{"id":135309,"date":"2025-12-22T09:23:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T09:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/news-feed\/cyfrowa-transformacja-w-przemysle-jak-skutecznie-wdrazac-innowacje\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T10:02:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T10:02:20","slug":"digital-transformation-in-manufacturing-how-to-successfully-implement-innovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/news-feed\/digital-transformation-in-manufacturing-how-to-successfully-implement-innovations\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital transformation in manufacturing \u2013 How to successfully implement innovations"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-sii-nsw-container container container-98a75270-edd0-4e02-a3e8-39e051a9c7e2\"><style type=\"text\/css\">.container-98a75270-edd0-4e02-a3e8-39e051a9c7e2 {  }\n                         @media screen and (max-width: 991px) { .container-98a75270-edd0-4e02-a3e8-39e051a9c7e2 {  } }<\/style><p><strong>What does it take to make digital transformation in manufacturing truly effective? Rapid market changes, growing customer expectations, and the pressure to innovate are forcing companies to rethink their strategies. In an interview conducted for Production Manager, Szymon Wo\u017anica, Industrial Engineering Competency Center Director at Sii Poland, explains why a clear roadmap, the right technology partner, and tools like AI and digital twins are essential for staying ahead in Industry 4.0.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Przemys\u0142aw Ozga, Editor-in-chief, Production Manager: In recent years, some of the advantages that fueled Poland\u2019s economic and industrial growth have started to fade. Low labor costs, which once guaranteed dynamic GDP growth, are no longer the main driver. The manufacturing sector, facing rising labor costs and demographic challenges, needs a strong impulse to maintain efficiency. One answer to these challenges is a well-managed digital transformation. What factors are limiting its current pace? What are we missing as production managers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>Szymon Wo\u017anica, Industrial Engineering Competency Center Director, Sii Poland:<\/strong> Exactly. For years, low labor costs were the main growth engine, but the situation has changed. This puts companies in front of new challenges. The biggest one for many manufacturers is the lack of a coherent digitalization strategy. Most tasks and investments are carried out as isolated projects rather than as part of a broader roadmap. Few companies have analyzed their current digital competencies to clearly identify which areas are more advanced and which require immediate investment. Manufacturers naturally focus on production and profit. They follow technology trends, but often lack the skills to implement cross-functional investment processes. Without a comprehensive, step-by-step strategy, change takes too long, becomes inefficient, and companies lose their competitive edge, falling behind markets that are better prepared for today\u2019s reality.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: Do you meet manufacturers who have such a strategy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> Technology is constantly evolving, so digitalization is a long-term process, not a series of isolated implementations. There are still only a few large enterprises that can serve as beacons for medium and smaller manufacturers. Large companies, due to their scale, can more easily establish dedicated competency centers. What\u2019s more, conscious organizations precisely define the expected outcomes of digitalization and investments. Unfortunately, digitalization is also a trend, so the final effect \u2013 often expressed in numbers or percentages \u2013 is hard to define. That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial to appoint a clear leader for this change, someone who, in consultation with all stakeholders, sets priorities and determines the real usefulness of specific tools and technologies for the business.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: Do technologies have life cycles like products?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> We live in unique times. In the past, engineers invented tools to meet specific needs. Today, we have technologies and tools first, and then we look for ways to use them effectively. Artificial Intelligence is a great example \u2013 we\u2019re still creating business cases to successfully adapt it to industry. Despite this shift, technology still has life cycles similar to products, but they are much more dynamic. Investing in technology is no longer a decades-long decision. Recently, technologies have been disappearing faster than products.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: What does that mean in practice?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> Some products maintain their function over time, but the technologies used to produce them or enable those functions change rapidly. Given this dynamic, staying up to date and understanding limitations, scalability, and technological capabilities are key when making investment decisions.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: Which organizations adapt to digital transformation more easily \u2013 product-centric or customer-centric ones? And what kind of organization is Sii Poland?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> By definition, we are a customer-centric company, operating in a world of dynamic client needs to which we respond quickly and flexibly. On the other hand, product-centric companies have also evolved. They increasingly resemble customer-centric organizations because they are more open to market signals, allowing for more variations, modifications, and product personalization. The boundary is becoming blurred, and the thinking of both types of organizations is converging. This affects planning, product implementation timelines, and variability \u2013 and brings us back to digital transformation. It\u2019s no longer about producing a single product without considering customer needs or market trends. Reaction is essential.<\/p>\n\n<p>As for Sii, I\u2019d say we are not only customer-centric but also technology-centric, with competency centers and specialized areas. We strive to meet client needs by supporting them with the right technologies. A good example is our industrial engineering offering, which has evolved over the past decade to address clients\u2019 comprehensive needs. Today, it covers the entire cycle \u2013 from product design through automation and machine commissioning to factory digitalization.