Digitalization - but what about people?
The digital transformation is in full swing. Production processes, technologies and business models are changing rapidly - but in the midst of this revolution, people remain the key success factor. While automation and artificial intelligence are becoming ever more powerful, companies are facing a key challenge: how can employees be optimally prepared for the demands of the new world of work?
Companies face four key challenges in this context:
- Skills shortage: New skills are in demand, but where do they come from?
- Safeguarding knowledge: With the baby boomer generation now retiring, valuable know-how is leaving the company. How can it be retained?
- Time to market and cost pressure: companies need to act faster and more efficiently.
- Technological complexity: New processes and tools require targeted employee training.
The solution lies in the "smart people" approach: companies need to empower their employees in a targeted way so that they can not only use technological innovations, but also actively help to shape them. What exactly does this approach involve?
Smart People - A holistic approach for the working world of tomorrow
With its Smart People approach, EDAG relies on a well thought-out combination of qualifications, ergonomics, knowledge management and safety. The aim is to equip employees with the right skills and technologies so that they can not only accompany the digital transformation, but actively drive it forward.
Smart people as cultural transformation
Digitalization is not only changing processes, but also the way people work. People should be seen as active shapers of technology. In order for companies to successfully master this change, it is essential to establish a learning culture and adapt existing ways of working. This must enable employees to accept new technologies, continuously develop themselves further and move confidently in the new world of work. This requires changes at all levels - from the corporate culture to the specific training strategy.
What challenges does the Smart People approach solve?
The smart people approach starts precisely where companies encounter challenges in the digital transformation. It ensures that the shortage of skilled workers, loss of knowledge and technological complexity do not become obstacles to innovation, but can be overcome in a targeted manner:
- Skills shortage: Targeted training and qualifications make existing teams fit for new tasks.
- Securing knowledge: The threat of losing critical company knowledge is prevented by using AI-supported systems that record and retrieve know-how.
- Time to market and efficiency: Modern training methods such as AR/VR training enable new employees to be trained more quickly and efficiently.
- Technological complexity: Smart assistance systems support employees without overwhelming them.
This approach is particularly relevant for companies that want to set up new production sites or transform existing processes and thus work in a future-oriented manner.
Smart people in practice: how companies benefit from them
Qualification: knowledge in the right place, at the right time
Many companies are faced with the challenge of opening new production sites but do not yet have trained employees. EDAG offers a structured solution here. We proceed as follows:
- Analysis of the target qualification: What skills are required?
- Assessment of actual qualifications: evaluation of potential candidates.
- Individual learning paths: Tailor-made training for specific roles.
- Practice-oriented qualification: from classroom training to AR/VR-supported learning units directly in the production environment.
To illustrate this with a concrete example: A company is planning a new factory and needs to qualify skilled workers quickly. EDAG offers a complete solution that makes the entire process efficient and sustainable. This enables the company to put the new production sites into operation quickly and at the same time ensure that employees are optimally prepared for their new tasks.
Knowledge management with AI: securing knowledge and making it usable
In many companies, valuable specialist knowledge is scattered across different departments, documents or systems and is often difficult to access. When experienced employees leave the company, critical know-how is often lost with them. At the same time, new employees often lack direct access to the right information, which makes training more difficult and slows down processes.
AI-supported knowledge platforms offer the solution here. They aggregate and structure information from different sources so that relevant knowledge can be accessed centrally. These systems enable employees to easily find the information they need instead of having to spend time searching through various documents or databases.
One example of this is the AI-based "Knowledge Bot", which provides targeted support for specialists by providing the information they need at the touch of a button. This gives employees direct access to relevant knowledge.
Ergonomics and safety: designing work processes with people in mind
A safe and ergonomically designed working environment is essential to protect employees' health and make work processes more efficient. Both physical and digital safety measures play a crucial role here.
- Physical safety: Targeted workplace design helps to reduce strain. Ergonomic processes and supporting robotics relieve employees of physically strenuous tasks and help to minimize health risks.
- Digital security: Cyber security is essential to protect people and machines from attacks. With the increasing digitalization of production processes, companies must ensure that systems and data are protected against unauthorized access.
One example of this is safety mechanisms in production that minimize potential hazards for employees.
People and digitalization: finding the right balance
Automation is playing an increasingly important role in the world of work, but it must not be viewed in isolation. A human-centered approach is crucial, in which technology is used specifically to support and relieve employees. Human-centered automation therefore means not driving automation for its own sake, but designing it in such a way that it complements people in their work in the best possible way.
- Digital assistance systems: Intelligent assistance solutions support employees by providing relevant information in real time. This enables faster decisions to be made and work processes to be optimized.
- Example: AR-supported quality controls enable employees to receive visual support via tablet. Production errors can be detected and rectified at an early stage, which improves quality assurance and minimizes waste.
Transformation as a change process
The digital transformation requires not only new technologies, but also a change in the way employees work and learn. They need to be actively involved in this process in order to develop new skills and successfully shape change.
A clear example of this is the automotive industry: when companies switch from combustion engines to electric drives, entire workforces have to learn new skills - whether in production, maintenance or development.
To enable employees to adapt to new requirements more quickly, companies are increasingly relying on adaptive learning, intelligent assistance systems and AR-supported training. These methods enable practical and flexible learning formats that specifically address individual qualification requirements.
It is crucial to establish a learning culture that encourages employees to embrace new technologies and continuously develop them further. This is the only way to successfully and sustainably shape the digital transformation.
Conclusion and outlook: How companies can successfully implement smart people
Digital transformation requires more than just new technologies - it calls for qualified, well-prepared employees who are able to actively shape change. Companies that invest in qualifications, knowledge management and security not only create a future-proof working environment, but also secure long-term competitive advantages. It is crucial not only to prepare employees for change, but also to actively involve them in the transformation.
A successful introduction to the Smart People approach begins with targeted vision workshops and pilot projects to gain initial experience and develop the right strategies. People remain the key to success. Only through continuous training and a strong learning culture can companies exploit the full potential of digitalization.
Would you like to find out more about Smart People? Then talk to our experts or experience the concept up close at Hannover Messe - from March 31 to April 4, 2025 in Hall 15, Stand F40. Discover how qualification, knowledge management and digital assistance systems are changing the world of work and helping companies to overcome the skills shortage.
Take the opportunity for personal discussions with our experts to develop customized solutions for your challenges. Secure your tickets now!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our experts Wolfgang Lay, Project Leader Business Development Digital Learning, and Dennis Luft, Vice President Feynsinn. Or get a deeper insight into the free recording of the “Smart People” Couchtalk, in which experts present practical approaches and best practices.
