Are Manufacturers Ready for the Connected Industrial Workforce?

Despite plans to invest in machines and artificial intelligence as part of their strategy to boost productivity, many automotive and industrial equipment companies are failing to implement the measures needed to harness these capabilities, according to a new report from Accenture. The report, "Machine dreams: Making the Most of the Connected Industrial Workforce," is based on interviews with more than 500 business executives in Asia, Europe and the United States involved in setting their company's strategy for the connected industrial workforce. According to the report, manufacturing and production are undergoing rapid change as machines and AI are becoming closely integrated with personnel, creating the connected industrial workforce. By combining mobile, safety and tracking technologies with analytics, companies are enhancing the activities of an industrial worker. The report concludes that the creation of a connected industrial workforce is already part of the business strategy of the majority of automotive and industrial equipment producers, cited by 94 percent of respondents.