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In the modern industrial landscape, digital transformation has become a key driver for growth and efficiency. However, a common pitfall that many companies encounter is the creation of data silos due to disconnected digital tools, which can lead to decreased productivity.
These productivity issues, often referred to as "gray work," consist of tasks that consume over 11 hours per week of employee time, such as data gathering for reports. The complexity arises from the use of various formats for data management, including paper, ERP reports, spreadsheets, and apps.
The process of sharing data across multiple teams can be a significant productivity drain, as each team may be using different tools or formats, leading to a fragmented and disconnected flow of information. This is particularly problematic when it comes to quarterly operations reports, which require data from multiple teams across an organization.
To address these challenges, industrial companies are implementing strategies to reduce "gray work" and increase productivity. These strategies focus on improving connectivity and integration between technologies, streamlining workflows, and enhancing collaboration tools.
One key strategy is to reduce information overload by ensuring employees get the right information at the right time across all devices and locations, thereby eliminating the need for manual data gathering and miscommunication.
Another strategy is to eliminate fragmentation by managing information and resources seamlessly across multiple locations and teams. This is achieved by integrating systems, reducing reliance on offline spreadsheets or siloed tools that contribute to gray work.
Standardizing and connecting digital tools is another crucial step. By avoiding the use of multiple disconnected project management or collaboration software, companies can prevent information sharing issues and create data silos. Instead, adopting unified platforms or integrating existing tools can provide a single source of truth and enable easy information access.
Employee adoption and innovation are also vital components of these strategies. Providing training and support can help reduce resistance to new productivity tools, while empowering employees to innovate with the right integrated tools can transform gray work into productive impact.
Automating workflows is another effective approach. Replacing manual interventions and workarounds with automated, digital processes can reduce delays, duplicated efforts, and errors, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.
By implementing these strategies, industrial companies can significantly reduce project delays, budget overruns, lost revenue, and security risks arising from disconnected data and manual workarounds. The ultimate goal is to replace ad-hoc gray work with connected, collaborative workflows supported by robust, integrated digital systems.
In conclusion, while digital transformation in industrial companies can inadvertently create more data silos when there are lots of disconnected digital tools, implementing strategies to improve connectivity, integration, and automation can help overcome these challenges and drive productivity and growth.
[1] Source: "Strategies for Reducing Gray Work and Increasing Productivity in Industrial Companies with Disconnected Digital Systems" [2] Source: "Digital Transformation in Industrial Companies: Overcoming the Productivity Challenges"
- In the manufacturing industry, digital transformation strategies are being employed to address productivity issues stemming from "gray work" and disconnected digital tools. This includes reducing information overload, eliminating fragmentation, standardizing digital tools, and automating workflows, ultimately aiming to replace ad-hoc gray work with connected, collaborative workflows backed by integrated digital systems.
- To increase productivity in the financial sector, digital transformation initiatives are incorporating efficient data management integrations. This involves tackling the use of diverse data formats by ensuring seamless information flow across multiple teams, reducing the creation of data silos, and improving collaboration tools for better financial reporting.
