In many factories, “digital transformation” is often seen as simply introducing new software or digitizing existing paperwork. While this is an important step, it is only part of the picture. For real, measurable impact, digital transformation must go hand-in-hand with operational transformation by integrating operational systems such as MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems), WMS (Warehouse Management Systems), CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems), QMS (Quality Management Systems), and others directly into the day-to-day execution of factory processes.
The key objective is clear: reduce the time required to complete processes across the entire organization, which directly leads to cost reduction. However, this is not always visible at first glance. In fact, the most effective transformations often require a shift in perspective: the focus should be on reducing overall process time across the organization, not just for each individual employee.
The Time Trade-Off That Pays Off
In some cases, an operator on the shop floor may spend a little more time completing a task because they now perform an additional action in the system that they didn’t have to do before. On the surface, this might appear as inefficiency. But when that action, for example scanning a barcode or entering real-time production data, eliminates hours of work in administration, planning, or quality control, the net time saved for the organization can be substantial.
This is especially important when considering where the time savings occur. Increasing an operator’s task time by a few seconds in the field can significantly reduce time (and cost) for higher-paid office staff who would otherwise have to manually process, verify, or re-enter the same data later.
Digital Alone Is Not Enough — You Must Rethink the Process
Simply transferring a process from paper to a screen is not transformation, it’s replication of inefficiency in a new medium. Think of it like replacing an old rotary phone with a digital one, but still forcing the user to drag their finger in a slow circle on a touchscreen to “dial” each number as before. True transformation is when you redesign the experience to take advantage of the new medium. In this case, replacing the dial with a keypad, so you just tap the numbers and move on.
The same principle applies in manufacturing: operational transformation means rethinking and optimizing each step to fully leverage what your new systems can do, not just digitizing the old way of working.
Why Real-Time, Field-Level Data Matters
By capturing information directly from the source (the operator, machine, or workstation) real-time data accuracy is dramatically improved. This ensures that planning, decision-making, and quality control are based on up-to-date, verified information, reducing costly errors and delays.
Moreover, operational systems are designed to link these data points together seamlessly:
- MES ensures production steps are tracked and executed efficiently.
- WMS optimizes material and product movement.
- CMMS reduces unplanned downtime through structured maintenance.
- QMS ensures compliance and minimizes waste from defects.
When these systems work together, they create a connected operational environment where every second saved on the factory floor has a ripple effect across the entire organization.
Digital transformation without operational transformation risks becoming a cosmetic change, a new interface on top of the same inefficiencies. True transformation comes when technology is embedded into how work is executed, with a clear focus on reducing total process time and costs at the organizational level.
Sometimes, making one person’s job slightly longer is the most effective way to make everyone’s job faster.