Senior leaders from the Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd facility in Consett, County Durham took time out recently to reflect upon their current approach to their Digitalisation journey. Attending a workshop, aimed specifically at supporting leadership teams to deeply understand their digital challenge, the team are now better equipped to create and implement an appropriate, realistic, and meaningful Digital Strategy.

The one-day event, developed and delivered by DTG, brings together a wealth of experience and knowledge from the Digital Transformation experts.

DTG Operations Director, Ian Campbell, explained:

“As the pace of business continues to accelerate post-pandemic, companies are becoming increasingly reliant on the benefits of digitalisation to provide a competitive edge. However, delivering this success is not just about investing in new shiny tech, it is essential to first have the right mindset and culture throughout the organisation. We so often see businesses, fearing being left behind, react in a state of panic, by throwing money at the problem, but this is the worst thing you can do.

“Our workshop carefully walks people through the role of a digital leader, explaining how data is changing the market, identifying potential pitfalls and sharing how best to structure your business for digital success.”   

The innovative and interactive session sets out to deliver the following learning objectives:

• Know how to lead in a digital world
• Understand Industry 4.0, digital tools, and the modern manufacturing market
• Know how to write and govern a digital strategy
• Build delivery capability and performance metrics
• Build the right structure and set up for success on your digital journey

Thomas Swan is a leading, major independent manufacturer of performance and speciality chemicals, offering outstanding service to domestic and international markets, supporting customers ranging from major multinationals to small start-ups.

Harry Swan, CEO said:

“The workshop highlighted how much digital technologies can make our day-to-day operations more productive, with lower costs and an improvement in quality. DTG carefully guided us through the process of creating and implementing an effective Digital Strategy and were very helpful in providing a framework and structure upon which to base this strategy.” 

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

Read our previous Digital Strategy related articles!

• Have We Reached Digitalisation’s Tipping Point?
• Digital Manufacturing Baseline Assessment Drives Benefit for Accord Healthcare 
• DTG Help Merck Irvine ‘Lead’ the Way on Digital 
• Digital Applications Blueprint – Exactly What Every Plant Expansion Needs
• DTG Ready to Support Digitalisation in the Chemical Industry
• Digital Strategy Baseline Drives Benefit For Sterling Pharma

The post DTG Help Thomas Swan Understand Digital Leadership appeared first on DTG.

After graduating last summer, Meghan Harvie had set her sights on a career in either pharmaceutical processing or environmental consultancy, so when the role of Digital Consultant at DTG became available, she knew it would be a perfect, if challenging fit.

Almost one year on, the young graduate is so grateful for the opportunity to be working alongside and learning so much from team members with 30+ years’ experience in the digital space and pharmaceutical sector, and excited to further understand the drive for digital solutions when it comes to process automation.

Meghan said, “When fellow graduate Kirstie Cowan approached me, I was immediately interested. Although the digital space was totally new to me, it seemed like the perfect fit, and I was excited for the challenge that the role could provide.”

DTG’s mission is to help businesses and organisations transform their manufacturing productivity through an enhanced digitalisation strategy.

Meghan is the fourth graduate to join in the space of 2 years as the company continues to build a vibrant team through a successful graduate recruitment programme.

Reflecting further on her first nine months in the role, we asked Meghan a bit more about how she was finding life at DTG.

What are your main responsibilities?

“When starting out I immediately got involved with the refresh of CAsT, the companies revolutionary Industrial Cyber Assessment tool, making sure we were fully aligned with the latest HSE and IEC regulations. I also got the chance to draft proposals to new clients, research training courses and assist in the design and delivery of a digital workshop.

“Today, I have my own individual projects, one of which involves designing a call out system for a local pharmaceutical plant using Microsoft Power Automate. I also work alongside fellow Digital Consultant Ross Armour on vendor assessments and have been collaborating with our partner, Wyoming Interactive on the design/development of our new web-based version of CAsT.

How easy has it been moving from student life to full time employment?

“The transition between student life and full-time employment has been seamless. The DTG team welcomed me with open arms and threw themselves into teaching me all I needed to know about digital transformation. Our lunch preparation rota and monthly socials gave me the opportunity to get to know everyone and it really helped me integrate into my new team.”

