Virtual forum highlighted industrial digital transformation, sustainability

Digital transformation insights

• Digital transformation can provide the pathway to success for industrial and infrastructure organizations.
• Digital transformation has accelerated due to COVID-19 changing the way we work, forcing manufacturers to deal with this new reality, running their operations and control systems remotely.

The online annual ARC Industry Forum Asia, “Accelerating Industrial Digital Transformation and Sustainability“ featured 70+ executive speakers from several industries to share their experiences in digital transformation, future automation architectures, sustainability initiatives, industrial cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and asset performance management.

The virtual forum provided end users, solution providers, and decision makers an opportunity to learn from each other and get an overall view of the fluctuating and unpredictable market requirements. In recent years, the theme across all ARC global forums has been digital transformation and sustainability. The pandemic has given birth to new ways of thinking, communicating, and collaborating globally. While technology has opened new doors of opportunity, it is clear that organizations that do not adapt with agility to the accelerating pace of change will become extinct.

Digital transformation benefits for manufacturing

Digital transformation can provide the pathway to success for industrial and infrastructure organizations. Failure to transform is likely to undermine the future viability of the organization. Digital transformation is a new way of doing business, supporting customers, leveraging the available services, and adapting to a changed business environment. Customer relationships have become more dynamic.

The growing demand for sustainable products and services coupled with regulatory mandates have made sustainability a vital component of organizational strategy. Technology must be in tune with environmental, economic, and social concerns. What is needed is a clear direction to proceed forward. It is important to understand that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. The speakers advocated a step-by-step approach:

• Assess the organization’s appetite and ability to support digital transformation.
• Strategy should be linked to ground reality.
• Account for the human element in digital transformation.

The turbulence of the past two years has altered market demand more abruptly than any single event that we have ever witnessed, impacting all stakeholders in the value chain. Manufacturers have been forced to deal with this new reality, running their operations and control systems remotely.

New work models have emerged: work from home and hybrid. Topics such as open platforms and interoperability, the importance of global standards, legacy system migration, industrial cybersecurity, and sustainability initiatives also were highlighted.

– ARC Advisory Group is a CFE Media and Technology content partner.

Original content can be found at ARC Advisory Group.

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