IX Network Summer Reads

It’s the time of year when workers start to look to amusements outside of work – days at the beach, time with friends and family huddled around smoky bar-b-ques, and long summer days.

If you’re not too distracted by the heady delights of the season, time out of the office also means a chance to reflect on where you want to go next.

To aid you in some light summer reflection, Industrial Transformation Network proposes a few of our top articles from the past few months on the dynamics of a changing workforce and what it will take to build an industry 4.0 workforce.

Summer Read #1: The Disappearing Manufacturing Worker

Like the Pete Seeger classic, many employers across all industries are now crooning a similar refrain: “Where have all the workers gone?”

Enter Connected Worker technology. This technology – a category of applications that includes wearables, virtual reality, and mobile apps - allows frontline workers to connect with the resources and information that they need to get the job done safely and efficiently.

Summer Read #2:  Five Ways to Build Your Industry 4.0 Workforce

The factory of the future will require workers to be connected to each other, to machines and to information in ways that were previously unimaginable. Interconnected sensors and computing technology combine in ways that can unleash unprecedented levels of insight, productivity, quality and operational agility.

Here are five best practices to prepare your workforce for Industry 4.0, gathered from industry experts and leaders at IX Network’s recent Connected Manufacturing Worker online event. Read on to find out what they are.

Summer Read #3: Lessons From the NFL to Improve Employee Learning and Development

NFL teams operate in a highly dynamic, competitive, and short cycle environment. This means they need players who can fill relevant gaps on the field as immediate playmakers. A generation ago you could let a number one draft pick sit on the bench for a few years and develop, but today’s top picks enter the NFL with the assumption they are ready to immediately make an impact as they transition from college to professional football.

This same is happening in organizations as companies struggle with resourcing, onboarding, development, and retention. Read how the corporate learning function needs to adapt.