What has been your biggest achievement, learning, and surprise about working at DTG?

“Biggest achievement has been developing the call out system, as I had to teach myself how to use Power Automate and how to code using Office Scripts. My biggest learning challenge has been managing my various projects and being able to adjust my working style depending on who I am working with and what I am working on. Surprise wise, has to be the amount of responsibility I have been trusted with, when working both internally and also externally with clients – it is very empowering to have an employer put such trust and faith in you from such an early stage.”

How easy do you feel it will be to develop your career at DTG?

“DTG has supported my development so far in many ways, including Lean Six Sigma training and constant support if I ever feel out of depth with any tasks.



“The experience I have and will continue to gain at DTG will be invaluable as I progress through my career.”

Read about our other graduates…

• Craig Excited by Career Opportunities at DTG
• New Hire Kirstie Sold on DTG Development Opportunities
• DTG an Exciting Opportunity and Great Place to Grow according to Young Ross

The post DTG Role Perfect Fit for Meghan’s Career Aspirations appeared first on DTG.

As we continue to watch the biggest global military powers flex their muscles over Ukraine, it may not, at first sight, be obvious to see the relevance of this to the current condition of your companies’ cyber defences. However, advice recently issued by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging UK organisations to heighten their vigilance, as an increase in malicious cyber incidents in and around Ukraine is expected to spread West, should the situation escalate.

As part of GCHQ, the NCSC have been investigating the incidents in Ukraine, which are similar in nature to a pattern of Russian behaviour seen before in situations such as the destructive NotPetya attack in 2017 and cyber attacks against Georgia.

Should military forces end up engaging within Ukraine, the war will undoubtedly spill out well beyond its borders, and it will be ‘game on’ for a fresh round of international industrial cyber attacks.

DTG Cyber Security Consultant, Tim Gowling, said:

“Military superpowers are well aware of the disruption and distraction that cyber attacks cause, especially if targeted at a country’s key services, such as power and communications.

“But in times of conflict, we must also be increasingly aware of the opportunist, as in the criminal who takes advantage of such confusion, when everyone is looking in one direction, to mount a surprise, spontaneous attack from a completely different angle.”

The NCSC guidance encourages organisations to action the follow steps to reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack:

• patching systems; 
• improving access controls and enabling multi-factor authentication; 
• implementing an effective incident response plan; 
• checking that backups and restore mechanisms are working; 
• ensuring that online defences are working as expected, and; 
• keeping up to date with the latest threat and mitigation information. 

Tim continued:

“If the NCSC guidance fills you with fear of an attack on your Operational Technology (OT) systems, you probably don’t have an OT Cyber Security Strategy. The resilience and readiness of your OT cyber defences are much more effectively managed with an overriding approach.”

How can DTG help further?

DTG recently launched a revolutionary Industrial Cyber Assessment tool (CAsT), which identifies security weaknesses in Industrial (OT) systems and offers solutions to increase an organisations resilience to emerging cyber threats.

DTG can also provide bespoke Industrial (OT) Cyber Security training for staff, available in various formats including traditional face to face, online live webinar or on demand e-Learning modules.

Our combined approach offering OT Cyber Training in conjunction with the CAsT application is a game changer for process industries looking to improve their OT cybersecurity in critical infrastructure.

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.



Read our previous Cyber related blogs!

• Don’t Make Cyber Criminals Wish It Was Christmas Everyday
• DTG Support National Cyber Security Awareness Month
• Forewarned is Forearmed When it Comes to Cybersecurity
• NSA Issue Cybersecurity Advisory on Operational Technology
• Healthcare Sector Not Immune to Cyber Attack – Even in a Pandemic
• What Can We Learn from Oldsmar Cyber Attack?
• Should Cyber Concerns Stifle Innovation?

The post Ukraine Situation Driving UK to Bolster Cyber Resilience appeared first on DTG.

As we gradually return from the festive break, the challenges of a new year will rapidly come into focus, and for many businesses and organisations the key dilemma is whether now is the right time to commit and embrace digitalisation.

