Digital Workplace Provides Benefits for Employees and Sustainability

Digitalisation can contribute to a significant improvement in workplace quality and thus to higher employee satisfaction. In addition, the data gained through digitalisation provides valuable insights that allow processes along the entire value creation chain to be designed more sustainably.

Optimised processes, greater efficiency, and higher quality at lower costs: These are the primary benefits that are associated with digitalisation measures at companies – and for good reason. But digitalisation can also help to improve workplace quality and reduce the mental strain on people caused by their work. The following examples from various industries clearly show the tremendous potential offered by digital solutions.

Smart assembly workstation

The assembly of modules is a challenging task: A high number of parts and components that are often very similar have to be assembled precisely according to the specifications. For new, unexperienced employees, this can often only be completed with major difficulties. And this is where the smartdesk comes in: High-resolution cameras mounted above the workstation take photos of each individual work step. These photos are then compared with previously configured sample pictures in real time using AI. If an error is identified, the employee is alerted and the correct assembly is demonstrated. This allows errors to be corrected immediately, and the employees learn during every assembly operation.

Assistance and quality optimisation

The practical application of the smartdesk at companies such as RIKA Blechkomponenten GmbH or Pankl High Performance has shown that employees do not see the digital workstation as a form of surveillance, but rather as a welcome aid. The guided work steps make assembly easier and the monitoring of each and every work step provides the assurance that the employee has done everything correctly. And the company benefits as well: The quality of the products increases and the goal of a zero-error strategy draws closer. The smartdesk also makes the transfer of specialised knowledge within the company much easier, as the “teach-in” process for new modules can be completed quickly by the company’s own employees – no IT specialists are needed. In this way, the smartdesk makes a major contribution to increasing flexibility in assembly, as small batches and individual items (“lot size of one”) can quickly be manufactured at a high level of quality.

Generating knowledge from data

Another major benefit of digitalisation is that data is generated in nearly every work step. If this data is collected and analysed, it can lead to tremendous knowledge gains about processes within the company. The knowledge gained allows optimisations to be implemented on a targeted basis where they are most effective. For example, if the physical characteristics of the products are precisely captured digitally, these product attributes and master data can be used for a wide range of optimisations along the entire value creation chain – from the better utilisation of the available storage space to distribution and even the e-commerce shop.