SSAB on future factories

Industrial transformation doesn’t happen in theory – it happens on the ground. To understand how this shift is unfolding in real time, we turned to one of the people leading it. We spoke with SSAB’s Gary Matthews to explore how change is taking shape across operations – and how automation, data and digital tools are reshaping decisions from the shop floor through to the boardroom.

Gary answers two questions.

1. In your UK operations, how have automation and data most visibly changed work on the floor – and what hasn’t really changed at all? 

Data is vital in any company to ensure the processes are working correctly and in the most efficient way.  

We collect data across the whole business production to ensure optimisation and minimal waste. Transport to determine we’re making deliveries in a sustainable, economical way. Purchasing to see if we are utilising best practices and sales to analyse order patterns for stock profile and repeatability of business.

SSAB focuses heavily on sustainability. We use data to accelerate our journey for decarbonisation, by monitoring renewables, understand our efficiencies, track our progress in the green transition and collate figures we can present to our customers.

Without accurate data, continuous improvements would not be possible.

2. When you roll out new technologies, how do you involve operators and engineers so that they feel ownership of the change rather than having it imposed on them?

When we implement anything new within SSAB, from the outset we include all departments. Whether be it new technology, system or processes, we need to understand the requirements from each area of the business. 

Operators who are directly involved daily will be the champions of change. By having these people involved from the beginning they can share knowledge, have input on requirements, make suggestions and feel part of the process which is vital in making something work.
Implementing anything new can have teething problems. Having the primary users involved throughout the journey, means they will generally meet the transition with a positive mindset and encourage others along.