The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

51 solutions using repeatable intellectual property and code on Microsoft platforms to ensure the quality and capabilities our customers have come to expect. Every major industrial internet of things (IIoT) provider has joined forces with Microsoft to integrate and offer their manu- facturing services and solutions on top of our global platform. And, because every company today is driving their own tech intensity, we are also now partnering with our customers to not just help them adopt the latest tools and tech- nologies, but to empower them to build their own unique digital capabilities and drive inno- vation in their industries. How are manufacturers pioneering the use of Microsoft technology and meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing landscape? We have worked with many thousands of man- ufacturers on their digital transformations over the years. What we have learned is that those that are most successful understand that this process is a journey – one that supports people to create the organisational value through a clear vision, strategy, culture, and unique potential and capabilities. They then turn to technology to enable new business models, transform to a data-driven culture, and reinvent their entire value chain. The integrated capabilities spanning the Microsoft cloud create – what we believe – is an unmatched platform for this kind of global scale transformation. For example, Airbus is driving innovation and accelerating production with Azure mixed reality and HoloLens. The company has reduced design validation time by 80 per cent and accelerated complex tasks during assembly by 30 per cent. Meanwhile, Unilever is empowering its 155,000 employees globally to do their best work by using Microsoft 365, building custom apps that harness real-time insights from data with PowerApps and Power BI, and leveraging Azure IoT’s digital twin technology to digitise its supply chain network. Using Microsoft Office 365 and Windows 10, GE Aviation’s Digital Group is digitally enabling its 300,000-person workforce to collaborate more effectively and make decisions faster. And Ecolab is doing the important work of addressing the world’s water challenge with Microsoft cloud technologies to help customers get closer to net-zero water usage. E X E CUT I V E I NT E R V I EW “Reskilling of the workforce, closing the skills gap, and ensuring health and safety will be top-of-mind”