Plant & Works Engineering October 2022

16 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk October 2022 Maintenance Matters Focus on: Training & Skills U ndertaking Digital Transformation (DX) is essential for industrial companies to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving industrial landscape. A Successful and advanced DX strategy enables the free flow of data throughout an organisation and creates a single digital thread which opens up a plethora of efficiency and maintenance improvements through the contextualisation of information. Enterprises that are well advanced on this journey can unlock the value from advanced technology capabilities, like artificial intelligence, simulation and emulation software, and digital twins. Those less advanced will find plenty of improvement and return on investment to support future investment from reduced downtime and improved energy efficiency. Although digital transformation looks different for every company and there is no single box, one-size-fits-all solution, businesses that advance on this journey (even those at the start of the process) have a clear advantage over those who lag behind. So, with DX often seen as the answer to all problems felt by industrial leaders, how can it impact the long-term decline in skills availability that is a challenge both in the UK and around the world? The skills gap has been a topic of concern in industry for many years now. It spans all sectors and affects businesses of all sizes. Simply put, there isn’t enough new talent entering the workforce to offset the number of workers reaching retirement age. When they leave the business, retirees take with them their hard- earned on-the-job knowledge that is a culmination of years of experience. With each departing worker, businesses are faced with the The skills gap is a prevalent problem across the industrial landscape, but can it be minimised through technology alone? Andy Graham*, explains further. Digitalisation of irreplaceable skills