Generation Z – The evolution of the Maintenance Workforce

As maintenance workforces evolve, they start to welcome the era of the tech-savvy 20-year-olds known as Generation (Gen) Z. Gen Z is already showing the evolution of the maintenance industry with solutions offering more digital lead assisted solutions. A recent study from ManpowerGroup reported that Gen Z will make up approximately 24% of the global workforce this year. But what impact will this have on the maintenance industry?

What will happen when Gen Z enters the maintenance community? A generation powered by smart-phones, that depends on the world of digitisation of current solutions.  Gen Z learns best with technology, and to enable your organisation to grow and continue to operate at its maximum potential, the incorporation of digital elements to your business will enable long term benefits and growth for your business.

With solutions like IBM Maximo offering key digital lead features like an IBM Maximo Digital Assistant, which allows seasoned knowledgeable colleagues to log details which Gen Z can draw on for support.

Whilst other generations may not be digital natives; they do have years of knowledge and relationships that are necessary for progressing the maintenance industry forward.

Building a portfolio of data within your organisation from this key knowledge, will allow your organisation to store all the information you will need at the source.

Ensuring this information is stored digitally in your company, will allow Gen Z to understand your processes and issues a lot quicker. As well as allowing multiple generations to evolve seamlessly throughout the business. Recognising that both bring different ideas and skillsets to the industry will be beneficial in establishing a collaborative future for Maximo and its users.

The Maximo community knowledge is a vital resource that Gen Z can’t learn from technology alone. The community that Maximo users have built around their achievements, experiences and frustrations, will help generations grow and improve.

For your organisation to have the best maintenance outcomes, it is crucial to utilise each other’s skills to collaborate, giving your organisation the best source of knowledge.

For example, retiring workers can engage remotely with new technicians using digital tools. They can help Gen Z solve complex repairs, as well as routine challenges around structuring their day; right the way through to having the right tools on the truck to perform preventive maintenance and inspections.

Gen Z is the future of the workforce and this is a good time to consider what your organisation can do better to make sure that all generations are represented, and everyone is working together to bring positive change.

MACS are highlighting this with a focus on our Junior Consultancy recruitment drive. Diversifying the workplace is something all organisations are seen to be doing, such as IBM’ Future Placement scheme, find out more.

To learn more about how IBM Maximo can help, or about MACS’s junior consultancy recruitment drive please get in touch – enquiries@macs.eu