Persuading Customers to Join a Better Digital Pathway

The world of industrial-focused companies is evolving quickly. Many companies are feeling pressure from society, investors, and regulatory bodies to operate more sustainably as part of the global energy transition. The technological advancements and expectations of their customers and end users are also rising. The sophistication of today’s cyber threats also continues to evolve, requiring the need to quickly evolve and optimize business operations. 

Success for customers today requires being able to digitally innovate at their pace — without disruption. One of the first questions that we ask at ABB is what trends or changes have put the most pressure on your operations recently? Having a trusted partner and domain expert in the field, who is by your side all the time, is a differentiator in our industry as they know and understand the world you live in and the challenges that come with it.

Most asset-heavy companies agree that digital transformation is a must. Yet few are on the same page about how to get there. Figuring out how to proceed raises many questions. What is the right next step? Where is the biggest ROI potential, and how should you measure success? And who is the right partner to help you accomplish this within an optimal time frame?

Companies take different approaches — typically landing in one of three main categories:

• They prioritize speed on the digital front with a “fail fast” mentality, which may risk unpredictable disruptions that developers and consultants simply don’t have the expertise to fix.

• Some jump into testing a handful of projects only to get stuck in “pilot purgatory” with no clear path forward. 

• Others over-index on IT solutions, often influenced by a consulting firm’s roadmap that shows future promise but that doesn’t solve near-term pain points. For example, why spend US$80 million on a multiyear data-lake strategy when your primary operational upsets are caused by machine failures in certain locations?

Unfortunately, if you don’t make the right bets, you risk delaying digital transformation and the potential loss of customers, investments, and the reputation of your brand.

Make Proactive, Data-Driven Decisions

One of the reasons leaders find it difficult to take the next big step in a digital journey is because there’s simply too much to know — even given their vast experience. When you work hand-in-hand with a digital partner, you’ll make faster, more confident decisions as part of a larger, data-driven strategy. 

By leveraging the expertise of your digital partner, you can predict when specific equipment will need maintenance to avoid unplanned downtime or identify potential vulnerabilities in your process based on the latest cyberthreat. As a result, you’ll be able to take proactive, targeted actions to reduce operational risks, simulate scenarios to adjust operations on the fly, and project the cash flow you’ll need to make it all happen.

Companies that are embracing an evolved approach and taking the steps to greater digitalization of their business experience increased asset utilization, reduced downtime, and get more value out of their processes. Data-driven decision-making empowers them to protect and future-proof their organization in the face of evolving threats and expectations, with the added bonus of promoting concrete social progress that enhances their brand as they execute on their unique energy transition.

Seamlessly Add New Capabilities 

Knowing the next step in your journey is important. But if getting there means dealing with another set of vendors, integration complexities, and unforeseen costs, your project is likely to stall from the get-go.

Hence the importance of having a provider that integrates all your equipment no matter what brand. New capabilities can be added from wherever you are, often with the click of a button on applications and solutions. 

Through this approach, you´ll eliminate the hassle and costs of added infrastructure, custom installations, and support agreements. You’ll also maintain a cleaner, more secure architecture as you evolve, with less attack surface and fewer endpoints to manage. 

Combine Optimizations and Innovations 

Nailing quick wins early in your digital transformation is a sure sign of progress. But your efforts could lose steam if you can’t figure out what’s next. When you expand your partnership, you’ll combine optimizations and innovations to maintain momentum along your journey. 

When customers advance in digitalization, they’ll take targeted, data-driven action to meet growing digital expectations and gain a competitive advantage. Plus, they scale and capitalize on this data availability and are able to achieve continuous improvement across their enterprise.

In conclusion, industrial companies choosing to evolve and optimize their operations can simply run better with digital applications, by prioritizing solving problems in a practical way that advances them up the digital curve, while optimizing CAPEX and OPEX. Realizing balanced protection of their assets — from the edge to the network — with the ability to deliver the industry current digital experiences their users and customers expect is a business imperative. Ultimately, these companies operate empowered by solutions that allow them to proactively adapt to changing market demands, while meeting their specific sustainability goals.