Whilst much has been said and written about the benefits of connecting manufacturing systems, introducing smart technology and exploiting big data, the inherent and increased threat of cyber attacks has forced many to remain risk averse, sticking with their traditional closed systems that they know and love so well.

We spoke to DTG Managing Director, Ian Allan:

“Just like Covid 19 has redefined the word ‘normal’ for everyone around the globe, the fall out of the pandemic has also seen a fundamental shift in our view, demand for, and expectations of digital transformation – and there are 3 main reasons for this.

   1 – “First, lockdown was a body blow to the economy with orders being cancelled overnight, processing plants being closed at short notice with both finished goods and raw materials left to gather dust indefinitely. The balance sheet impact of lost sales, workforce costs and revenue tied up in the supply chain was something never experienced before and drove senior executives to devise extremely creative recovery plans. Suddenly, productivity and efficiency were king – which led to the second reason.

   2 – “Whilst many used lockdown to binge watch box sets or paint anything in the garden that didn’t move, company execs had the rare opportunity to take time out from their normal daily fire fighting, and instead reflect, take stock and redefine their strategic objectives. Aligning this with the sudden increased reliance on productivity and efficiency, a new front runner emerged as a potential ideal solution – digitalisation.

   3 – “The final piece of this perfect storm jigsaw came as the world developed a lifeline, literally, to fight back against the pandemic. The way in which industry and academia came together to develop vaccines in record time was nothing short of outstanding. The power of partnering and collaboration, the ability for research and manufacturing to work so close together, and the speed in which data was able to be exchanged and used in such an effective way completely blew apart the ‘norm’.

“As a result of all this, going forward, the processing industry will be more demanding of itself, as well being increasingly challenged to be more flexible, and agile, with customers having higher expectations and more prepared to simply ask, ‘why not’.”

So it looks like we may well have reached the tipping point for digitalisation, as ignoring it, hiding from it or just talking about it is simply no longer an option. It’s time for action – but where should you start?

DTG is a specialist digital transformation firm who design and deliver business-focused digital manufacturing strategies for clients in the processing sectors. We aim to boost productivity, efficiency, and profitability through the adoption of industry 4.0 digital technologies and solutions.

DTG’s transformation approach is supported by proprietary cyber security and asset lifecycle management tools, and a range of targeted digital training programmes. We work to bridge the gap between executive consultancy and project implementation within manufacturing & supply.

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

Read our previous Digital Strategy related articles!

• Digital Manufacturing Baseline Assessment Drives Benefit for Accord Healthcare
• DTG Help Merck Irvine ‘Lead’ the Way on Digital
• Digital Applications Blueprint – Exactly What Every Plant Expansion Needs
• DTG Ready to Support Digitalisation in the Chemical Industry
• Digital Strategy Baseline Drives Benefit For Sterling Pharma

The post Have We Reached Digitalisation’s Tipping Point? appeared first on DTG.

DTG were proud to be a part of the recent Digitalisation & Cyber Security Conference hosted in Durham by the North East of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC).

The not-for-profit organisation supports the needs and interests of the sector in the North East and this years conference was designed to delve into the region’s thriving processing sector, provide insight into the challenges that a connected digital world presents, and identify opportunities for businesses seeking to diversify, support and grow in this booming area.

As a digital transformation company, delivering technology and solutions that enable clients to embrace the operational, cultural, and financial benefits of digitalisation, DTG were perfectly placed to present at the event.

DTG Senior Digital Consultant, Tim Gowling, said:

“We were delighted to be asked to participate in this annual event and support the processing and pharma manufacturing sectors in the North East. Having expanded our footprint with the opening of our new office in Newcastle at the start of the year, it was great to be able to meet so many prospective clients face to face for the first time.”

The conference’s key themes included Immersive Technology, Blockchain, Robotics & Automation, and Cyber Security.

The DTG presentation, delivered by Tim, was entitled ‘Setting a Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Strategy’, and covered the following key topics:

• Why is it important?
• What are the business benefits?
• Where do you start?
• What are the key elements?
• What are the key OT Cyber Security risks?

