Digital Worker
Digitalization for people
Digitalization is changing the world of work as radically as the steam engine and electrification before it. Evonik is looking for ways to support its employees along the road to the digital future.
How can digitalization make people’s everyday work easier? How will working become smart? And which devices and software will employees need to design constructive workflows in the age of digitalization? These are the questions to which the digital experts from Evonik Technology & Infrastructure GmbH are trying to find answers in the “Digital Worker” digitalization program.
One example: Whereas plant maintenance and inspections used to be laboriously recorded on paper, paperless digital documentation is now reducing effort and increasing flexibility. Thanks to mobile maintenance, logs can be filled out directly on site using the touchscreen of tablet computers. “Information should be available everywhere in real time,” said Dennis Gamrad, head of Digital Development at Technology & Infrastructure. “This will simplify work processes and reduce the administrative burden on staff.”
Trying out new things
New technologies are tested at the digitalization pilot facility—the “DIGIkum”—located at Evonik’s Marl site. Here, devices are used in a test environment and staff are trained in new technologies. “Upskilling is one of our top priorities,” said Dr. Clemens Herberg, Managing Director Finance at Technology & Infrastructure. “Without highly skilled staff it would be difficult to provide our innovative digital services.”
Among the technologies used to simplify the work are augmented reality (AR) technologies, which will soon be a standard part of everyday work at Evonik. The employees in charge of maintaining the highly complex facilities at the chemical sites stand to benefit in particular from these, receiving information about a component, such as the designation or storage location of replacement parts, directly on the AR glasses.
Driver of Industry 4.0 at Evonik
Evonik Technology & Infrastructure GmbH is paving the way for Industry 4.0 with a comprehensive digitalization strategy. As an integral part of Evonik Industries AG, Technology & Infrastructure provides support in the units Energy & Utilities, Technical Service, Logistics, Process Technology & Engineering, and Site Management with reliable technology and infrastructure services. Innovative technologies will ensure greater efficiency and lay the foundations for an extensive range of integrated digital services that will make Technology & Infrastructure Evonik’s digital backbone.
