APR Nov/Dec 2022 - 38

»
MANUFACTURING
»
Digital Transformation 101:
The " Swarm " approach
Jennifer Probst
Intern
Kevin Ly
Intern
Valentin Legras
Intern
Avinash Murthy
Senior Scientist
Ana Filipa Borges
Senior Scientist
Patrick M. Piccione
Senior Principal Scientist
F. Hoffmann - La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
Abstract
While data science is attracting significant industry interest, actual
delivery does not always live up to its promises. A successful digital
transformation strategy relies on changing attitudes and mindsets
as one of its key aspects. This article shows how to accelerate cultural
change towards data science-driven thinking in pharmaceutical
companies. Literature best practice is followed by the personal
experience of the authors. Specifically, we describe our " Swarm "
philosophy to deliver many small, quick projects in a bottom-up
fashion. This principle supports managed culture change starting
at the shop floor, and relies on communication, collaboration and a
focus on concrete value. Several supporting frameworks and tools
are outlined. Further, we give an overview of our portfolio of projects,
illustrated with two hands-on detailed examples. Our key learnings
are articulated along the following three dimensions: strategy; people;
and projects. This article illustrates the importance of combining
agility with rigor, as well as that of a locally embedded resource to
demonstrate value quickly.
Introduction
Nowadays, the digital transformation (DT), including data science, is
an omnipresent topic with high business expectations.1,2
At the World
Economic Forum 2016, the value of digital transformation over the
next 10 years was estimated to exceed the striking amount of $100T.1
The success of DT has been demonstrated by the notable rise of today's
giant digital corporations, albeit accompanied by concerns regarding
power, privacy and taxation.3
While many pharmaceutical companies strive for competitiveness
by adopting Industry 4.0 concepts in decision automation,4,5
many
other such companies struggle to implement its precursor, the digital
transformation for automation and the digitization of processes.4,5
Furthermore, actual results from digital transformation efforts often
fail to live up to their promises.6,7,8
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| November/December 2022
Industry shows strong interest in the
extension of the digital transformation to completely new product
and business models, leading to a fourth industrial revolution: Industry
4.0.4
APR Nov/Dec 2022

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