Tim added:

“Manufacturing businesses can no longer afford to ignore the digitalisation of their operations, as it represents such an extraordinary growth and productivity opportunity. Some though are understandably extremely worried about the increased cyber security risk as they open up access to their shop floor or Operational Technology (OT) systems. This though, should not be a reason to shy away from this new technology. By simply developing and executing a cyber security strategy, in line with their digital strategy, they can mitigate the cyber risks that, if not managed correctly, can so catastrophically impact their business.”

How can DTG help further?

DTG is a specialist digital transformation firm who design and deliver business-focused digital manufacturing strategies for clients in the processing sectors. We aim to boost productivity, efficiency, and profitability through the adoption of industry 4.0 digital technologies and solutions.

DTG’s transformation approach is supported by proprietary cyber security and asset lifecycle management tools, and a range of targeted digital training programmes. We work to bridge the gap between executive consultancy and project implementation within manufacturing & supply.

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

Read our previous Digital Strategy related articles!

•  Digital Manufacturing Baseline Assessment Drives Benefit for Accord Healthcare
• DTG Help Merck Irvine ‘Lead’ the Way on Digital
• Digital Applications Blueprint – Exactly What Every Plant Expansion Needs
• DTG Ready to Support Digitalisation in the Chemical Industry
• Digital Strategy Baseline Drives Benefit For Sterling Pharma

The post DTG Present at Digitalisation & Cyber Conference appeared first on DTG.

As the holiday season approaches, we will all have a stack of things to do before we rush away to take some well earned time off to relax with family and friends – BUT – unfortunately, this change to our normal daily routine and mass desertion of staff from normal duties is often seen by cyber criminals as the perfect time to strike.

This very point was highlighted in a recent report, following a Christmas Eve attack carried out last year on the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). More than 4,000 digital files were stolen and the company held to ransom in what the authorities described as an attack displaying ‘significant stealth and malicious sophistication’. Even after the initial attack, the crime gang attempted to sabotage the SEPA teams efforts to recover and restore uninfected backups. Despite being reasonably well protected at the time, the environmental watchdog finds itself almost one year on, having spent in excess of £800k and still not fully recovered from the attack.

Keen to share their learnings, SEPA have been very open with the report by business advisors, Azets, with one of the key findings that the company’s emergency management, disaster recovery and incident management plans could have been more readily available. At the time of the attack, these documents did not exist in hard copy format, but instead resided only on the servers that were themselves coming under attack.

DTG Cyber Security Consultant, Tim Gowling, said:

“This is yet another example of the level of sophistication that cyber criminals are reaching and once again reinforces just how serious we all need to take the security of our systems and data. In the heat of the day job, it can be extremely difficult to justify taking time out to fully test disaster recovery plans, but come the day of reckoning, this investment will pay back many times over.

“It is also vital, when testing such procedures, that we do so in a worst case scenario, such as imagining its Christmas Day, when nobody is around and phone calls go unanswered.”

Exploiting this out of hours vulnerability is nothing new, with one of the most daring US$1 billion raids almost perfectly executed in 2016. The Lazarus Heist as it became known was meticulously planned by a gang of North Korean hackers, aimed at transferring money from the New York based Federal Reserve Bank through Bangladesh’s national bank to accounts in the Philippines.

The heist began late on a Thursday evening in Bangladesh, knowing that the bank would be closed on the Friday. Meanwhile, being Thursday morning in New York, the Federal Reserve would have all day to process the transfer. Should the Bangladesh bank suspect anything, it would be the weekend in New York, and the Federal Reserve would be closed. In addition, the following Monday was a national holiday across much of Asia, potentially delaying any possible discovery of the attack.

Had it not been for a small coincidence and a spelling error the gang would have netted the entire US$1 billion catch, but they still managed to walk off with US$81 million before the transfers were detected and stopped.

Tim continued:

“The importance of people shouldn’t be underestimated when dealing with cyber crime, before, during and after an attack. Having sophisticated protective software and detection systems is one thing, but augmenting this with all staff vigilant to potential threats and key staff fully trained on how to respond and recover from an attack will provide a far more robust defence.”

