What Manufacturers Are Doing Wrong With Data, and How to Fix It

Ten years ago, digital transformation was all about getting machines online.

Back then, manufacturers were just trying to connect assets, collect data, and build dashboards to see what was happening in real time.

That was huge, difficult progress that took teams of engineers to achieve. 

These days, manufacturers are swimming in data. But here’s something few want to admit: they haven’t yet figured out how to turn that data into improvements on the floor.

In a recent conversation I had with Remus Pop from Concept Reply, he put it this way: “Five or ten years ago, our focus was on connecting the factory. That problem’s been solved. Now that we've connected all these machines and we've got all this data, what the heck do we do with it?”

Watch my Wrench Factor conversation with Remus, and read on for more about what it takes to get real value from the data you’re collecting.

Who really owns your data?

Here’s a question I love asking: Who really owns data on the plant floor?

Most of the time, people point to IT or engineering. But those folks aren’t closest to the action.

Remus put it this way: “Industry 4.0 is the connection of assets, both human and machine, to deliver information to the person who can act on it the fastest.”

The people who can act the fastest aren’t sitting at a desk. They’re the operators, the maintenance techs, the quality engineers, and the plant managers on the floor.

They’re the ones who need access to clear data in real time, not another dashboard buried three clicks deep in a portal.

If digital transformation doesn’t help the people doing the work every day, it’s not transformation. 

The most overlooked opportunity for improvement

When I asked Remus how often maintenance is part of digital transformation discussions, he paused and said, “Maybe one company I’ve talked to has truly included maintenance.”

That’s wild.

Maintenance is one of the biggest untapped opportunities for improvement, and one of the easiest places for manufacturers to see ROI fast.

But too often, maintenance is left out of the strategy. This often means maintenance teams aren’t getting the tools they need to respond faster when a machine goes down.

As Remus said, “Machines will fail. That’s the nature of the beast. Instead of trying to predict every failure, let’s make it easier to respond when it happens.”

If your technicians can cut response time in half because they’ve got better data or mobile access to procedures, you’ve saved hours of downtime and thousands of dollars.

Why “speed to value” is everything

Another point that stuck with me from our conversation was speed to value.

Manufacturers often chase giant, multi-year digital transformation programs. But Remus shared that he wishes more leaders focused on delivering quick wins. Early, tangible improvements can prove the value of the bigger transformation vision.

I’d compare this strategy to how you might approach a restaurant menu. You see so many good things to try, but it's going to take a long time for that food to get served to you. So, you order an appetizer, and it makes you more excited about the meal to come. Bring more appetizers to the manufacturing floor, and you'll be able to taste success a little bit earlier, which will then get leadership on board.

In other words, start small. Prove success. Get people excited. Then scale.

Those appetizers might be things like:

• QR-coded work requests: Operators scan a code, snap a photo or short video, and instantly trigger the right work order.
• Condition-based PMs: Tie preventive work to hours, cycles, or meter readings on key assets, and add one basic sensor (temperature or vibration) to flag anomalies before they turn into downtime.
• AI‑assisted processes: Upload an OEM manual to automatically generate a draft SOP, and use voice notes at close-out to auto-summarize work history.

Each one builds confidence and momentum, which are the secret ingredients to long-term transformation.

Transformation starts with the right questions

Before you launch the next digital transformation project, make sure you can answer:

• What problem are we solving?
• Who needs this data the most?
• How fast can we show value?

And remember, digital transformation is about empowering the people who keep your factory running. 

That’s why employee experience is just as important as connectivity and cost optimization. If your people don’t trust or understand the tools and systems you’re implementing, they won’t use them.

So as a first step in launching the next big project, talk to your maintenance team. Ask your operators what they wish they knew in real time. Then build from there.