Connecting the Field, Industrial,and Operational Worker –a Kyndryl Point of View
New use cases to drive efficiency and safety in remoteand field settings with Private Wireless and Edge computingChallenges in improving
efficiency, safety, and security
in remote work environments
Industrial, field, mobile, and operations workers often
need the capability to collaborate remotely with experts
and access current data and insights to carry out their
daily tasks efficiently and safely. Unfortunately, many
Industrial environments are not well served by carrier
macro networks, and connectivity in the field can be
spotty or non-existent. The result is often an increase in“windshield” time – time lost making multiple trips to andfrom the field to the operations center to log work, check
results, connect with experts, or to access manuals,
HSE procedures, or training documentation.

Connected workers avoid delays andreduce risks
Reducing or eliminating these trips by connecting theworker to the resources they need can increase employee
efficiency, safety, and satisfaction. It can also reducecarbon emissions and vehicle wear. A connected worker
is also more likely to complete their task on a single trip,increasing productivity.
The connected worker market size will be worth USD
24.3 billion by 2029. The technology around hardware,
software, and our ability to train staff is finally catching
up with our board room visions of our field workers being
completely connected with home base. Keep readingfor examples of how private wireless can connect field
workers and streamline operations.

Two use cases – connected andunconnected worker scenarios
Two scenarios of a theoretical use case featuring a windtechnician worker named Lalitha are presented as anexample. Lalitha is dispatched to a wind farm that has
no cellular service. The first use case scenario illustrates
what happens when Lalitha is minimally connected to theresources she needs. The revised scenario shows what
happens when Lalitha uses current connected worker
technologies.

Scenario one: the unconnected
remote worker
Lalitha is a Wind Technician with one year of experience.
She is dispatched in the morning to investigate an alarmon a wind turbine. She arrives at the site and realizes
she forgot to download the updated lockout tagout
procedures. Aside from driving back to the operations
center, Lalitha has no way to get the new procedures orcontact anyone for support. She decides to continue using
the procedures she’s familiar with in hopes there isn’t anissue. Lalitha doesn’t realize that by bypassing the newautomated verification procedure her company recentlyimplemented, she is putting herself in potential danger.
Lalitha ascends 270 feet to the nacelle. It’s almost
summertime, and even with the climb assist, ascent istiring. It’s uncomfortably hot and humid in the long verticalsteel tube and Lalitha wonders to herself how long it would
take help to arrive if she had a medical emergency.
Upon reaching the nacelle, Lalitha begins her diagnosticsof the problem. She realizes she will need an additionalpart from her truck to fix the turbine. Back down the ladderand up again Lalitha climbs. Each trip adds risk. During
the repair she runs into an issue she hasn’t encountered
before. Without access to remote support, Lalitha has
to take the time to drive back to the operations center toreview the problem with senior technicians.
This repair activity is turning into an all-day affair in theunconnected worker use case scenario. Lalitha wonders
if she’ll have time to complete the job before she needs toleave for her daughter’s dance recital. After collaborating
on a path to resolution, Lalitha apprehensively drives backto the wind turbine in hopes the solution will resolve theproblem. She ascends the ladder for the third time andcompletes the repair.

Lalitha is tight on time and still needs to return to theOperations Center to close out her ticket and log thedetails of the repair. On the way back, her service vehicle
breaks down and she is not in an area with cellular service.
She will have to incur more time to walk miles to an areawith coverage to request a pick-up and let her family knowthat she’ll miss the recital.
The day could have been far more time and cost effective
if Lalitha had access to private wireless connectivity
throughout the wind farm. Let’s take a second look at thisrepair handled by a connected worker.

Scenario two: the connected
remote workerBefore Lalitha even leaves for the job site, real-time
sensor data from the wind turbine has been gathered andprocessed through a machine learning platform to provide
her with the top potential issues. Based on those insights,
she prepares with the necessary equipment to fix theproblem.
On the way from the operations center to the wind farm,
Lalitha receives a notification that her work vehicle
could soon be needing a repair. The sensor data in thevehicle indicates an engine issue could arise at any time.
Lalitha uses her push-to-talk handset to contact theOperations Center so a mechanic can be dispatched torepair her vehicle while she works on the turbine. Before
her ascent, the updated lockout tagout procedure is
automatically presented on her tablet so she can follow
the correct safety protocols and verify the lockout tagout
is successful.

