A Front Line Worker Platform is a suite of modern digital tools that provide on-demand knowledge, support, and digital work instructions to improve job completion. To put it simply, a Front Line or Connected Worker Platform provides operational transparency for everyone in your organization to have the support they need to do their best work.

What should I expect from a Front Line Worker Platform?

‍An effective Front Line Worker platform is built on the 3 foundational pillars:

• Self-assist provides front line workers with access to searchable on-demand technical resources including written documentation, diagrams, videos, images, webpages, instruction guides, and much, much more.
• Work-assist empowers front line workers with a rich repository of visual tools including visual work flows, digital inspections, maintenance checklists, and SOPs to standardize and codify job completion while optimizing data collection.
• Remote-assist or the use of AR-enabled video sessions can remotely connect front line workers with technical experts to dramatically speed resolution time.

A Front Line Worker Platform offers multiple capabilities including the following:

• Digital work instructions created by your company experts (ideally low-code/no code)
• Knowledge base to store instruction article to complete work
• Messaging features to access support quickly
• Video calling to handle escalations
• Real-time visibility into operations
• Visual data collection
• Custom notifications
• Intuitive interface for workflow management

How do Front line Worker Platforms help in addressing challenges in the Manufacturing Industry?

‍Front Line Worker Platforms enable a connected worker. A connected worker in any manufacturing business is any front-line worker fully integrated into their environment using digital tools and technologies. They are connected through the devices they naturally use in the flow of work (mobile, laptop, smart glasses and tablets).

Manufacturers have had great challenges in attracting and retaining their workforce. A Deloitte & NAM study found that 77% of manufacturing companies have ongoing difficulties in attracting and retaining workers in 2021. The need to rapidly train and upskill these new workers is likely to only increase in the future.  At a time when the manufacturing industry is facing its greatest skill crisis (due to the retirement of the baby boomers or lost jobs), connected workers offer a “ray of hope” in three main areas.

1. Facilitate the rapid upskilling or reskilling of front line workers.

‍Among the most impacted industries, the global Manufacturing domain is facing the challenges of the “great crew change” resulting from the retirement of the baby boomer generation. This requires the next generation of workers to “step up” and overcome the skill gap.  Self-assist tools ensure continuous, rapid training and upskilling of front line workers, thus preparing them for new challenges.

2. Maximizes workforce productivity

‍Manual or paper-based manufacturing processes reduce workforce productivity because front line workers spend hours of effective work time completing redundant paperwork at the end of the day. Work assist tools in Connected Worker platforms provide digital workflows that improve the quality of job completion and the ability to capture data.With the automatic generation of completed job reports, operational managers now have access to real-time data, enabling visibility into front line operations. This, in turn, reduces changeover time, unplanned downtime, and streamlines preventive maintenance schedules.

3. Provides real-time remote assistance

‍As the “Great Crew change” continues in the manufacturing domain, inexperienced front line workers need real-time assistance from subject matter experts (SMEs). Augmented Reality (or AR) technology is now enabling remote assistance as SMEs are now able to view real-time maintenance work as it happens at remote sites and make live annotations in the visual field of the workers.  The use of high-quality AR technology in remote assistance sets apart the Atheer Front Line Worker platform from its competitors.

With its range of technology solutions. Atheer is empowering the connected worker in the Manufacturing industry. A fully-integrated Front Line or Connected Worker Platform leverages AR technology to meet the industry challenges and pain points including machine downtime and crew change.