How can DTG help further?

DTG recently launched a revolutionary Industrial Cyber Assessment tool (CAsT), which identifies security weaknesses in Industrial (OT) systems and offers solutions to increase an organisations resilience to emerging cyber threats.

DTG can also provide bespoke Industrial (OT) Cyber Security training for staff, available in various formats including traditional face to face, online live webinar or on demand e-Learning modules.

Our combined approach offering OT Cyber Training in conjunction with the CAsT application is a game changer for process industries looking to improve their OT cybersecurity in critical infrastructure.

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

Read our previous Cyber related blogs!

DTG Support National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Forewarned is Forearmed When it Comes to Cybersecurity

NSA Issue Cybersecurity Advisory on Operational Technology

Healthcare Sector Not Immune to Cyber Attack – Even in a Pandemic

What Can We Learn from Oldsmar Cyber Attack?

Should Cyber Concerns Stifle Innovation?

The post Don’t Make Cyber Criminals Wish It Was Christmas Everyday appeared first on DTG.

With Virtual Reality (VR) being used increasingly across organisations to transform the traditional ways in which we learn, explore, and interact, DTG has today announced its new exciting partnership with enterprise VR software provider, Immerse.

DTG is a digital transformation company, delivering technology and solutions that enable clients to embrace the operational, cultural and financial benefits of digitalisation.

With a global customer base and customers such as DHL, Nestlé and bp, Immerse provides the enterprise technology that allows businesses to create, distribute, measure, and integrate all forms of immersive content using highly secure cloud-based systems. This partnership is part of an ongoing initiative from Immerse to build an ecosystem where the Immerse Platform will empower and enable organisations to embrace the future of training in the workplace.

As digital transformation continues to rise up the boardroom agenda, the enterprise landscape is evolving at speed, particularly within the pharma sector. DTG introduces a transformational change in productivity and culture into organisations, by enabling more enhanced connectivity, performance visualisation of production systems and application of digital solutions. With the Immerse Platform, DTG will be able to expand its offer and provide clients with a virtual reality employee training solution that delivers new efficiencies, generating real business outcomes; from accelerating speed-to-competency, to reducing costs and increasing production – all of which can have a profound impact on patients’ lives. With expertise and people at the heart of DTG, the partnership with Immerse will enable clients to transform their manufacturing and supply chain processes in a way that also supports the organisation’s environmental, social and governance goals.

Tom Symonds, Immerse CEO comments:

“We are delighted to have partnered with the team at DTG. In the current climate, ensuring your organisation has the technology and solutions that solve real business challenges is more important than ever. This partnership enables us to continue to expand our ability to support organisations as they digitally transform their processes and operations, resulting in highly skilled employees and improved business outcomes.’’

Ian Allan, Managing Director at DTG adds:

“We are very excited to partner with Immerse. We believe their experience in immersive and experiential technology combined with DTG’s deep understanding of processing industries will create a winning combination for our clients. VR and Simulation is a key enabler for digital transformation. The Immerse Platform will provide more impactful learning experiences for our customers, accelerating their digital journey.”

 

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

Read about our other key partnerships!

DTG Agree Strategic Partnership with Booth Welsh to Pursue Collaborations in Digital Transformation

DTG and Wyoming Agree Exciting Collaboration

The post DTG Partners with Immerse to Accelerate Organisations in Their Digital Transformation Journey appeared first on DTG.

According to The Open University’s annual business report, published in partnership with the Institute of Directors, the UK’s current skills shortage will be a long-term strategic challenge for employers.

The Business Barometer report identifies that since the disruption to the labour market caused by the pandemic, more candidates have been entering the job market. However, just under a third of employers surveyed have left a position vacant due to not being able to find an appropriate candidate and three in ten have had to train existing employees to fill gaps, often overextending their workforce.

In response, more than half of employers are outlining training strategies for future success, with apprenticeships and work-based learning seen as vital for the future of their organisation, an 8% increase from last year.

