67% of industrial companies have connected worker initiatives under way, according to LNS Research, a leading analyst firm in the industrial sector. What exactly is connected work? And how does it impact your manufacturing operations?

There are concerns about automation in industrial operations, but humans are not going away anytime soon. Connected work is a way to codify or systemize industrial work so interactions between humans and machines can be executed, measured and optimized.

Do you use paper-based standard operating procedures (SOPs) on the factory floor? Are there subject matter experts on your team that can do their work with their eyes closed and don’t follow documented work procedures? Does your team rely on paper-based reporting and manually entering data? If you’re answering yes, having the right digital tools to manage your operations is one of the most important assets for your team. Look no further than a connected worker solution.

Combining “intelligent” machines with human activity data allows for a deeper layer of insights. This can help inform next steps within a process, identify patterns and even predict future outcomes. With connected work, machines and digitally empowered humans work together to deliver rapid, measurable increases in productivity, quality and safety. Here’s a quick guide on connected work and how it’s positively impacting industrial environments.