Futures unfolding, Naomi Voith, Vice President Global Communication. Voith Paper

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
The flexible framework
Voith has developed a flexible framework for implementing
and increasing autonomous operations. The process is rooted in the
principles of design thinking, which fosters collaborative, user-centric
and value-enhancing problem-solving, and Kaizen, the Japanese
philosophy which promotes continuous improvement through
incremental change. “Our goal is to create an environment where
everyone is working together on continuous improvement to impact
the bottom line in a fully transparent process,” says Grohmann. As
each customer works in unique situations with their own priorities,
this framework is designed to be flexible. What each journey has in
common, however, is the first phase of the journey, or the kick-off.
Kick-off
This phase is essential for understanding the starting point,
determining goals and establishing a firm base of best practices for
customers. It’s a time for probing questions around the three key
building blocks that Voith has identified for successful data-driven
production, namely the degree of automation, data availability and
organizational maturity. During tailored workshops, Voith specialists
in automation and process technology first explore the status of
these building blocks with customers and assess how they align
with high-level targets and organizational strategy. “A workshop
may start with customers expressing a concrete goal, such as to
increase production capacity or reduce overall energy use,” explains
Grohmann. “Our sessions and audit activities then drill down into
the building blocks. We look at everyday tasks, processes, and
procedures to first understand why those targets are not already
being met. Using our knowledge and experience, we identify what
action can be taken together to change that.” Out of these sessions,
a customized roadmap for the future is co-created.
The workshops are an opportunity for customers to explore
how a more transparent, data-driven working environment supports
open collaboration and teamwork, which in turn would positively
impact productivity and resource efficiency.
This is true for the process manager and operators, who
keep an eye on multiple complex processes, machinery and tools at
the same time and react appropriately in a timely way. It’s the same
for the mill manager, who needs instant access to the right kind of
data to support instant decision-making and task allocation to the
team from any location and to see that the mill is performing well.
Often, this kick-off phase underlines just how much the skills needed
at the mill have changed over time – and how attractive a workplace
a data-driven paper mill is becoming.
Value creation
“Next, we introduce proven technologies in phases to
demonstrate the tangible value of autonomous operations.” says
Grohmann. This can range from closed-loop production processes
to boost efficiency or solutions that allow sections of the plant to
essentially run without operators. For leading papermakers, Voith
is already developing systems that automatically assign tasks to
people based on roles, situations, timing or even process events in
a way that supports continuous improvement. The goal is to create
transparency and empower people in their roles to make better,
data-driven decisions and lift operations to the next level. This in
return frees up capacity to develop their organization even further.
As additional processes are evaluated and the level of
autonomy at the mill increases, roles and responsibilities will
invariably change. “In parallel to working on the technology, we work
together with our customers on transforming the workplace culture,
particularly by training teams to use new machinery and develop
troubleshooting skills,” adds Grohmann. This is a critical success
factor. By demonstrating the concrete benefits of implementing
autonomous processes, operators, process managers and mill
managers can get on board with the transformation early on. And
as paper mills introduce more sophisticated digital and automation
solutions and apply them across the whole operation, they see how
the benefits increase.
Figure 2: (Above) A framework for the future: Voith focuses on creating a culture of open and transparent collaboration and
innovation.
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