We’re thrilled to announce that Parsable is once again highlighted as a connected factory worker software provider in Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Frontline Worker Technologies, 2021. We’ve been recognized by Gartner every year since the connected factory worker concept was introduced as part of the Hype Cycle in 2019.

Gartner publishes multiple Hype Cycle reports every year on specific technologies or innovations. These reports provide a research-based view on how a technology or category of technologies will evolve over time, in the context of current and predicted market trends as well as other factors.

With the world still very much in the COVID-19 pandemic’s grip, the role and importance of the frontline worker continue to be in the spotlight. According to the report, “there has been an increased focus in the last 18 months on supporting frontline workers to ensure they’re safe and productive. [Infrastructure and operations] leaders responsible for supporting frontline workers should evaluate the technologies in this Hype Cycle to optimize frontline environments and processes.”

The Gartner Hype Cycle for Frontline Worker Technologies considers technologies across various essential industries that support either “service workers” – those in customer-facing roles, like a retail sales or delivery person – or “task workers” who spend most of their time on operational activities, like a warehouse worker or someone on a factory production line.

The connected factory worker category, specifically, focuses on digital tools for workers who spend the majority of their time on the plant floor. Gartner analyst Simon Jacobson rates the potential for the connected factory worker to be “transformational,” noting:

Manufacturers … must change cultures from a ‘break-fix’ mentality to being data-driven without sacrificing intuition, efficiency and engagement. It’s as much a technology construct that changes how factory workers access information and knowledge to work differently, as it’s a change management exercise in workforce development, behavioral shifts and integrated continuous improvement.”

Our view at Parsable is that while technologies to improve frontline work have been around for some time, and certainly before the pandemic, these platforms must be flexible, scalable and user-friendly – in other words, able to help manufacturers gain an edge in today’s turbulent, unpredictable supply chain and labor environment. Our mobile-first, cloud-based Connected Worker® is designed from the ground up to help frontline workers get up and running quickly, digitally connecting them to the right people, information, systems and machines so they can do their jobs better – whether they’re a 20-year factory veteran or a recent Gen Z graduate.

For more information on connected work and how to start, check out our eBook, How Connected Workers Drive Operational Excellence: A Practical Guide to Success.