With technological developments coming thick and fast, it has become the norm in today’s fast-paced society. However, as increasingly innovative and intelligent solutions are released, there’s often a split reaction between the digital innovators who want to be the first to implement them and those who hold back, preferring more traditional methods. Here to discuss this in more detail is Houghton International, a specialist in electric motor repairs.

The first major technological milestone

None of the technology we have available today would have been possible without the advent of electricity.

Thomas Edison built stations to generate electricity in Manhattan and London in 1881. 12 months later and electricity was available as a commodity, changing industry forever.

Factories of the time were driven by steam, featuring large and dangerous machinery to generate this steam power. Once electricity was made available, this could all change — but it didn’t.

Even though electricity was widely available, less than 5% of factories were electric motor-powered. Many preferred to rely on steam power as they were uncomfortable with the level of change brought about by the introduction of electric motors. It would trigger a change in thinking that many simply didn’t want to consider.

Switching to an electric motor would be disruptive. Production could take place following logic, rather than the direction of the driveshaft. Factories became safer and cleaner too, while the staff themselves began to set the pace.

A factory’s entire infrastructure would need to be altered and over time, it was. By the 1920s, manufacturing productivity had increased significantly, as factory owners increasingly implemented electric motors.

With almost 40 years before the benefits of electric motors were realised in factories, it becomes clear that it takes time for technology to deliver results — and we can only reap the benefits when we fully understand how best to use it.

Issues today

The technological vs. traditional battles rages on even today in 2018. Take electric motors themselves for example. While they have been fully adopted into many applications, business owners are still facing decisions on whether to upgrade their model to one that promises further efficiencies.

Industry 4.0 is working to further increase the difference between those who do and do not embrace change. Dubbed the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0 is transforming industries through automation and real-time data. One example of this is condition monitoring, the process of using technology to monitor the state of machinery to detect significant change and therefore problems.

Under the umbrella term of predictive maintenance, condition monitoring involves vibration and lubricant analysis as well as acoustic emissions. For those who have enabled Industry 4.0 already, they are already at an advantage, as they are able to anticipate when maintenance work will be required, in turn reducing the impact unplanned downtime can have. Those who are unaware of the potential of Industry 4.0 are unable to access this level of insight, putting them at an automatic disadvantage.

Benefitting from new technology

How do businesses benefit from a new piece of technology, whatever that may be? Fully establish the benefits of any investment in technology you’re planning to make in advance and establish how it will be positioned within your operations. Consider the amount of work that is required for implementation and whether this and the associated costs are justified by what you’ll gain. If in doubt, enlist the help of a professional to advise you on the right solution.

Despite those who will try to, you can’t escape technology in today’s modern world. Shying away from digital advancements is no longer an option; choose to be an innovator or delay the implementation of these new developments. Either way, change is happening now — and you can’t afford to stand still.