The Control Of Work concept has long been part of industry safety and planning. It allows companies to create cohesive strategies and systems that ensure people, environments, and work processes are aligned, safe, and trained. It has, however, evolved significantly over the past few years thanks to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and analytics. These technologies form the foundations of Industry 4.0, a modernized and intelligent infrastructure powered by innovation and technology to better equip organizations to achieve operational excellence, resilience, and long-term sustainable growth.
These technologies provide organizations with flexible and agile systems that can be customized to fit different setups, workflows, and dynamic routines. Agility sits at their core, allowing companies to shift and adjust on-demand and stay ahead of unexpected events and conditions without introducing additional risk. In addition to managing changes, the data delivered by these systems allows companies to map incidents and behaviors, using the insights to uncover trends. And this, in itself, is invaluable for companies that have to juggle multiple people across geographically diverse sites and challenging working conditions. By identifying specific trends, companies can mitigate risks and proactively correct courses, behaviors, and system deficits.
“…Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies driving productivity and growth across manufacturing and production at brownfield and greenfield sites. These technologies are creating more and different jobs that are transforming heavy industries and helping to build fulfilling, rewarding, and sustainable careers. What’s more, with 4IR technologies in the hands of a workforce empowered with the skills needed to use them, an organization’s digital transformation journey can move from aspiration to reality.” – The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be people powered. McKinsey 2022.
This is perhaps one of the most valuable contributions of Control of Work today – its ability to help manage incidents from both a proactive and prescriptive viewpoint. With Control of Work, companies can implement intelligent Corrective Action Preventative Action (CAPA) activities that are more closely aligned to the lived reality of each environment and team member. This ensures that behaviors are more easily modified as processes are relevant and clearly developed in accordance with how specific individuals, cultures, and locations operate.
Control of Work that is connected to all the data dots provides the organization with increased visibility through aggregated data from all work processes and available sources in real time. With this data at hand, team leaders and decision-makers can locate areas that have incident commonalities and unpack areas of workflow or process that are inhibiting productivity. The resultant CAPA system can evolve over time because it ensures that corrective action is taken using data that supports the decisions.
Ultimately, perhaps, the most significant cog in the Control of Work wheel is the WoW factor. The ingredient that makes it work. It’s data. Data that allows for improved CAPA systems and processes. Data that can identify trends and behaviors so they can be proactive modified. Data unlocks predictive and prescriptive change for long-term worker safety and productivity. And it is data that helps the organization implement relevant corrective action and develop intuitive workflows.
Control of Work: GOARC Safety 4.0
The GOARC Safety 4.0 platform is an innovative industrial safety solution that blends digital, innovation, and intelligence into a coherent solution that delivers measurable results across every one of these digital touchpoints. The GOARC Safety 4.0 platform is enhanced by the technologies and innovations that power Industry 4.0 and provides a Control of Work solution that spans:
- Permit To Work – identify the most effective workflow and lower possible risk while increasing productivity with a dynamic, specific, and intelligent solution.
- Shift Management – an integrated data-driven shift management solution with real-time connectivity, visibility, and communications for safe, efficient, and productive operations.
- LOTO – achieve safety compliance, reduce overall risk and maximize the use of assets to improve productivity with a fully integrated, intelligent, 24/7 real-time data solution that’s fully connected to IT, IoT, IIoT, ERP, and the CoW platform.
The GOARC Safety 4.0 solution offers real-time, multi-level predictive and preventative data and insights while leveraging predictive analytics for behavior-based safety within dynamic safety routines. Using data, technology, and behavioral science, the platform allows organizations to create dynamic safety routines that incorporate real-time data collection and eliminate information gaps, data gaps, and team silos by moving from point solutions into one real-time, multi-level fully connected solution. The Safety 4.0 solution delivers a constant flow of information throughout a cohesive digital ecosystem that thrives on data. Every touchpoint, user, and system is part of the flow – connected and integrated to provide robust data and insights that can constantly evolve the business and inform strategic decision-making.