In support of this increased desire for worked-based learning and with 52% saying their organisation needed to improve its digital skills, DTG are perfectly placed to provide a range of mentoring and training.

DTG is a Digital Transformation company, delivering technology solutions that enable clients to embrace the operational, cultural, and financial benefits of digitalisation within their manufacturing and supply operations.

Built on extensive business expertise and technology experience in large, complex, and high value regulated manufacturing environments, DTG have developed training solutions in order to keep companies ahead in today’s digital age.

Their Demystifying Digital course introduces and educates all levels of an organisation on the latest digital revolution, Industry 4.0. Industrial (OT) Cyber Security training covers the increased cyber security threats arising from Industry 4.0 along with methods of preventing and dealing with attacks in the manufacturing sphere. Digital, Data & Analytics, delivered in partnership with Wyoming, presents all aspects of the data lifecycle and how analysis can deliver significant business benefit. Finally, Digital Leadership, Alignment & Execution is a mentoring programme, providing a step-by-step process, allowing management teams to understand where they are on the digital journey, identify the opportunities, define a structure for success and unlock the digital value.

DTG’s Operations Director, Ian Campbell commented:

“If we truly want the economy to recover post pandemic, we must embrace and exploit the new digital technologies that surround us. Even before Covid, CBI research found that 90% of the UK’s workforce will need to gain new skills by 2030, much of which will be driven by digitalisation.

“We believe, at DTG, we can support a UK recovery by being an active part of a healthy skills landscape.”

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

Read our previous Training related blogs!

DTG Help Merck Irvine ‘Lead’ the Way on Digital

DTG Support Newcastle University Executive MBA

DTG Deliver Cyber Security Training for Manufacturing Skills Academy

The post DTG Ready to Support UK Skills Landscape appeared first on DTG.

DTG has successfully completed a recent study with global healthcare manufacturer Accord Healthcare, working with the organisation to analyse its existing digital strategy and identify future opportunities across their UK facilities.

The baseline study, using DTG’s unique, non-intrusive engagement approach, combined with extensive experience in both the process industries manufacturing space and technology arena, allows the identification of opportunities, aligned to business needs, to deliver value in productivity, inventory, capital efficiency and innovation culture. 

Headquartered in the UK, Accord Healthcare Europe is one of the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in Europe, with one of the largest market footprints of any European generic and biosimilars companies, selling generic medicines in over 80 countries around the world. Delivering vital, affordable medicines to national health systems, supporting healthcare professionals transform patient lives worldwide, Accord’s approach is agile and inventive, always seeking to improve products and patients’ access to them, whilst being driven to think differently and deliver more for the benefit of patients worldwide.

Lynsey Hyde, Pharmaceutical Systems Project Manager, Accord Healthcare, said:

“The DTG process was well structured and clear, the prerequisites to the baseline provided a good opportunity for engagement with DTG and other members of the Accord team before we progressed with the site surveys. The collaborative approach between Accord and DTG worked very well, consultants were knowledgeable and available throughout the process.

“Accord is always looking for continuous improvement opportunities, we want to ensure we focus the business on what is important for the future. We selected DTG based on their proposal which was scalable and well suited to the way our business works, and appreciative of the need not to disrupt our key operations while the work was undertaken.

“DTG had the knowledge and experience we required to focus our efforts on quick wins as well as ensuring we align with our long-term plans. We have used the findings to develop long term strategic objectives for the business and help our employees to ensure that we can be self-sustaining in our digital expertise, with production facilities which can flex to meet market demands at short notice.”

Key Questions When Developing a Digital Strategy 

DTG believe there are four fundamentals to developing a dynamic Digital Strategy. The first question is around technology infrastructure – has your organisation invested in the appropriate operational technology to ensure success? 

This then allows data to be captured which leads to question number two – have you aligned your data in a horizontal end-to-end approach to allow supply chain outcomes to be more successful?

It is at this point that your organisation can explore the many digital tools and applications asking question number three – have you put in place a sustained approach to applying digital outcomes that provide a competitive ROI? 

Finally, question four is focussed on leadership, alignment, and execution – have you put plans in place to develop your organisation’s digital culture and fully engaged the workforce to deliver? 

