I wrote Monday about the key role of the involvement of the frontline worker implementing new technologies such as AI. Digital transformation does not truly occur until the work is done by the frontline workers and their immediate supervisors.
This follow up post results from a survey by PwC and the Manufacturing Institute and the subsequent report From skepticism to integration: Frontline leadership in manufacturing AI adoption.
Top Findings:
- 62% of frontline workers are skeptical of AI and only 24% describe themselves as being excited about its potential and benefits
- Frontline leaders cite insufficient training (40%) and lack of clarity around the purpose of AI (38%) as the most common reasons for resistance among workers, higher than fears of job displacement (25%)
- 72% of manufacturing leaders cite resistance from employees who are comfortable with existing systems as a barrier to AI adoption, and 57% identify lack of training and readiness
- 58% of respondents reported that AI use among executive leadership remains limited; however, 74% identify leadership as the defining factor in the success of major initiatives
- 48% of manufacturing executives rate their frontline leaders as “very” or “extremely” effective in shaping to the overall employee experience of frontline workers
I talked with author Ryan Hawk about the findings. He says sometimes the organization implements an incremental bite of the apple without an overall plan. This leaves the frontline wondering what’s really going on. The keys he talked about sounds like a typical lack of leadership by management from the top down. In order to build the trust of the frontline worker, the goals and applications need to be clear from the beginning.
He responded to questions about real applications of AI, he pointed to things that have great benefit to the worker and their output. Inspection helps workers assure work quality. Predictive maintenance helps them know when to ask for technician support prior to breakdown. Sometimes the schedule or line must be rebalanced perhaps due to absenteeism or inventory. All these assist decision making, performance, and work quality.
These thoughts brought memories of the business novel The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt. This was a story about a plant manager working to save his plant through the tool of studying constraints in the system. Innovative leaders can use these new LLMs and other AI tools to more effectively find these constraints and other problems that a good kaizen team can tackle.
“AI adoption isn’t just a technology initiative; it’s a business initiative that has the power to transform the way people work,” said PwC US Energy & Industrials Leader Ryan Hawk. “The organizations that pull ahead will be the ones that find ways to be tech-driven and people-enabled, using AI to empower their employees to solve the biggest customer and business issues. Companies that find ways to continually evolve their ways of working will see AI help unlock tangible value, efficiency and effectiveness.”
