“Modernization is overdue, and downtime is killing us,” says Will Healy, of Balluff, provider of automation solutions. His presentation “How to Survive Cultural Disruption from Disruptive Technology” during 2020 Virtual Engineering Week, sponsored by Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument (SDP/SI), is rich with supporting research and facts explaining how automation technology can be disruptive in a positive way (see video below). This applies not only to newer technologies, such as drones, but to a new generation of “basic” automation solutions such as smart sensors, industrial tracking based on radio-frequency identification (RFID); machine vision; and condition monitoring solutions that use new data-rich toolsets.
There are concrete things you can do to prepare for positive change with a disruptive technology that involve a combination of organizational and workforce considerations. These include merging information technology and operational teams and roles; understanding how Millennials and Generation Z associates differ from Baby Boomers in their thinking, and more.