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: Where should companies start when organizing information, and what role does an experienced technology partner play?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> When planning technology investments, it\u2019s important to take a broad and objective view. Implementing a single tool often leads to overlapping system functions or neglecting data exchange and technological consistency. That\u2019s why it\u2019s best to start with an audit mapping your current software, hardware, and data exchange limitations. Machines are a good example. Many manufacturers have well-developed automation and maintenance specifications, but rarely do we see equally mature specifications for machine communication with SCADA or MES systems. This is often \u201cno man\u2019s land\u201d \u2013 neither maintenance nor IT departments take ownership. That\u2019s why a good partner is needed \u2013 a transformation architect who helps create a roadmap, proposes directions, and translates them into specific technologies and tools.<\/p>\n\n<p>An external partner acts as a competency mentor and supports implementation, but their role as a decision accelerator is often underestimated. Transparent analysis makes it easier and faster to make accurate decisions about digitalization and integration within the Industry 4.0 environment.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: What common mistakes occur when implementing systems for data collection and production awareness?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> One major issue is the lack of operator engagement. Investments are usually initiated by top management, focusing on efficiency indicators and vertical information flow \u2013 from production to the board \u2013 while neglecting horizontal communication, such as knowledge sharing among operators. This reduces their involvement because they don\u2019t see personal benefits from the implementation. We should look for ways to share knowledge, best practices, and suggestions \u2013 for example, enabling operators to submit ideas. We need to find ways to digitize existing experience because current trends, especially AI applications, require this data to help us make decisions and provide proper context.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: Will algorithms soon provide us with ready-made insights on demand fluctuations, order scheduling, resource management, and reducing unit costs?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> Times have changed. At many technical universities, artistic classes that stimulate human imagination are making a comeback. Engineering topics have become highly standardized in certain areas, which helped operational efficiency but also impacted creative thinking. Remember, artificial intelligence is still at a stage where challenging certain information and creating case studies is part of its development, so in many cases AI cannot operate independently. The human expert remains a crucial link, making decisions based on data. As for the areas you mentioned \u2013 AI is already being used there, not in the future, but today, albeit on a limited scale. At Sii, we implement projects in e-commerce, forecasting product demand, which in turn influences production planning and component ordering. High-quality data is essential, and because of this requirement, AI adoption in manufacturing is not yet widespread. AI is a tool that helps analyze information collected from multiple databases and systems \u2013 such as WMS, MES, or APS \u2013 that engineers or managers previously had to analyze separately. It supports decision-making, strategy development, and trend observation.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: Will AI agents become a permanent fixture in factories, providing action plans to help us cope with an increasingly dynamic market reality?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> I\u2019m convinced they will, just like any tool that directly improves work efficiency. From the user\u2019s perspective, the biggest breakthrough will be moving away from standard dashboards and endless tab-clicking toward an AI agent \u2013 a personalized assistant that highlights critical trends. For example: large orders are coming in, but the warehouse lacks certain components from a specific product family.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: Will artificial intelligence also be personalized for each company?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> The question is whether industrial AI models will be universal enough. I believe some areas will naturally become standardized across all companies, while others will be developed individually to meet specific needs and plant characteristics. We should also remember the cost of developing such solutions, which will be a limitation for many businesses.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>P.O.: How does a digital twin support the daily work of middle managers, who often bear the responsibility for implementing organizational changes alongside operational duties?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p><strong>S.W.:<\/strong> At Sii, we have implemented digital twin models in various contexts \u2013 product-related, technological, and factory process simulations, including bottleneck identification and even analyzing how processes would behave if we changed the layout or invested in additional equipment. A digital twin is an excellent tool for making investment decisions involving multiple parameters. The potential of this technology is enormous, but it still requires greater awareness among decision-makers in the industrial sector.<\/p>\n\n<p>The&nbsp;article&nbsp;was&nbsp;originally&nbsp;published&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/production-manager.pl\/artykuly\/przesuwamy-granice-cyfrowych-doswiadczen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"nofollow\" >Production&nbsp;Manager<\/a>,&nbsp;issue&nbsp;58.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":135299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[5742,5942,6140,6201,6167],"class_list":["post-135309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-industrial-engineering","tag-industrial-manufacturing-en","tag-interview","tag-logistics-warehousing-packaging-en"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1920x740_cover-www_pressroom_prduction_manager-1.jpg","category_names":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135309"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135309"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135317,"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135309\/revisions\/135317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sii.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}