Basics of the digital transformation (DX)

A digital transformation (DX or less commonly DT) is the application of software, programmable hardware, and operational technologies (OTs) to fundamentally transfigure a company's operations and end products for the better. DX programs can be undertaken by industrial organizations, machine builders, or a vast array of other businesses; the involved OTs typically include machine-monitoring systems, connectivity, and online web and cloud access --especially that via tools with internet of things, IIoT, or Industrie 4.0 functionalities. The most successful digital transformations engage every employee at the organization from management to seasonal plant personnel and continually evolve in response to quantified results and personnel feedback. But whether instituted by a team internal to an organization or hired consultants, digital-transformation initiatives can face pushback at established companies -- especially from naturally skeptical engineers. Exacerbating this issue is the way in which products supporting DXs are inherently reliant on the adoption of complementary elements to work … so a given smart sensor (to give one example) can require adoption and integration of dozens of other disparate components and elements to support a grander initiative.