Structured Roadmap: Mastering Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

Structured Roadmap: Mastering Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

In this interview, Anthony Loy, VP of Industrial Digital Transformation Consulting Schneider Electric, talks about the company’s approach to digital transformation in manufacturing. Here are the key insights:

Schneider’s Digital Transformation Consultant Practice

Schneider Electric’s Digital Transformation Consultant Practice was established to help industrial clients accelerate their digital transformation journeys. Initially launched in select countries, the practice has expanded globally to leverage Schneider’s vast experience in transforming its operations and supporting customers across various industries. The practice assists clients in designing and executing transformation strategies for their operations.

Best Practices for Smart Factory Transformation

Schneider Electric follows a structured program approach, starting with a design phase and ending with an execution phase. During the design phase, Schneider conducts a digital maturity assessment and collaboratively defines a business case with the client. The execution phase involves:

• Implementing the architecture and transformation plan.
• Leveraging Schneider’s expertise in project management.
• Data management.
• Change management.

The Design Phase: Laying the Foundation

A critical aspect of digital transformation is ensuring companies are ready for it. Schneider begins with an “inspiration phase,” where customers are invited to observe Schneider’s advanced factories and see the benefits of digital transformation firsthand. After this, Schneider conducts a digital maturity assessment to evaluate the client’s current position and identify potential use cases for transformation. This phase typically takes around three months, from initial inspiration to constructing a comprehensive business case.

Driving Transformation Through Leadership

Leadership plays a significant role in ensuring successful transformation. As an example, Anthony highlighted a client where digital transformation became a CEO-level priority. The company gave the digital transformation lead a five-year timeline to deliver results, and collaborative planning across business units helped accelerate progress.

Advice for Smaller Companies

For smaller companies, the focus should be on concrete, short-term goals. Schneider advises these companies to adopt a “minimum digital core model,” which identifies the minimum technological infrastructure needed to support efficient operations. Moreover, working with competent partners is essential, given that many companies lack the internal expertise to manage complex transformations.

Managing Change and Using Data Effectively

Effective change management is crucial for successful digital transformation. Schneider Electric emphasizes the importance of measuring the current situation, assessing adoption rates, and integrating systems into business processes. For AI and data analytics, the advice is to start slow, building foundational data frameworks before gradually piloting advanced use cases like energy load management.

Anthony emphasized the importance of persistence, noting that real results don’t come in just a few weeks but are achieved through consistent effort and practical strategies.

The interview was recorded by Lucian Fogoros during the Innovation Summit in Paris. This summary was created based on the video transcript with the assistance of https://chat.openai.com. It was edited by the IIoT World team.

Sponsored by Schneider Electric