There is nothing positive about a pandemic. Yet COVID-19, says Kevin Parikh, has become the equivalent of chief transformation officer for manufacturers, triggering the rapid adoption of digital manufacturing innovations that will spur organizations to be more creative and productive. “What the coronavirus did was flip a switch to the point that you can’t survive now unless you internalize these things,” says Parikh, chairman and CEO of global management-consulting firm Avasant.
Parikh, also an author, is a whiz at recognizing fast-moving workforce trends. His insights are designed to give business leaders and factory managers a clearer understanding of where the world is going, and how to get there before the competition.
The business and social transformations Parikh sees herald a new digital age when humans finally tame technology and unleash its full potential. Factory managers and workers should take note now. “The analog jobs that are getting replaced by digital automation and innovation are actually creating more time for us to be together,” he says. “It gives us a platform for new innovations, with unlimited data access and an opportunity to have unlimited time to create.”
