The Connected Enterprise is Rockwell Automation’s response to increased global pressures for goods and natural resources. Described as “converging operations, automation control and IT to access and capitalize on operational, business and transactional data”, the goal is to connect “people and processes for better collaboration, faster problem solving, and improved innovation within an organization and its supply chain.”
While much has been written about rollout strategies, technologies, and best practices, Ivan Ramirez, a Monterrey plant manager at Rockwell Automation, detailed an often forgotten factor in successful implementation: collaboration.
“The Connected Enterprise is not just about implementing the right system,… A main component in this journey is our talent. Great automation engineers and operators understand how the equipment works with the systems, which is how we’re able to make the real connections.” Ensuring that the company’s people understand the systems and equipment at each site enables them to understand the same process at a different Rockwell Automation plant.
Collaboration was and continues to be a major component to success. To share insight on the implementation and use of the new system, a team of leads from each location meets quarterly for a Super Users forum with the internal delivery team to discuss best practices, lessons learned and new developments. These meetings provide plant managers and engineers the opportunity leverage one another’s knowledge and talents to help the company grow as one.
“If I notice an interesting process or if certain data points stand apart in the Twinsburg plant, for example, our meetings are the time to discuss these questions,” Ramirez said. “We’re able to learn how and why a site is doing things in a certain way and possibly adopt the same practices at our own locations.”
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