Lalitha and Jose quickly work together to repair theproblem. Jose pulls specific documentation from pastissues seen on similar equipment and guides Lalitha
successfully through the repair. The session is recordedand uploaded to their repository of maintenance videos
for other technicians to use as best-practice. Lalitha
documents the repair and closes the ticket before climbing
back down. On the ground, Lalitha speaks with themechanic who has provided a temporary fix to the vehicle
so that she can get back to the Operations Center safely.
The connected worker scenario offers improved efficiency
and safety.
Lalitha has a quick FaceTime session with her husband
to discuss a few details for the evening. Given the delays
avoided through the use of connected technologies, she
makes it home on time and doesn’t miss a minute of her
daughter’s big moment.

Lalitha ascends to the nacelle confident in her safety
because sensors she is wearing monitor her temperatureand detect falls. In addition, her push-to-talk technology
provides immediate communication whenever needed.
While repairing the turbine, Lalitha encounters a problem
she hasn’t seen before. Instead of having to return to theoperations center, she puts on her augmented reality (AR)headset and contacts Jose, a remote expert, to share live
video of the situation.

Current technologies andcollaboration tools

Collaboration tools like Microsoft® Teams, WebEx byCisco, and Zoom can now be leveraged in remote field
operations. Peripherals like AR headsets, video devices,
health monitors, accelerometers, and scanners can be

The technology described in this example is current

connected via wi-fi hotspot or Bluetooth from the private

and can be used in numerous industrial settings wherewireless-connected handset.

connectivity is problematic to connect field workers.
Private wireless devices with push-to-talk, push-to-video,

Using edge data platforms and machine learning at theand push-to-picture (PTx) are replacing legacy land mobile

edge or in the cloud, field technicians can get valuableradio solutions at a fraction of the cost and with far greater

insights to better prepare for their time in the field. Sensor

functionality.

data processed in real-time and provided it in a context
that is easy to understand can improve the field worker
productivity.

The Connected Worker Architecture

4G/5G

Edge

Global Clouds/

API Gateway

Kyndryl Integrated

Servers

Data Centers

Interface

InfrastructureRadio SiteManagement
Data reside local

O&M Management

Monitoring(with Application Services)Customer PortalManagement

SW Management

ReportingCentral Security

Analytics

Enterprise Edge
App Manager

Endpoints

Worker Insights

Corporate
WAN

Video Analytics

Kyndryl End-to-End Services

CloudServices

Design, deploy, and manage
with Kyndryl

Why Kyndryl?

You likely have thought of many scenarios where you

the mission-critical technology systems that the world

could drive efficiency or increase safety with broad private
cellular coverage to connect your remote and mobile
workers in a variety of industry, operations, and fieldsettings. You’ve seen how edge data solutions can provide
real-time insights to increase efficiency and reduce delays
and frustration.
Kyndryl has experience designing and deploying managed

At Kyndryl, we design, build, manage and modernize
depends on every day. As a global managed infrastructureservice provider, Kyndryl has the scale and expertise toenable your business solutions around the globe. Partnerwith us for expertise, value creation, speed, and agility.
We look forward to hearing about your business initiatives.

For more information:

private wireless solutions with edge computing andDiscover the value of your business and technology

machine learning in complex industrial environments. We

potential. Chat with a Kyndryl expert for a 30-minute

have worked to securely connect remote workers to drive

strategy session at no cost. Learn more about how

safety, productivity, and efficiency.

to digitize and modernize operations at Kyndryl
Manufacturing. Or visit kyndryl.com

Security is paramount to protect operations technology(OT) environments. Private wireless combines the securityof cellular technology without sending your data acrossa public network. You determine which devices cancommunicate on your private network and apply yoursegmentation policies for enhanced security. This gives
you a high degree of control without the headaches ofmanaging carrier data plans.

Authors:
Thomas Henwood, Kyndryl Client Technical Leader,
US Manufacturing, Communications & Energy
Brian Powers, Kyndryl Data and AI Industry Lead,
US Manufacturing, Communications & Energy

Examples of technology appliedin use case•Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (NDAC) Private
Wireless solution•

CBRS compatible iPhone with wi-fi hotspot•

FaceTime•

Push-to-Talk•

Ruggedized tablet•

RealWear headset•

Microsoft Teams•

Data analytics•

Machine learning•

Edge computing•IoT wearable sensors© Copyright Kyndryl Inc. 2023
Kyndryl is a trademark or registered trademark of Kyndryl Inc. in theUnited States and/or other countries. Other product and service
names may be trademarks of Kyndryl Inc. or other companies.
Microsoft, Microsoft Teams, Windows, Windows 365, Windows NT,
and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in theUnited States, other countries, or both.
This document is current as of the initial date of publication and may
be changed by Kyndryl at any time without notice. Not all offerings areavailable in every country in which Kyndryl operates. Kyndryl products
and services are warranted according to the terms and conditions of
the agreements under which they are provided.
The performance data and client examples cited are presented
for illustrative purposes only. Actual performance results may varydepending on specific configurations and operating conditions.