DIGITAL FACTORY
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3 | The digital worker “ A vastly scaled back workforce has accelerated the use of manufacturers applying technology to improve the safety , productivity , experience and resilience of the industrial workforce ,” comments Walker . With the use of augmented reality , IoT and advanced analytics , manufacturers have been able to automate and streamline work in their factories . “ These digital workforces use smart IoT-enabled devices to achieve increased levels of personal safety and operational performance , which is important both during the pandemic and beyond .” can prepare for them before they even become an issue . And for those challenges that even AI cannot predict – such as COVID-19 – it still goes a long way in helping businesses to adapt to them quickly .
“ It ’ s this agility that has been key this year ; businesses amongst some of the hardest-hit sectors have remained resilient by quickly and intelligently pivoting to the challenges thrown by the pandemic . As we start the new year with a lot of uncertainty and unknowns , there ’ s one thing businesses can be sure of : they ’ ll need to adapt at any given moment .”
When asked to reflect on the future for Industry X , and the role that it will play in mitigating the challenges of COVID-19 and other potential global threats in the future , Walker concludes that , “ agility , resilience and embedded intelligence is one of the core tenets of an Industry X driven businesses – it informs anything and everything they do . When operations become intelligent and agile , businesses can successfully forecast challenges that humans alone cannot , meaning they
FEBRUARY 2021