What will fresh Generation Z graduates find when entering the automation space? A digital revolution! Due to high demand, engineers in the Automation industry are on a quest to discover optimized, “smart” and disruptive technologies that help customers improve operational efficiency, reliability and safety. Young engineers today have the opportunity to take an active role in reinventing what it means to deliver value to customers.
Emerson is on the forefront of moving traditional companies into the digital future. Recently, Rachelle McWright and I sat down with Emerson Automation Solutions' Chief Technology Officer, Peter Zornio, to get to know the person leading Emerson's Digital Transformation efforts and to ask what advice he would give young engineers to help them get noticed and succeed in their careers. Here’s what he had to say:
A: First, be comfortable with digital technologies. Become “digitally native.”
Second, build your interpersonal skills. Understanding interpersonal communications and the social structure of small and large organizations is important. Practice working in teams and build an understanding of how to navigate a hierarchical organization.
Third, practice your delivery skills. No matter what type of communicator you are or what role you aspire to have, it is important to develop good communication and presentation skills. Doing so can help you sell your business idea, technology idea or even a new process for your team or organization.
Finally, learn about finance. Take a course in finance even if your goal isn’t to be on the business side of a technical company. The goals of a for-profit company are always financial; everything you do depends on how many degrees of separation you are away from the financial goals of your organization.
A: To begin with, learn the fundamentals of the industries we serve. Learn about our customers’ businesses and processes.
Right now, analytics and modeling of processes, popularly referred to as the creation of a digital twin, is a hot area.
Or, invest in learning about cybersecurity. There is an abundance of opportunities for anybody who's in the cybersecurity field both in the automation industry or any kind of computing environment. There will be no lack of jobs in this space or demand for experts for a long time.
Also, understand IT-OT convergence. Emerson is always looking for more people that understand and can merge the operation technology (OT) world with the informational technology (IT) world; people that understand both operational and security concerns are able to bridge IT-OT, which make them a valuable asset in our industry.
A: Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to specific applications that are being driven through connected sensor data or new models of services that are being offered through connected sensor data. However, IIoT is often misused in place of “Digital Transformation,” which refers to a broad set of digital technologies that are being implemented in the operations and manufacturing industries- some examples are augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, digital twins, etc.
A: Do your research. When you make a proposal for a new technology or methodology, always do your research first. Understand the reasons why something was originally developed and why it's still being used today. Also, investigate any restrictions to doing things differently. Present a better way with an awareness of potential limitations. Finally, treat everything as a business case when you are presenting your idea. Start with what’s in it for them.
A: When you are piloting something new it’s important to be a visionary, but avoid over promising. State the upsides of your idea but also touch on potential shortcomings. When you introduce something as foolproof and it fails, you lose credibility and trust. First impressions of technology and/or processes matter; second chances are hard to come by.
A: I think that if you work in a 'start-up' with a small group of committed people then IQ or intellectual horsepower and energy are more important. This is because you likely have a limited number of resources. In a big corporation, like Emerson, with lots of people and departments, your ability to run a project (or even the organization) in the direction that you want it to go or to work across departments is dependent on your EQ. You need to recognize when to be a facilitator and when to be instructor. When people know that they are being listened to, they feel more confident they can offer input.
A: If you are open to it, invest in an audit of your EQ. You can do this informally by asking others (peers, teachers, managers, etc.). Self-awareness, an EQ skill, is an important factor in Emerson’s employee development model. However, you must be willing to hear the results of your audit and to work on improvements as needed.
A: Bill Gates. He is a respectable businessman and decent human being. First, he was a technology guy and then a very aggressive, but straight-forward business guy. Once he proved that he could be successful at both technological advancement and business, he moved on to do something lasting for humanity. He found his cause in a very logical, “engineer-type" way. It’s the same way Emerson engineers look at an optimization problem. Mr. Gates Question: How can I save the most lives? Answer: By finding what takes the most lives. In this case, it was malaria.
A: The math is simple: We can’t afford to lose half of our brain power. We need to expose everyone equally to the opportunities in STEM. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) is critical to succeeding in the global economy and we need women to be excited about careers in STEM.
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Concise with measurable takeaways. Great job!
I love that becoming "digitally native" is the first skill that an engineer should have. I would venture to say it is a baseline skill for almost everyone today. Thanks for sharing some great insight!