Industry 4.0 & Digital Transformation Enthusiast | Business Strategist | Avid Storyteller | Tech Geek | Public Speaker
Remember Where’s Waldo? You’d stare at a chaotic scene packed with people, colors, distractions — and hope to spot that one little guy in red and white stripes. Welcome to your factory floor. Only now… you’re not looking for Waldo. You’re looking for insight. And just like Waldo—it’s technically there… but good luck finding it. You’ve got: • Data on every screen • Devices in every hand • Teams running full speed • Machines chirping nonstop It’s not that we’re not trying. It’s that we’ve built an ecosystem that captures 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, but explains 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. Yet when someone asks, “Why did our OEE drop last week?” or “What’s the most profitable product this quarter?” You pause… then begin your own version of Where’s My Insight? It’s not that we’re not capturing the info. It’s that it’s everywhere, scattered, siloed, and screaming for structure. Insight doesn’t come from more data. It comes from connected data. From asking better questions. From creating context, not just content. So if your daily operations feel like flipping through a giant, crowded picture…Squinting for meaning… Maybe it’s time to stop collecting dots—And start connecting them. ******************************************* • Visit www.jeffwinterinsights.com for access to all my content and to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends • Ring the 🔔 for notifications!
What about a very near future stack where AI mines your data and data availability truly becomes your only bottleneck. Will you not miss the data you didn't collect because you didn't see a human observable use case or didn't have time to model it
Great point Jeff Winter. Connecting the dots and "seeing" patterns requires a special type of thinking and skill that most people find a challenge to learn. Systems thinking and mental models enable people to understand data relationships and discover patterns in systems. So maybe a key issue is that we need people to be trained to be system thinkers first? #systemsthinking #thinking #mentalmodels
OMG STAWP! This is so funny!1
Love this, Jeff Winter. Insight isn't a byproduct of more data; it's the result of thoughtful connection. So many organizations are drowning in dots (data rich), but starving for lines that connect them into a clear picture (insight deprived). The transformation starts when we become master dot-connectors, not just relentless dot-collectors.
It would help if we knew what Waldo looks like, otherwise it's like me staring at the telemetry of an ICU patient and trying to figure out his health status! 😂 No amount of data streams will help without Domain Knowledge!
Couldn’t agree more Jeff Winter! We don’t have a data problem, we have a connection problem. Collecting more dots doesn’t drive insight. Designing the right flow between them does. The real power shows up when data stops being a warehouse and starts becoming a conversation across teams, machines, and moments. That’s when you stop squinting for answers and start seeing them. Would love to hear what's one connection you've seen make the biggest operational leap?
aaaaand just when I think you've outdone yourself, Jeff. 🤣 👏
Industry 4.0 & Digital Transformation Enthusiast | Business Strategist | Avid Storyteller | Tech Geek | Public Speaker
5dThis was my alternative version - which do you like better? 😀