Transforming industrial operations with AI
Industrial operations are transforming, giving frontline workers more operational visibility and streamlined workflows to optimize processes, enhance efficiency, and increase safety. These opportunities are driving the growth and advancement of the modern connected worker. Digital inspection, instruction, and training workflows enhance decision-making with industrial AI and provide access to contextualized data in the field. With AI-powered copilots, frontline workers can easily interact with real-time information and analyze assets and processes in the field. Moving from paper-based processes to digital workflows increases frontline worker impact while providing a safer and more agile workforce.
The rise of the connected worker
Connected worker products address critical pain points faced by industrial organizations, such as limited operational visibility, lack of traceability, and information silos. Studies show that 70% of these organizations still rely on manual, paper-based data collection. Modern connected worker products, like SymphonyAI’s Proceedix Connected Worker, tackle these challenges by digitizing and centralizing task execution data, unifying information across operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) sources, and integrating AI to streamline workflows. To fully embrace the future of the connected worker, SymphonyAI has focused on the following important innovations:
Critical Innovations Advancing the Connected Worker
Digital Inspections for Consistent Quality and Compliance
One significant component of connected worker products is digital inspections, allowing organizations to move away from traditional, paper-based inspection processes. By digitizing inspection checklists, providing media-rich interfaces (e.g., images and video), and incorporating condition-based workflows, digital inspection tools standardize processes and ensure regulatory compliance, including GxP (Good Practice) and 5S audits.
SymphonyAI’s Proceedix Connected Worker allows for offline-first inspections, enabling workers to continue their tasks without connectivity. Data can be synchronized once they are back online. This feature is especially beneficial in remote or connectivity-challenged environments, where routine inspections are essential for operational visibility and safety. By ensuring that inspections can continue without interruption, connected products empower workers to maintain production schedules without compromising compliance or quality.
FrieslandCampina, an international dairy company with more than 20,000 employees supporting operations in 29 countries, has adopted digital inspections inspection processes to improve worker efficiency and reduce reliance on manual paperwork. “With SymphonyAI’s Proceedix Connected Worker, we began digitizing quality checks for operators on the filling lines,” says Renzo Savat, continuous improvement specialist at FrieslandCampina. “Since then, we’ve expanded to use cases for quality checks, safety rounds for management, and autonomous maintenance checks for our operators. Each department is now realizing the benefits of a connected, digital inspection approach.”
Dynamic Digital Work Instructions for Enhanced Efficiency
Digital work instructions simplify complex procedures, reduce workflow errors, increase safety, and enhance productivity. They guide workers through complex procedures with step-by-step processes and reduce their reliance on site-specific domain expertise. Unlike static instructions, digital instructions leverage an AI copilot and multimedia, such as videos, images, and diagrams, to provide workers with relevant, real-time guidance. These dynamic instructions are invaluable in industries with highly regulated processes, such as pharmaceuticals or food and beverage, where precise task execution is crucial for quality control.
SymphonyAI’s approach to digital work instructions integrates an AI copilot, offering tailored recommendations based on worker roles and contextual needs. This role-based guidance minimizes errors and reduces rework, leading to faster task completion times. In sectors such as automotive manufacturing, where rapid, high-quality assembly is critical, these capabilities allow workers to respond to process deviations in real-time, enhancing quality and efficiency.
Industrial AI for Analysis and Conditional Workflows
Incorporating industrial AI in connected worker products provides critical insights and decision-making support, allowing frontline workers to quickly access the information they need in dynamic environments. By combining an AI-powered copilot with knowledge graphs and an industrial LLM, frontline workers can use industrial AI to interact with tailored information and suggested actions based on site-specific real-time data. Connected workers no longer need to scan 100+ page documents to find the relevant information required for analysis and troubleshooting in the field.
Additionally, conditional workflows expand this capability by adapting task instructions based on environmental or situational inputs. If workers capture an abnormal behavior while executing a task in the field, the workflow will automatically adjust, guiding the worker through specific troubleshooting protocols. Connected workers can also document the anomaly with notes, images, or videos for further verification if the issue cannot be resolved. This adaptability reduces risk and accelerates corrective actions in a high-stakes environment like chemical processing, where unexpected conditions can lead to safety hazards.
Hands-Free Extended Reality (XR) for Safety and Precision
Another innovation in the connected worker space is extended reality (XR), smart glasses, to provide hands-free access to digital instructions and information. Hands-free devices allow workers to focus on the task while inputting and accessing necessary data, including taking photos and recording videos. SymphonyAI’s Proceedix Connected Worker integrates seamlessly with smart glasses, so workers can receive real-time task guidance without interrupting their workflow.
Real-world applications of XR include field service in the energy sector, where technicians can view drawings, access manuals, and use remote assistance to collaborate with domain experts while working on high-voltage equipment. This technology is especially beneficial in industries where hands-free access can significantly reduce the risk of injury and improve task efficiency.
Skills Training and Competency Management
The demand for advanced worker training has increased as industries embrace automation and digital transformation. Connected worker products with built-in training modules and competency assessments upskill frontline employees efficiently so managers have teams with the right expertise. SymphonyAI’s training capabilities allow organizations to design role-specific training modules with drag-and-drop templates and evaluate workers on critical skills.
Focusing on continuous learning is essential across manufacturing industries, where workforces have frequent turnover, processes evolve, and regulation changes. For example, new hires at an automotive plant can gain proficiency in advanced assembly techniques through guided digital modules, reducing training times by up to 50% and ensuring a high level of task competency.
Connected Workers in the Real World
Several real-world application examples that illustrate the significant impact of connected worker products in industrial environments include:
Oil & Gas Maintenance: In the oil and gas industry, where safety is paramount, field technicians use hands-free XR devices to access repair manuals and troubleshoot issues on-site. With AI-driven workflows guiding them through complex maintenance tasks, these technicians can complete repairs more accurately and efficiently, enhancing productivity and safety.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: In a leading pharmaceutical company, digital inspections have replaced paper checklists for real-time compliance with GxP regulations and minimized risk of non-compliance issues. With SymphonyAI’s conditional workflows and offline-first inspection capabilities, inspectors can conduct seamless audits across facilities, even in remote or low-connectivity locations.
Automotive Assembly Lines: One automotive manufacturer implemented digital work instructions to reduce errors and improve assembly line efficiency. Workers follow multimedia instructions via tablets or smart glasses for precise assembly with fewer errors and minimal rework. With AI copilots suggesting optimized actions, workers can make better, faster decisions on the floor.
The Future of the Connected Worker
As digital workflows, AI copilots, and extended reality continue to increase operational performance and safety, organizations adopting connected worker products further distance themselves from those still relying on paper-based processes. With AI-enhanced decision-making, conditional workflows that allow workers to respond to dynamic environments in real-time, and extended reality that provides a hands-free environment, the future of the connected worker is poised to further enhance productivity, safety, and operational visibility for workers. Connected worker products are becoming indispensable for organizations aiming to stay competitive in an increasingly automated and data-driven world.
Get Started Connecting Workers
For a comprehensive exploration of connected worker innovations and to understand why SymphonyAI was recognized as a leader, download Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Augmented Connected Worker Platform report.
