QAD Redzone, Connected Workforce, Worker Productivity

Modern businesses use software to connect every aspect of their operations, from machines on the factory floor to budgeting tools in the finance department. Unfortunately, the most important part of your business – the people – are often left out of the loop, preventing them from doing their jobs as safely and efficiently as possible. 

Closing the gap on worker productivity and, in turn, fostering a supportive work environment where employees feel fulfilled and valued requires a special set of tools, and that’s just what QAD set out to deliver when it acquired Redzone, the #1 Connected Workforce Solution, to form QAD Redzone.

At the heart of QAD Redzone is a mission to develop a Connected Workforce that takes the same digital technologies you use every day to unlock efficiencies on the factory floor and applies them in ways that help your people – and your business – succeed.

What is the Connected Workforce?

The Connected Workforce (or Connected Frontline Workforce) uses digital technologies to connect and empower workers, maximize productivity, simplify daily operations and, most importantly, bring teams together for a greater sense of job satisfaction. 

The Connected Workforce movement’s human-centric approach to business isn’t new, but skilled workers are becoming harder to come by, especially in manufacturing. 

More than 2.5 million baby boomers are nearing retirement age and younger generations simply can’t fill the gap. In addition, new machines and technologies are changing the factory environment and skilled workers are in higher demand than ever before. In 2018, Deloitte estimated that less than 50% of available positions would be filled by 2028.

The talent gap has only widened since the COVID-19 pandemic. Shutdowns displaced factory workers, many of whom found jobs in other fields and have yet to return to their former positions. 

By 2030, as many as 2.1 million manufacturing jobs may sit open and could become a $1 trillion problem for industry. The loss of just one frontline worker costs manufacturers an average of $12,876 and puts profitability, productivity and traditional business models at risk. 

Your business probably isn’t a stranger to labor shortages in recent years, but these statistics make one thing very clear. Manufacturers are experiencing a labor crisis unlike anything the world has ever seen before. A better path forward is critical, and that’s the Connected Workforce movement.

Enabling Industry 5.0 with the Connected Worker

Any solution that can help close the talent gap and enable manufacturers to do more with less is clearly beneficial from a business perspective, but early adopters have also reported huge benefits on the worker side of the equation. Simply put, people are happier and more likely to remain in their positions when they feel supported in the workplace. 

Attitudes toward work have also shifted since the pandemic. Sixty-five percent of workers are rethinking the role of work in their lives and many are seeking purpose-driven jobs and expecting more from their employers. 

With Connected Workforce solutions, manufacturers can deliver a fulfilling experience that reduces worker turnover and motivates teams to be as effective and productive as possible. They can build a corporate culture that other organizations aspire to have and one that everyone wants to be a part of.

Meeting worker demand for fulfilling, rewarding job experiences is also a hallmark of Industry 5.0, or the Fifth Industrial Revolution. One of the best parts of Industry 5.0 is that any business can tap into it, regardless of its digital maturity. That’s because Industry 5.0 is completely different from Industry 4.0. 

It applies to every business, regardless of industry, and is about taking a human-centric, sustainable approach to business that benefits society as a whole. Whether your business is just starting to explore digital transformation or is in the advanced stages of building an Adaptive Enterprise, the success of your efforts will be multiplied with an Industry 5.0 mindset and with Connected Workforce solutions.

QAD is Building the Manufacturing Workforce of the Future

QAD is committed to helping organizations build agile businesses that can adapt to change quickly, leverage the best data to make informed decisions and be proactive rather than reactive in the face of disruption. Extending this philosophy to the people who work every day to help your business grow and succeed was a natural stepping stone – and we found the perfect partner to achieve this in Redzone.

QAD acquired Miami-based Redzone in early 2023, which started 10 years ago as an early mover in the Connected Workforce space. Today, over 327,000 workers in more than 1,000 facilities are using Redzone and that figure is expected to grow rapidly as QAD enhances and tailors the solution for the industry verticals it serves.

QAD Redzone’s Connected Workforce technology has a proven ability to reduce worker turnover and enable agile operations. Manufacturers using QAD Redzone have increased productivity by 29%, on average, and seen a 74% improvement in employee engagement. Staff turnover rates are down by 32%, on average. That means more uptime for plants, a greater return on investment for materials and a happier customer at the end of the value chain.

The Connected Workforce market is relatively new and untapped but that’s expected to change fast – and digital transformation (IX) leaders agree. As many as 91% of IX leaders and 71% of followers believe Connected Workforce technology adoption enables safety, productivity and quality improvements. 

What’s Next for QAD Redzone?

QAD Redzone’s Connected Workforce solution is the perfect complement to QAD’s vision for the Adaptive Enterprise and Digital Manufacturing, and companies can expect to see its technologies used in new and exciting ways. 

  • Learning: The shift away from paper-based training materials to different multimedia that meets your workers where they are is here. Workers can gain new skills and access mentoring on demand.
  • Reliability: Enable workers to be proactive instead of reactive to plant issues with Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) in a box.
  • Collaboration: Bring employees together to solve the right problems with the best real-time data and accelerate the process with direct communication between frontline teams and plant leadership.
  • Productivity: Use QAD Redzone digital kaizen to empower frontline workers to conduct root cause analyses, identify systemic problems with ease and implement high-impact improvements.
  • Compliance: Replace paper checklists and safety materials with configurable, digital alternatives that enable a culture of safety and help teams prepare for compliance requirements. 

The effectiveness of Connected Workforce technologies makes adoption not an “if” but a “when” and QAD is proud to be leading the way in building the workforce of the future. After all, manufacturers and their workers win when digital technologies come together to solve industry’s most pressing problems. Today, that means helping manufacturers close the talent gap and maximize productivity in new and creative ways – and that’s just what the Connected Workforce movement is all about.

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