Five digital technologies for the industry's new normal

A mobility app must integrate at least the following characteristics:

1. Being an open solution: most production facilities have a mix of technologies and manufacturers, that is, the manufacturer of the control system is sometimes not the same as that of the protection system, instrumentation or diagnosis predictive, in the end we find a diversity of equipment, communication protocols and interested users, so the solution we implement must be able to communicate with all systems.
2. Guaranteeing cybersecurity: the security layer is one of the most important aspects to take into account, since without it, not only information but plant security are put at risk.
3. Provide configuration flexibility, both for the user profiles that will receive the notifications and in the notifications themselves, since the information that you want to display varies in relation to the profile of each user.
4. Integration with management systems, specifically with the CMMS or computerized system for maintenance management. In this way it is possible to generate inspection or maintenance orders from the application, and the process is streamlined, from the detection of the anomaly to its correction.
5. Streamline communication: Although we live in the times of WhatsApp, this is rarely the ideal corporate communication tool, what to say about the risks involved in sharing information through this medium and the risk that it reaches unwanted hands. A mobility solution for industrial or business applications must be able to link with all corporate communication tools.
6. Scalability: the solution must provide the facility to grow according to the needs that arise.

In conclusion, I want to mention that the apps mentioned in this article refer to technologies that we have been living with for a long time - video conferences, cellular communication, Wi-Fi or satellite, augmented reality, simulation and mobility - what changes is the application, is to go from using them sporadically to implementing them in the day-to-day operations in companies.

I also want to make it clear that information security concern is something that most IT departments have already resolved, this is the conclusion I have come to during various conversations with staff from multiple industries.

The stage of social distancing that we are currently living has come to promote many digital transformation projects that were on the desktop waiting for a definition for their implementation, certainly the new COVID has been the driving force behind the use of this and other technologies.

If, even with all the benefits that can be documented and the pressure to implement digitization to face the consequences of the health crisis, you are not one hundred percent convinced, I recommend doing a pilot test, start small, try the solution and above all, document the benefits. Once you are convinced, and with proven benefits, it will be easier for you to convince senior management to implement a massive project. Just remember, if you trust electronic banking to manage your economy, why should you hesitate to implement a digital transformation project?