Connecting front-line workers to the digital factory

Regardless of technology, one of the best ways to improve operations is the tap into the collective expertise of the people actually doing the work. Whether you're talking the Toyota Way, Six Sigma, variations on lean or theory of constraints, working with people to collect best practice information is a bedrock principle of many modern manufacturing management philosophies.

And, argues Chris Kuntz, it's an area where technology providers haven't had many solutions. The vice president of strategic operations at software provider Augmentir says the right systems can empower workers by simplifying issue reporting, adding employee feedback to digital twins of operations and by tracking how well people are performing tasks.

Kuntz recently spoke with Smart Industry's Robert Schoenberger about what role technology can play in easing workforce shortage challenges, improving worker training and capturing decades of tribal knowledge from highly skilled people who may be approaching retirement.