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As a provider of operations management software (OMS) for the crane and rigging industry, I have the privilege of working with customers to digitally transform their business processes using modern technologies.
While no two implementations are the same, I’ve learned that the path toward a successful digital transformation requires a simplified and guided experience.
Here is how your crane and rigging organization can embark confidently on its journey toward streamlined processes, boosted efficiency, and elevated safety standards.
Digitizing Operational Processes
Streamlining workflows is the first step to achieving better operational effic-iency, compliance, and collaboration.
From the moment you receive a job to when the final invoice is issued, understanding how your data flows from one stage to the next is at the core of any digital transformation.
It leads to understanding the step-by-step process involving your operations, enabling you to map it into a single, unified system.
During this process review phase, organizations can uncover workflow bottlenecks, data irregularities, duplicative data processes, and missing system connections.
It is also an opportunity to identify whether mobile field technology can further enhance how your field workers access documents and log time.
Digitalization is a path to building new workflows or refining current ones to eliminate manual planning, resource allocation inefficiencies, and safety concerns.
Data Migration and Integration
After the workflow review and planning phase, the next step involves collecting data to load into the software.
It is imperative to plan for what data must be gathered and populated within the software to meet your operational workflow requirements.
Planning usually involves identifying where the data is coming from, its current format, and how it needs to migrate into the new system.
It is also an opportunity to integrate with other software applications — accounting, construction, and logistics management — to share data securely across connected systems.
Taking an Incremental Approach
Our OMS is modular, meaning businesses do not have to implement and get training on the entire software.
Your company can take an incremental approach to adopting software that fits your needs with flexibility, quality control, and continuous improvement.
For example, quoting modules can be set up and deployed while other modules, say scheduling and dispatching, are still in their respective planning stages.
This way, users can go “live” with quoting in just a few weeks while separate modules are configured and workshopped for future implementation.
Coinciding with the implementation, custom components can be built and made available to users while they continue training on the software.
From digital quote and invoice hard copies to pre-task planning and other electronic safety forms, these tools seamlessly connect office and field operations while ensuring compliance and data integrity.
Mobile field productivity apps are easy to configure and allow employees to easily view job details, quickly log timesheets, effortlessly upload attachments, and access and fill out critical documentation.
With a well-planned but flexible implementation process, automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks reduces the likelihood of errors, allowing employees to focus on more critical aspects of planning and execution.
The workflow review also ensures that the software incorporates safety protocols and procedures identified during planning, helping to reduce risk during execution.
Navigating Change Management and Adoption
Digital transformation involves and impacts the entire company, meaning everyone must align towards a singular goal to benefit from digitalization.
Software solutions that are easy to use, scalable, and offer superb technical support and training can make the transition process quick and efficient.
The key is having consistent involvement from the teams that will use the software and ensure that onboarding is an interactive experience. Appointing a project champion within your organization during software implementation can further facilitate alignment and drive collaboration among various departments.
Project champions enable a user-centric approach by actively involving end-users in onboarding processes, guaranteeing a smooth transition and fostering familiarity with the software. Their consistent involvement ensures that the software meets the specific needs of the organization, leading to quicker adoption, efficient utilization, and ultimately, successful digitalization.
Using Data Insights for Business Success
The final step in your digital transformation is to use the structured information collected by the software.
Data leveraged to generate business analytics and reports facilitate better decision-making and strategic planning.
For example, organizations can evaluate equipment usage patterns, identify underutilized assets, and optimize crane schedules to enhance efficiency.
Harnessing insights from connected software systems can give your organization a competitive edge.
System connectivity, data, and decision-making are foundational components of digital transformation, and together, they can drive the evolution of traditional crane and rigging processes toward modern, technology-driven systems.
Randa Fernandes - Vice president of operations and customer experience at WrightPlan Inc. She has more than 20 years of software industry experience, having helped businesses across various markets leverage emerging technologies to drive innovation and growth. She can be reached at randa.fernandes@wrightplan.com.
