The three key dimensions of the modern operational workplace

Over the next seven years the industrial operational workforce is predicted to undergo a number of key changes, including a 40% reduction in operational experts. These changes will be facilitated by three major trends: expertise capacity, a reduction in efficiency and a generational change in the now ageing workforce. These three dimensions have aligned to create a major market disruption.

An ageing workforce is not the only obstacle faced by industries such as food and beverage, mining and manufacturing. An increasing focus on OPEX will also determine how these industries can foster a well-trained workforce that are experts in their respective fields but also highly adaptable to technological advances and integration.

The first challenge is adjusting to an ageing workforce, and while this is not new by any extent it still presents a significant dilemma, especially in Australia where an estimated 20% of the population will be aged over 65 by 2050. With predictions that the workforce of 2020 will have only 30% of the experience levels of the current workforce, it means that the overall firsthand experience in a role will have decreased. This doesn’t necessarily mean fewer qualifications but rather less tacit knowledge versus the explicit knowledge that can be learnt from textbooks.

Despite a reduction in firsthand knowledge, the new generations that are recruited into the industrial workforce have a distinct advantage when it comes to technological adaptation. Being digital natives they can collaborate online and have the ability to share information within drastically reduced timeframes. Additionally, moving physical IT and software assets onto cloud platforms in the workplace (virtualisation) will give rise to experts who can create a wider influence over the total industrial supply chain, increasing its effective output.

In order to successfully integrate virtualisation, organisations will need to focus on developing ‘virtual expert teams’ (teams that are located in different physical areas but are virtually connected) that collaborate on information housed on systems in integrated operational centres. This will create a new level of operational efficiency and increased output relative to the number of experts, availability of information and operational staff.

Another change is the evolution of the HMI market from the operating system point of view. The building and facilities sector already has a significant percentage of inputs and information supplied from non-Windows operating systems, and the trend of allowing BYOD (bring your own device) onto the industrial workplace is an increasingly accepted practice - with almost two-thirds of Australian enterprises adopting the trend. This has in turn has brought iPhone, iPad and Android devices into the industrial operating environment.

This proliferation of BYOD and a shift in operating systems in the industrial workplace are strong indicators of the technological changes that are predicted for the future. The combination of this and the mobilisation and virtualisation of experts are now a strong influence on the operational workspace and its architecture, which are rapidly evolving.

While these dimensions continue to disrupt a number of industries the real opportunity lies in the incoming generation’s ability to absorb this change and adapt to technological advances while maintaining the industry’s operational continuity.