Weir is a mining technology company founded in Glasgow in 1871. We engineer solutions that make mining operations smarter, more efficient and sustainable, helping our customers provide the metals and minerals that are vital for a net zero future. Operating across 60 countries and employing more than 11,000 people, Weir is built on 150 years of innovative thinking and adapting to the changing needs of our customers and the world around us.
At the start of 2020, Weir launched its Information Systems & Technology Transformation Programme to ensure the business had the foundations, infrastructure and service it needed to capitalise on the opportunities digital technologies can offer the business and our customers, now and in the future. As our journey continues, we are building on those foundations with a new goal to ensure that every aspect of our products, solutions and services will be enhanced by digital and data, and that our people have the support and skills needed to make that a reality.
The challenge
Digitalisation and data are already radically altering the way our customers and competitors work, helping them become more efficient, safe and sustainable. If we do not accelerate our digitalisation journey and equip our people with the technology and skills they need to work digitally, we will be left behind.
People have been at the heart of Weir’s success for over 150 years, and to achieve our digital vision, we must ensure that everyone has the capability and confidence to embrace more digital ways of working, no matter where they are or what they do.
Ensuring they have the knowledge, support and confidence required to help us radically transform the way we work, embed Digital DNA into our culture and create value for our customers in new ways will be vital to our future success. We are calling this our Digital Fitness.
We believe that everyone has a level of Digital Fitness. Our challenge is giving our people the opportunities, access and support, to increase their Digital Fitness, understand our digital vision and become Weir’s Future Ready Workforce.
Weir is still a traditional engineering business with many physical, manual manufacturing processes and tools widely used. Colleagues who work in manufacturing roles account for around a third of our workforce, and they are not always required to use any form of digital technology during their working day. Increasing the Digital Fitness of this group of colleagues is a priority, but equally may be the most challenging part of our digitalisation journey.
What the Weir Group set out to achieve
We wanted to ensure that everybody in Weir, no matter their location or role, has a level of Digital Fitness that will augment their current skills, ability and experience to ensure they can play their part in the next phase of Weir’s evolution, enhance their growth opportunities and capitalise on the benefits digital technologies can provide.
We wanted Weir to be viewed as a digital employer, and for that to help us retain existing talent and attract new talent.
The solution
As part of our Workday implementation in 2020, email addresses were provided to colleagues in manufacturing roles for the first time ever and computer kiosks were set up on sites to provide access to Workday. Use of email and kiosks was monitored and data showed underuse or not being used as we expected. To help us understand more about the low adoption rates and how colleagues in manufacturing roles viewed, used and learned about technology, we carried out a series of interviews and focus groups. Feedback showed a real variance in abilities and confidence levels, dependent on age, location, and understanding of why they would or should engage with digital as part of their role.
The results of this research led to the creation of our Weir Connected framework. Weir Connected is a people-centric programme, focussed on ensuring colleagues in production roles have the opportunities, access and support they need to develop their Digital Fitness, It exists to equip them with the skills, capability and confidence to work with new digital technologies as and when they are introduced.
- As well as feedback from users, working in partnership and learning from others has been important. So has engaging our internal digital experts, practitioners and leaders in Weir to inform our thinking to help develop our approach.
- As part of Weir Connected, technology solutions have been developed and are being trialled to ensure colleagues have access to shared devices (Chromebooks, iPads, etc.) in communal staff areas.
- Work is underway to implement more digital signage across our manufacturing sites, replacing traditional noticeboards. This relatively subtle shift supports the digitalisation journey and helps colleagues get used to consuming information digitally.
- Our research has taught us that technology is used, understood and embraced differently across the business so Weir Connected has been built with flexibility in mind. This means it can be implemented how, when and where it suits individual sites rather than being a ‘one size fits all’ solution.
The training developed to reach digital skills goals
We have designed and developed learning journeys which cover everything from the most basic IT skills to more detailed courses about specific business systems we use.
Learning journeys are also aligned to three main audiences or personas (Practitioners, Leaders and a core element which we are calling “We are Digital”). As we continue our journey, we’ll develop these further.
Our research also showed that people liked the idea of being able to get support or guidance in relation to digital technologies from someone they know or work beside. So, we are building a network of Technology Champions to meet this need. Technology Champions are people in production roles and more confident with technology, with access to additional training and resources to support their less confident colleagues.
We have developed quick start guides for devices, videos to highlight the programme and a site for sharing our success stories. We want to make it simple and straightforward for people to engage with technology to encourage them to try it.
We’ve created a Digital Hub – a place for everyone to learn, to grow and connect. The Hub is a place where we share stories – ‘digitalks’ – on a specific subject or examples of projects/initiatives in Weir today. There are already some great Digital Communities of Practice in place across Weir and the Hub will give them an area to showcase what they do.
How the Weir Group overcame challenges and barriers along the way
The main challenge is that as a predominantly process-driven manufacturing business, it can be difficult for colleagues (and leaders) to find time or justify taking the time to learn skills which, currently, may not seem like a priority. Shifting behaviours and mindsets around this will be challenging and needs strong stakeholder advocacy across multiple levels.
Additionally, a variance in skillset across the organisation means a ‘one size fits all’ learning programme will not work. Learning must be appropriate for each individual and available for all skill levels so everyone can benefit, no matter their existing capability. People also might be too embarrassed to share that they can’t do the basics, so we have a gap in our knowledge of the overall capability. We have therefore created learning journeys to suit a wide range of needs, to allow people to use as they deem appropriate.
The outcome
We are still on the journey to address digital skills gaps and increase Digital Fitness. By providing almost 5,000 colleagues in manufacturing roles with email accounts, we have ensured that they can now access the same tools, systems, communications and resources as their colleagues in different functions across the business. So we’ve become a more digitally inclusive organisation.
Some advice for other businesses looking to close their digital skills gap
Keep people at the centre of everything you do. Technology and digital are strong enablers but if your people don’t understand the value or aren’t supported, digital transformation will never happen.