Innovation in industrial manufacturing is needed to solve complex business problems. Yet, managing the change that accompanies the innovation is complex. But once you’ve busted through some common myths and found the right partners, the process becomes much – much – easier. 

That change is hard is something we encounter all the time, both in business and our personal lives. And yet, innovation and change are what drive organizations forward, growing and delivering increased value to  customers, the ecosystem, and the market.

We at Augury work daily with industrial manufacturing executives, plant managers, maintenance and reliability managers, technicians, maintenance planners, maintenance schedulers, and other team members critical to building Production Health programs.

And in addition to driving transformation and change, today’s executives and plant managers are also responsible for bringing new products to market – and doing this ever-faster and with ever-higher margins. They also have to compete for talent in a competitive market, work to make their operations more sustainable, and be a meaningful member of their communities. 

That’s a lot to juggle.

Read ‘Augury’s Fast Track Methodology For Full Enterprise Roll-Out’

Busting The Myths

To reduce the friction that can be involved in implementing new technology and help our customers achieve value at scale at a rapid pace, we just released our Fast Track Methodology, designed to make it easy for our customers to bring innovation to their organization while managing the change required.

As we developed the methodology, we identified certain recurring myths across the industry that were obviously slowing any efforts at implementing innovation at scale. 

So, we’re here to bust these myths in the name of driving the industry forward.  

Myth #1: I can delegate transformation

We still see leaders skipping the process of change management. And driving transformation always involves managing change. Sure, it’s a lot easier to approve a big transformational project and then ask for updates from the team executing the change. It’s much harder as a leader to stay involved. 

Yet, as an executive sponsor, the team needs you to set the priority, help manage the roadblocks, give the business context, and create alignment internally. And it’s most efficient for the sponsor of the project to do this. It saves the team hours of time and helps ensure you get the results you are investing in. 

For example, one busy Saturday, I asked my son to go clean our pickup. He loves anything to do with vehicles so he readily said yes. But it was his first time ever, so we had to start over again. This time we did it together, with me showing him how to do it, step-by-step. Whether you’re 11, 28 or 43, having leadership involved helps drive new ways of doing things. 

Our Fast Track Methodology was developed with milestones for keeping you, the executive sponsor, involved while giving you tools to make your engagement an easy lift.

Myth #2: Change is top-down and not a team sport 

Context is everything. When I was a kid, my parents told me not to leave my shampoo in the corner of the shower. It made me so mad—stupid I know.. I remember thinking – like any kid – Don’t tell me what to do! I finally asked them why, and they told me water would pool and cause mold. Once I had the context and understood the problem we were trying to solve, I was onboard. (It was actually very easy to put my shampoo somewhere else.)

Just like 13-year-old me, no employee wants to be told what to do. They want to understand the problem you’re trying to solve, understand how you’re thinking about solutions, and be given an opportunity to weigh in on options. And, they want confidence that this isn’t another special project that will be deprioritized once the next leader joins. As a transformational leader and change agent, this makes all the difference in creating advocates for your project. 

With the Fast Track Methodology, we have built in opportunities for you to bring your team along.

Myth #3: Once the ball is rolling, your job is done

It’s the old saying: seeing is believing. Besides context, your end users of any technology need to see the product in action, understand how it will make their lives better and what goals it will help them achieve. (It’s also important to instill the confidence that they will still have a job even after the technology is live.) And once the ball is rolling, celebrate those wins. Word will spread, hearts and minds will be won over, and trust will be built. 

Good teachers have mastered the art of engagement. For instance, my son’s elementary teacher recently led an ethics class. Together, they then created a poster outlining the ethics of their classroom. The teacher then continued to reinforce the message by offering kids slips of paper to write a positive note to someone who they witnessed taking actions supporting the ethics of the classroom. Sure, she could have easily talked about ethics and left it at that. Instead, she reinforced it over time by showing how it applied to them and then gave them ownership to celebrate the wins. 

Through the Fast Track Methodology, we’ve built in ways to share successes and instill confidence in new users. It’s the only way to generate the buy-in required to go big with your transformational project.

Myth #4: Each site should pay their own way

Speaking of confidence, leaders need to give their teams the confidence that comes with corporate providing the full budget. Remember, change is scary and intimidating. Not only do teams need your help setting the priority of the transformation project, they need your wallet to build trust. 

In fact, we’ve seen the organizations that fund initial rollouts for the first two years generate greater adoption and ultimately the impactful outcomes they are looking for. This removes a significant barrier to execution and increases speed-to-value. 

Take the example from my 13-year-old. She loves to write but doesn’t want to journal because she’s afraid we will read her musings. We suggested finding a safe for her journal. True to any teenager, her next words were, “Do I have to pay for it?” Knowing it is her preferred way to decompress, I told her no, because the outcome of her getting her feelings out outweighed any cost involved.

We’ve helped hundreds of sites roll out Augury technology. We have the best practices in our pocket. As part of the Fast Track Methodology, we provide the knowledge and tools to get you set up for success from the beginning.

Myth #5: Fast means a half dozen sites a year 

Now, let’s get technical again. Manufacturers are thinking too small and slow when it comes to scaling. Many think implementing technology in four to six new sites a year will be a big win for them (and of course this number varies between industries). Yes it may take a bit to gain alignment at the plant leadership level and to formulate the correct sequence of sites to deploy into. 

Despite this, the forward-thinking leaders in our ecosystem are driving full global rollouts (north of 25 sites) in 12 to 18 months – without compromising quality for speed.  

Myth #6: This site is not technologically mature enough

We also see leaders assume their sites need a certain level of technological maturity for something so advanced as AI. The truth is, sometimes the sites that are less interested in adopting new technology have the most to gain from a Production Health program. 

As part of our Fast Track Methodology, we will work with you to prioritize sites to rollout in consecutive waves – based on our experience from rolling out hundreds of sites. The steps we take are tried and true.

Myth #7: It’s too expensive

If a solution has proven ROI in months, why is price even part of the conversation?

Myth #8: You have to build it alone

Leaders need to find a vendor with a partnership mindset. Gone are the days of buying software like you order hardcover books, only to find them on the shelf years later having never been read (or installed). Today, you need a vendor who understands your business, falls in love with your problem, and is dedicated to helping you drive business results. But yes, you still have to pull your own weight (see above).

With the Fast Track Methodology, we’re with you every step of the way.
And it doesn’t end with your rollout wrapping up. We have an online community, user groups, an Academy, and ongoing ways to provide feedback throughout your relationship with Augury.

Change Is Hard But Good

Innovation and transformation are hard. Yet the disruption is what will allow you to achieve critical business objectives in new and different ways. Managing the change that runs in parallel are steps that are often skipped. 

In short: Augury’s Fast Track Methodology was built to get your Production Health program rolled out, at scale, as quickly as possible, while running change management steps in parallel. 

Read more about ‘Augury’s Fast Track Methodology For Full Enterprise Roll-Out.