DTG Senior Digital Consultant, Tim Gowling, explained:

“Many of our clients benefit from stepping back from the relentless pace of day-to-day operations and taking the time to carry out a baseline analysis. Our straightforward and transparent four step process has proven to be a logical and effective approach in helping them to achieve digital success.” 

From the Baseline Study, DTG were able to facilitate the creation of a 1-3 year vision for Accords Industry 4.0 ambition together with the development of a roadmap which focused on supply chain planning, infrastructure, use of data, leadership and upskilling for the Digital Factory of the Future.

Tim continued:

“Unlike many other technology organisations, DTG’s ability to support the delivery of the business goals doesn’t stop here. We have both a breadth and depth of experience in the team that allow us to support programme delivery, provide training and mentoring and ensure a wholistic approach to digital lifecycle management.” 

Moving forward, DTG will continue to work with Accord to further refine their Digitalisation Strategy.

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

To find out more about Accord Healthcare visit www.accord-healthcare.com.

Read our previous Digital Strategy related blogs!

DTG Help Merck Irvine ‘Lead’ the Way on Digital

Digital Applications Blueprint – Exactly What Every Plant Expansion Needs

DTG Ready to Support Digitalisation in the Chemical Industry

Digital Strategy Baseline Drives Benefit For Sterling Pharma

The post Digital Manufacturing Baseline Assessment Drives Benefit for Accord Healthcare appeared first on DTG.

With the UN’s Climate Change summit (COP26) now just around the corner, thousands of powerful and influential people will converge on Glasgow from all around the world to focus on arguably the greatest challenge to ever face mankind.

The UN Secretary General recently described the situation as a “code red for humanity” with a report detailing how human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways. But scientists say a catastrophe can be avoided if the world acts fast – and when it comes to process manufacturing, new digital technologies can play a bigger part than many may appreciate.

For a long time, reducing carbon footprint through increased productivity has been considered a bit of an oxymoron, but if we take a closer look, this is proving not to be so.

Productivity improvement comes in two main guises – ‘making the same with less’ or ‘making more with the same’, depending on demand and capacity constraints.

In either case, making sure all raw materials are utilised, with no wastage, ensuring all final product is right first time, to the required quality standard, with no need for rejection or rework, together with fully optimised processes, using the minimum amount of energy, will all go a long way to reducing our carbon footprint.

The key denominator to achieving this nirvana is the use of data. For many years we have generated a lot of data, but not really known how to make sense of it. Now, with the inception of Industry 4.0, we not only have an explosion of Big Data, we also have the tools and processes to allow its full exploitation.

From the Internet of Things, to the introduction of Horizontal Integration of systems, via Simulation, Cloud Computing and Augmented Reality to name but a few, we can now extract much more value from our new lakes of Big Data. 

Returning to our carbon footprint, the use of these new digital technologies can drive reductions beyond the process itself, as we are now able to provide real time information right across the supply chain, including suppliers and customers.

This visibility, predictive accuracy and data modelling can reduce the need for inventory and buffer stocks at numerous stages, allowing a shift to a more just in time model. This not only removes the material costs from the supply chain, but requires less warehouse storage – an expensive, often temperature and humidity-controlled space in many manufacturing operations.

Finally, with this Control Tower oversight of the supply chain, not only can stock levels be minimised, but transportation can also be optimised, reducing the need for part load deliveries and pickups.

If this all sounds like a bit of a mountain to climb, the answer is to have a digitalisation strategy. Stepping back from your current day-to-day firefighting, assessing your business needs, identifying the right new technologies and processes, and agreeing a roadmap for their implementation will ensure you take the right first step on your digitalisation journey.

In summary, without focussing specifically on environmental sustainability, embracing new digital technologies in the right way can deliver real results, both for productivity and for the planet.

DTG’s mission is to help businesses and organisations transform their manufacturing productivity through an enhanced digitalisation strategy.

For more information, contact us at info@digtechgroup.com or visit our website www.digtechgroup.com.

The post COP26 – Is it Time for Digitalisation to Step Up? appeared first on DTG.