Digital transformation in the mining and metals industry, like many others, has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a HYPERLINK "https://www. axora.com/innovation-forecast/metals-and-mining/" recent HYPERLINK "https://www.axora.com/innovation-forecast/ metals-and-mining/" Axora survey, 99 percent of decision makers at mining companies see technology and innovation as critical to their company’s survival. And a World Economic Forum report projects digital transformation efforts will bring more than $425 billion in value, along with increased sustainability and safety.
However, just as critical as why companies are executing on digital transformation is how. The technology itself is only part of the story. Integrating innovative new technology into company culture and ensuring that new, digital tools and processes are delivering efficiencies and value is critical.
At Alcoa, our digital transformation story doesn’t start with the technology itself – it starts with our people. This approach ensures that we understand the opportunities and test and deploy the right technologies as part of a holistic solution, rather than looking for a use case for new technologies with no clear business application. And we’re already seeing progress as a result. For example, when Alcoa employees found they were wasting time on tedious administrative tasks and that their productivity was hampered by lack of timely access to information on equipment and processes, we took action. Through a partnership with Asset Management Centre of Excellence, we worked to define a standard workflow for our maintenance crew and built a series of tools to embed and institutionalise that workflow, all while providing timely information so workers could execute the job efficiently.
well as the assets and underlying systems. The suite of solutions in Connected Worker focuses on improving operational productivity and performance through global standardized workflows, real time access to supporting knowledge
Enter Connected Worker. Centered on an application named Mobile Worker, this program provides employees with tools so they can be more productive and connected to each other, as well as the assets and underlying systems. The suite of solutions in Connected Worker focuses on improving operational productivity and performance through global standardized workflows, real time access to supporting knowledge and subject matter experts, integrated analytics, and more. And by focusing first on the needs of our employees, we developed a people-first approach to our digital transformation journey that can serve as a roadmap for others.
Letting employees lead our digital transformation
From AI to automation, new technologies are transforming the mining industry and the way we go about our work. As processes shift, efficiency and productivity can reach new heights. Listening to employees can help companies looking to integrate more technology into their everyday operations define clear needs, especially in industries like mining and metals where the move to digital hasn’t always been easy.
A big pain point for companies like Alcoa is the ability to capture and manage knowledge, and share it across our people, especially new team members. As technology transforms workplaces around the world, we see innovative digital solutions as the key to unlock the full potential of our employees and support them every step of the way.
Since launching Connected Worker, Alcoa employees have been able to streamline daily tasks while having timely access to information and company’s collective knowledge and resources. As a result, safety, operational efficiency, and bottom-line performance have improved – and employees have more time back in their days. Those already working with the app and other Connected Worker tools report substantial increase in effective tool time, as well as significant improvement in shift handovers.
While Connected Worker technology was initially developed for maintenance workers to ensure that operational assets are serviced as efficiently and safely as possible and to reduce the unplanned maintenance in our operations, the program will be rolled out to other teams across the company. At the end of 2021, a significant number of employees and contractors across the globe had access to the platform, with many more to come.
Harnessing the power of tech for a safe, more productive workplace
Connected Worker is an important component of our broader digital transformation journey. It enables automated workflows, digital knowledge management, integrated analytics, and more – empowering individuals and teams to work smarter and more efficiently.
By delivering real-time, on-demand information in one userfriendly portal, employees can reference maintenance instructions, access the history of a particular piece of equipment, and map out workflows for the day. This streamlined process allows our team to focus on what they do best, instead of tedious administrative tasks, and the application is designed to operate seamlessly -- supporting the workflow.
And it’s not just about saving time. Having safety protocols and up-to-date operating instructions readily available increases safety, as teams on the floor will have accurate information on the current condition of equipment, as well as the correct reference materials for maintenance and repair projects.
All these attributes deliver value not only for the company as a whole, but for workers themselves, allowing them to see the tangible benefits of digitalization in real time, increasing the buyin from all employees to the transformation process.
A powerful tool for a digital-native workforce
Another important aspect of any digital transformation story is that companies need to acknowledge the workforce of the future is composed of digital natives.
Beyond effects on productivity and safety, new digital tools and processes at any company need to make the job more hightech and appealing to that next-generation workforce. We know incoming talent will be looking for jobs that seamlessly integrate technology into their day-to-day work. Tools like Connected Worker give companies the opportunity to deliver that experience and improve recruiting and onboarding efforts, building a digitalsavvy workforce and support talent retention that can accelerate transformation.
Connected Worker has been one of Alcoa’s most successful digital initiatives to date, because it puts people first and solves for everyday needs to make the company stronger. Over the next several years, technologies like automation, robotics, and other Industrial Internet of Things (IIot) applications will be deployed strategically and deliberately at metals and mining companies around the world to support business outcomes and help workers be safer, more productive and more connected. By starting with the needs of employees, a people-led digital transformation process can lead to better outcomes.
Ali Nooraii, Digital Transformation Director for Operation, Alcoa
Nooraii received his PhD in Chemical Engineering & Process Control from Sydney University in 1995 and his MBA from Murdoch University in 2002. He joined Alcoa in late 1995 with various responsibilities such as developing plant wide process models, implementing real-time data reconciliation and gross detection solutions, implementing expert systems and model-based advanced process control applications. He was Automation Solution Director for Refining and Mining segments before joining Operations Continuous Improvement Centre of Excellence, as the director of the newly established Digital Transformation group in late 2019.
In the current role he is leading a digital team that is partnering with Operations, Centers of Excellence and IT, identifying business opportunities and delivering digital enablers including mobility initiatives, Robotics and Automation, Data Science, Advanced specialized Instrumentation including wireless instruments, Digital Twin solutions.
