Unlock Your Digital Transformation Journey with Interstates
Welcome to Interstates’ Guide to Digital Transformation. In this series, we will delve into the comprehensive approach Interstates takes to guide companies through the complex yet rewarding journey of digital transformation. Over the course of these articles, we will define what digital transformation entails, explore the four phases we recommend for a successful digital transformation, discuss our available solutions for digital transformation, and highlight what sets Interstates apart from competitors. Take a look at the next article where we begin at the foundation for digital transformation: operational technology infrastructure and security.
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, embarking on a digital transformation journey is imperative for manufacturing companies aiming to stay competitive and achieve operational excellence. The term “digital transformation” evokes a lot of industry buzz and possibly confusion, but don’t be daunted. We can help cut through the noise and show you the real value digital transformation can bring to your facility. At a basic level, digital transformation means using innovative technology to connect production machines, devices, sensors, and people to improve your operations. Digital transformation can help you fully automate and streamline processes, providing you with rich digital information for smarter decision-making.
At Interstates, we can walk alongside you on this journey, offering a comprehensive approach to digital transformation that will help you navigate this often overwhelming endeavor effectively and efficiently. This article, the first in our series, will outline Interstates’ recommended phases of the digital transformation journey and highlight how we can support your organization at every step.
Meet Your Trusted Advisor: Interstates
Whether you are an operations leader, an IT/OT leader, or any other role responsible for driving digital transformation, you face unique challenges. From outdated systems and inefficient processes to data integration issues and cybersecurity threats, the pressure to modernize can be overwhelming. If keeping up with modernization efforts isn’t enough of a challenge, there is so much technology and software emerging that promises to help businesses be more efficient and save money. But do they? That’s where Interstates steps in as your trusted advisor, ready to help you navigate these complexities with expertise and tailored solutions.
Phase 1: Discover and Assess
Understanding Your Starting Point
The first phase of any digital transformation journey begins with a thorough discovery and assessment. According to Daren Dieleman, Vice President of Operations at Interstates, this phase is crucial in understanding where a client stands on their digital transformation journey. “We look at the existing technology infrastructure, such as networking, automation, and data collection systems,” says Dieleman. “It’s about identifying the client’s goals for the digital transformation program and pinpointing their biggest pain points and constraints.”
During this phase, it is essential to document all possible use cases, production challenges, and other organizational technology issues. This transparency provides a holistic view of the current state of your operations, which is crucial for prioritizing and planning subsequent steps. Dieleman says, “Understanding where to start can be challenging, but focusing on quick wins where data and technology can provide a return on investment helps build momentum.”
Phase 2: Strategize and Plan
Creating a Roadmap
Once the discovery and assessment phase is complete, the next step is to strategize and plan. This phase involves setting a high-level digital transformation framework and developing a detailed plan that addresses your identified pain points and goals. Bret Van Wyk, Vice President of Technology at Interstates, emphasizes the importance of staying focused on what you hope to achieve. “The pace of technology change is rapid, and it is easy to get enamored or even overwhelmed in the technologies versus identifying and staying focused on solving a valuable problem,” says Van Wyk.
In this phase, potential constraints such as budget, downtime, and personnel availability must also be considered. Dieleman highlights the importance of looking for areas that may not be immediately obvious, such as where labor is covering up inefficiencies or where information waste occurs. “Identifying these hidden costs can significantly impact the effectiveness of your digital transformation efforts,” he adds.
Phase 3: Implement and Integrate
Executing the Plan
The implementation and integration phase is where the plan comes to life. It involves executing the digital transformation plan, integrating new technologies, and ensuring the changes are seamlessly incorporated into existing processes. “Who and how are key questions in this phase,” says Dieleman. “Deciding who will fund the changes, who will execute them, and how they will be implemented is crucial.”
Interstates supports clients through this phase in multiple ways, from upgrading outdated devices or panels to helping to track the return on investment of implemented changes. Van Wyk explains, “This phase starts to lay out the digital transformation journey and demonstrate how it can come alive in the organization. In essence, it is building and executing the roadmap of the prioritized strategic initiatives, including items such as resource allocation, change management, milestones, and KPIs.”
Phase 4: Optimize and Enhance
Ensuring Long – Term Success
The final phase of the digital transformation journey focuses on optimizing and enhancing the changes you’ve made to ensure they deliver sustained benefits. “It’s about making sure the improvements become ‘business as usual’ and revisiting them periodically to ensure they are being used properly,” says Dieleman. This phase often involves refining processes, training staff, and making further adjustments based on performance data.
Van Wyk adds that Interstates’ approach to this phase includes ongoing support and a commitment to continuous improvement as your business needs change and grow. “This phase emphasizes that digital transformation is a journey and not a destination. There needs to be structure and processes in place to continuously gather feedback, measure performance, and utilize data to drive or enhance the decision-making process. Digital transformation is an iterative process that requires agility to adapt to changes and continuously refine strategies, so it’s important that your initiatives are designed to be scalable and adaptable to changes in your business needs,” he says.
Why Choose Interstates?
Your Trusted Guide
We differentiate ourselves by offering digital transformation services with a comprehensive and client-focused approach. “We seek to move beyond the ‘buzz’ and implement solutions that truly benefit our clients,” says Dieleman. As an independent systems integrator, Interstates recommends the best solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs. The company also invests in research through its dedicated Innovation Team to stay current with technological trends and ensure clients receive cutting-edge solutions.
Van Wyk finds Interstates uniquely positioned to help clients with their digital transformation journeys. “Our extensive industry experience and diverse team of technical experts enable us to offer a comprehensive digital transformation solution, covering every phase and aspect, rather than just individual components. This holistic approach significantly simplifies the process for our clients,” he says.
Our industry experience, combined with our multitude of technical experts, allows us to provide our clients with the full solution (versus just an individual component), which greatly simplifies the process. We are committed to providing value as a partner and advisor,” he says.
Ready to Transform?
Embarking on a digital transformation journey can be daunting, but with the right partner, it can lead to significant operational improvements and competitive advantages. Interstates’ comprehensive approach, from discovery and assessment to optimization and enhancement, means you can navigate this digital shift effectively. By focusing on practical solutions, continuous improvement, and strategic goals, Interstates can help you unlock the full potential of digital transformation.
As you begin your digital transformation journey, remember that it is a multi-phase process that offers unique value at each stage. Whether you are modernizing legacy systems or adopting advanced AI algorithms, each phase comes with its own set of technologies, challenges, and benefits. The end goal is a digitally mature organization capable of agile, data-driven decision-making. Let Interstates guide you every step of the way, ensuring you achieve sustained success and growth in today’s competitive landscape.
Stay Tuned: In the next article of this series, we will dive into OT infrastructure security and its critical role in digital transformation. Discover how strengthening your OT environment with Interstates’ expertise can enhance security, reliability, and innovation. Don't miss out as we uncover how automation technologies and advanced analytics play into digital transformation.