Industrial companies must quickly adapt to digital transformation and AI to meet future challenges. But where should one start?
Industrial companies worldwide are beginning to realize that digital transformation is no longer a choice but necessary to remain competitive in a rapidly changing world. Despite this realization, there is still significant uncertainty about where and how this transformation should begin.
Digital awakening in the industry
Until the pandemic, many industrial companies managed by relying on proven methods and processes. Technological developments like AI were often viewed as complementary rather than central to operations. However, with the onset of the pandemic, global political instability, and the tangible effects of climate change, the pressure of digital transformation has increased significantly. More and more people realize that such a change is necessary to meet future economic and environmental challenges.
Start with needs – Choose technology accordingly
A crucial insight for industrial companies is that digital transformation is not about rushing to adopt the latest technology for technology’s sake. Instead, it’s about understanding your needs and selecting the technological solutions that best address these challenges. Close dialogue between industry and technology providers is essential here. We encourage industrial companies to reflect on their operations and identify needs and challenges. Technology providers must understand these specific needs and realities within industries to offer the right solutions.
Understanding data is key
Understanding your data is a critical step in the digital transformation. Knowing what information is available and how it can be used to optimize and develop operations is crucial for competitiveness. Industry needs to work on internal and external efficiency in parallel, which means doing things the right way (efficiency) and doing the right things (innovation/effectiveness). In terms of efficiency, it includes optimizing internal processes and cooperation through value chains with external actors.
Dare to change
Digital transformation requires courage. Taking a step into the unknown and testing new technological solutions is a significant challenge for many companies. This is especially important as a younger generation, raised in the digital age, is now stepping into industry roles. This generation has different expectations for work methods and technical tools than their predecessors, which will further accelerate the change.
The road ahead – The Travel Guide
For the future competitiveness of the Swedish industry, companies must adopt digital tools such as AI as part of their core strategy. By understanding their needs, collaborating with the right technology providers, and daring to change, companies can adapt to new conditions and lead the way toward a sustainable and efficient future.
Every company must take an active approach to digital transformation so that they can take advantage of the benefits of digitalization. The foundation for success lies in the leadership’s interest in these issues and understanding the company’s unique situation. Each company’s journey towards digitalization will look different depending on its specific challenges, opportunities, and starting point, but there is much to learn and be inspired from each other.
The Digitala Stambanan project has developed a structured approach to support industrial companies’ digital transformation journeys. This approach serves as a guide to highlight each company’s unique needs and conditions. We call it the “Travel Guide for structured industrial digitalization.”
In our next article, we will explore the Travel Guide and how it can help companies take control of their digital journey and overcome the obstacles we discussed in the previous article. Stay tuned for this exciting follow-up, providing practical tools for driving your unique digital transformation!
After several years of successful collaboration, we look forward to sharing this knowledge. During the fall, we will publish articles highlighting the challenges of digitalization in the industry, how we see that companies can address and benefit from technological development, and what we have achieved through the project. We will also emphasize the strength of this innovation collaboration and share participants’ experiences and insights.
We hope these articles will inspire more companies to embrace the opportunities of digitalization and understand the importance of collaboration for a future competitive Swedish industry.
Keep an eye out for upcoming articles on our website!