Since October 2022 Softline has been operating under the brand name Noventiq.

The manufacturing industry is digitally transforming, compelling manufacturing workforces to learn new skills. A successful workforce transformation requires technology that can attract, train, and retain the next generation of workers, equipping them with the skills they need to reimagine manufacturing and shape a sustainable future.

By combining the right productivity apps, intelligent cloud services, and security, manufacturers can set their workforces up for success. They can connect empowered technicians securely with remote assets to troubleshoot and resolve issues. They can provide firstline workers with the remote, expert assistance needed to avoid downtime and enable them to do their best work by unifying devices, data, relationships, and processes into intelligent apps that guide them safely through best practices and compliance requirements. And they can boost productivity by augmenting people with team collaboration tools, mixed-reality devices, IoT-enabled machines, and AI-enhanced applications to keep pace with increased operational, maintenance, and process complexity.

Technology is driving the future of manufacturing in two distinct ways. Technology enables agile business practices that allow for productivity from anywhere. Research from Boston Consulting Group and KRC Research commissioned by Microsoft revealed that 97 percent of business leaders expect a more hybrid way of working in the longer-term.

The second way technology is driving the future of manufacturing is by helping to reskill workforces and close the skills gap on the shop floor. That means organizations need to start empowering their employees to embrace a new way of working. They need to enhance worker skill sets today by giving them new opportunities to learn the skills of tomorrow.

A new world means a new way of working

With employees working from home, at jobsites, and across the globe, manufacturers need to embrace a more remote, agile way of working. With workforces spread across homes and job sites around the world, manufacturers have several key opportunities to embrace a technology-focused approach.

• When it comes to remote work and productivity, manufacturers have an opportunity to equip their organizations and their frontline workers with powerful and intuitive tools that deliver a remote yet connected and integrated business experience.
• Ongoing COVID-19 impact on workforce health and safety concern disrupting manufacturing and supply chain operations. When the workforce re-enters the physical workplace, strong health and safety protocols will be crucial for prevention and containment of spikes. There are new and advanced ways to achieve this through technology.
• While increased connectivity and mobility are a valuable advantage as we head into this new normal, security and compliance are more important than ever. With more and more data susceptible to cyberattacks, manufacturers need to find ways to minimize the risk.

Empowering business starts with empowering employees

Just as organizations within the manufacturing industry need to embrace a new way of working, they need to empower their employees to do the same. This starts with reskilling workforces and closing the skills gap on the shop floor. To rise above these challenges, manufacturers need to focus on four key areas of opportunity:

• New technology breeds new opportunities to learn new skills. So when it comes to learning and knowledge management, manufacturers need to deliver a learning solution that aggregates educational content for employees and gives them exactly what they need to be retrained and reskilled. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of fully digitized approaches to re-create the best of in-person learning through live video and social sharing.
• Empowering frontline workers starts with connecting frontline workers. By giving workforces a large network of digital tools and modern devices that offer the best experiences for collaboration and productivity, manufacturers can help bring their workers into the next normal.
• Manufacturers don’t want to simply adjust to a digitally transformed industry. They also want to drive better business outcomes through process and workflow automation. To achieve this, they need to empower their workforces with tools and solutions that fully integrate people and processes.
• Through modern HR and talent management, organizations have an opportunity to balance operational excellence, organizational agility, and a top-level employee experience. With the help of exciting new mixed–reality tools like guides and remote–assist programs, manufacturers can draw, onboard, and retain talented workers who can deliver impactful results. 

With the right productivity apps, intelligent cloud services, and security, manufacturers can enable more agile, remote business practices and empower their employees to be more productive. Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing helps to manufacture a more resilient and sustainable future through open standards and ecosystems​. Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing solutions include released and new capabilities that seamlessly connect people, assets, workflow, and business processes, empowering organizations to be more resilient. To learn more about the future of manufacturing download the ebook here.