Digital transformation is no longer a competitive differentiator, it is a necessity for any type and size of company or industrial segment. In a simple definition, digital transformation is related to the use of technologies appropriate to the type of activity and business, therefore it must be analyzed by professionals in the area and/or consultation and interpretation of norms to lead financial and time investments in the right direction.

On the other hand, technology alone is not enough, and this is where the biggest challenge begins. Technological innovations must be interpreted as a means and not as an end, correctly defining which process and tool modernizations are necessary and which are the expected results.

Digital transformation represents cultural transformation, requiring the company to have specialized agents to propagate, train and multiply knowledge in this area, without losing the company's culture and technical memory. People make the digital transformation, through new mental models and cultural changes. The starting point in digital transformation investments are strategic and business decisions directly related to the company's objectives.

It is important to assess whether the structure of the company's control system meets the minimum requirements to evolve technologically, if the full potential for control and development of strategies has been implemented, if the system is prepared to respond to the commands of hierarchically superior decisions.

According to Helder José Celani de Souza, Healthcare Director at ISA, automation usually refers to reducing human interventions to perform a certain activity, moving through the fully manual, semi-automatic or fully automatic categories. The information technology area does not appear in the business scenario until the mid-20th century, when, then, it begins its journey linked to new technologies.

Most likely, for this reason, industrial automation and information technology walked in parallel, that is, covering the factory floor and corporate management of the business. The automation and digital transformation area follows a strategy based on the pillars of productivity, flexibility and agility, whose vision, in general, does not distinguish the productive sectors.

This article reflects on the decision-making of investments in automation and digital transformation to be evaluated by stakeholders in the sugar- energy sector. It is about the challenge of following the right paths and eliminating technological and knowledge gaps that impact the execution of high-tech projects in the sector, with the aim of increasing the probability of their success. The restructuring of companies, from a centralized to a distributed model, the Industry 4.0 journey started in Germany, the agile mindset in business and methodologies and the ongoing technological revolution have put pressure on managers to act immediately, under penalty of losing competitiveness.

Often, this rush, without a master plan, without in-depth analysis of the current state of the company, has precipitated investments with a short life cycle, or, as in many cases, failed, without reaching the expected result. That said, the following points are proposed for such reflection before making a decision on such investments.

The first topic for reflection is the identification of the starting point and criteria for defining priorities for ongoing demands. Here there is the risk of opting for a Full -type strategy Waterfall, in the face of an innovative journey of high uncertainty, in a complex environment, with the absence of an agile mindset and without deepening the current state of the company.

The second is to ignore automation's connection to broader business goals. At that moment, there is the risk of “a step bigger than the leg”, whether referring to investment in technology without adequate infrastructure, or an investment in a project without prior precise mapping of the processes, or even the application of a local vision and not end-to-end of the business.

The third is to underestimate the value creation for individuals, focusing only on the organization. The human factor is crucial for the success of automation and digital transformation projects, which demands a change management intrinsic to all projects. The fourth is not to despise, but to recognize and address the impacts on the execution of the work before and after implementation.

According to a survey conducted worldwide by PWC, 60% of a total of 32,500 workers surveyed say they are concerned that automation is putting their jobs at risk. The fifth is the failure to establish a baseline for measuring results. How many times have we observed, in practice, a process improvement investment that has not set a baseline against which to compare future post-project results. Finally, the sixth theme for reflection is the lack of equalization of automation with improvement projects.

The strategy should not simply ask “where can we automate?” but “where can we improve?” Automating just for fad or reckless modernization is a sure loss for companies. On the other hand, if the goal is learning and experimentation, follow with a short-term, low-investment pilot, but with a robust analysis of the results.

Engineer João Bassa, vice president of ISA, in Campinas, points out that ISA, currently has more than 4,000 volunteers involved in more than 140 committees, subcommittees, working groups and task forces focused on the development of standards and guidance in several areas of automation, from ensuring the safety of equipment, through the proper implementation of systems, to how to aim at cost savings for interfaces between process control computers and their subsystems.

Adoption of standardized norms is proven to help companies mitigate risk and achieve greater effectiveness in an economically sustainable environment, allowing resources to be used more efficiently and profitably. In particular, ISA, has a dedicated group on Intelligent Manufacturing and the Internet of Things, whose main goals are to provide clarity around these ever-evolving issues, develop useful technical content, develop standardized approaches to solving critical problems, and provide a forum for relationship and collaboration.

The focus of this group is to continually evolve to adapt to the high level of activity and interest across the world community, given the constant development of new technologies, new applications and new concepts at most major hardware manufacturers, solution providers, companies, research institutions and even government agencies.