A Real Tech Savvy Team

It seems like revolutions come around faster and faster these days. In manufacturing, Industry 4.0 has barely taken off and already Industry 5.0 is upon us. Actually, the latter has always been a part of the former, but the focus was definitely one-sided.

I4.0 is industry jargon for the latest industrial revolution brought on by automation. It encompasses things like robots, multiple types of sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to the ways that we produce just about everything. Although there has always been, as part of the I4.0 discussion, some consideration of the impact on people, that part of the conversation was seriously overshadowed by the cool factor of the machines.

The Shift

Industry 5.0 acknowledges that the humans in the equation matter; they matter a great deal. The European Union sought to add the propre emphasis to I5.0, saying that it, “Provides a vision of industry that aims beyond efficiency and productivity as the sole goals and reinforces the role and the contribution of industry to society. It places the wellbeing of the worker at the centre of the production process and uses new technologies to provide prosperity beyond jobs and growth while respecting the production limits of the planet.”

This definition is more expansive and recenters the conversation around taking care of important matters. Namely, people, in the workplace and outside of it. We need people with know-how, and we need to take better care of them. This vision of I5.0 also changes the scope of what people need to know.

Developing tech savvy people used to mean helping them learn to use technology. To understand the “how” of technology. Now, developing the tech savvy workforce of the future includes not only developing their abilities to use technology, but also their ability to think about it, apply it broadly, and grasp the “why” of it.

A Tech Enabled Team

Technology can unleash new levels of creativity and ingenuity, not just from a select few team members with specialized training, but from many members of the team. The people doing the work can offer great insight as to how to automate it. They will also be able to help identify other opportunities to automate, once they understand the broader reasons driving the Industrial Revolution.

Developing technology skills will certainly reach beyond their work life as well. Artificial intelligence tools are accessible to everyone, and the pressure is on for everyone to learn how to use them at work and in other areas of life.

The organization that has a tech savvy team, from the lowest to the highest positions, will have a distinct and significant competitive advantage. For example, imagine a team of people who are well versed in problem solving techniques. Now imagine that they also understand how to leverage AI in this effort, at the right time and in the right way. There are multiple benefits that could result from this combined approach. Not the least of which is the opportunity to learn from AI when technology suggests a path that has yet to be considered.

Certainly, there must be some determined efforts to promote critical thinking and prevent the total abdication of human thought in the process. People should not simply surrender to technology but should cultivate their ability to envision uses for cobots and robots, the placement of sensors, or even to correctly prioritize data.

An Engaging Scenario

Technology is relentlessly pushing the frontiers of work. It is an exciting time, but for some, it can be frightening. Fear of losing jobs and being irrelevant in the new industrial revolution is pervasive. The warning – AI won’t take your job, but someone who knows how to use AI could – is just as ominous for the frontline worker as it is for the front office worker or the engineer.  

When organizations include everyone on the team in the transformation to I5.0 and involves them in the conversations, the exploration, and the development of capabilities, an engaging culture becomes a healthy byproduct of the transformation.

Technology is prevalent in many facets of life, particularly in the workplace and in the home. Helping people understand technology and use it effectively and responsibly, is helpful in those various facets of life. Studies show that individuals are adopting technology faster than most employers are. Organizations that tap into this interest and excitement will have a better experience as the industrial revolutions roll on.  

Image by Matías Flores from Pixabay