioners hope to improve processes through digitalization. This naive idea might be a trap during the transformation and the digitalization of weak processes might result in the inefficiency of the new structure. Digitalization might be used as a tool for process development, not a magic stick. Process infrastructure is a prerequisite not to create a digital mess. Integrated systems refer to a seamless information flow among the various systems, called "single source of truth," which is accepted as the value of i4.0. However, integration is still in the infancy phase due to practical issues, such as separately introduced systems, one-way advanced people, or different digital levels of the systems or vendors.Integration, which is difficult even under a single company, becomes very complex when it covers the entire supply chain. From a pragmatic and practical perspective, the pioneers should push/encourage the partners of the digital value chain to create digital integration. TRILOGY OF THE NEXT MANUFACTURING REVOLUTIONBeing part of a digital value chain is inevitable for many manufacturers, however, implementation of industry 4.0 appears to be a path full of risks. This technology-driven change requires several capabilities in different dimensions simultaneously, where many companies struggle to frame this transformation. We formulate the trilogy of the next manufacturing revolution simply.First, well-structured processes and advanced lean applications are the keys to this transformation. Second, early investment in technology, in particular, data management systems and people who maintain these systems, maximizes the benefits of digital transformation.Finally, undoubtedly, people, who are life-long learners, interdisciplinary thinkers, and actors, are the "hidden heroes" of the digital transformation with their new skill-set. Döndü Ünal HaktarMany practitioners hope to improve processes through digitalization. This naive idea might be a trap during the transformation and the digitalization of weak processes might result in the inefficiency of the new structure
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