Industry 4.0 is not only a technological phenomenon. The changes related to the digitalization of manufacturing will have an impact on several aspects, including the skills that companies will have to develop at both managerial and operative levels.
This was one of the topics discussed during the convention entitled "Technology and Professionalism for the fourth industrial revolution" organized on the 2nd of December 2016 in Milan by Messe Frankfurt Italy. Mirko Otranto, HR Manager of SEW-EURODRIVE Italy, stated:
Teamwork
“Today we are no more selling bricks but the whole housing solution: technology is not the real element of differentiation; the kind of experience offered to customers is a key factor, the ability to understand their needs becomes fundamental”. Within the company a new approach is necessary. “In this scenario is important to invest in the human resources, who give services to the customers. Today is not so important to have “the prodigy” inside the company because he could destabilize the environment; the success factor is teamwork. For this reason SEW made an organizational reset and invested in unconventional training, bringing out the employees potential.
A new responsibility
In the Industry 4.0 also operators becomes potential small decision makers.
How to empower them and making them understand honors and obligations of their role?
Mirko Otranto explains: “Innovating from the top could be problematic. When companies are not able to delegate responsibilities to the lowest levels, productivity decreases. Today, unfortunately, the bottom-up processes are rare, but they have to be encouraged: the lack of delegation creates a disabling environment, whereas a culture 4.0 should be enabling, exactly like technologies. The orders of management aren’t under discussion but ideas can be discussed. When this mechanism works a company-person holistic well-being arises. "