Adrian Stelmach is the founder and CEO of EXPLITIA.gettyWe live in a world dominated by technology. We use it at almost every turn, and the sheer number of solutions available can be overwhelming. So, how do you choose the best and most cost-effective options for your production from among thousands of possibilities?​Start With An Assessment, Not ImplementationThe best technology isn’t always the one everyone’s talking about. For it to truly deliver optimization, profits and a competitive advantage, you should start by answering some fundamental questions:• What challenges does our production face?• How can we solve them?• Where do we see waste that’s worth eliminating?It’s always a good idea to start the process with workshops, audits and gathering feedback from people closely involved in the processes. Only after you have a comprehensive diagnosis of the problem and reliable data should you move on to selecting a solution. The implemented technology must address specific needs. Otherwise, it will remain just another interesting gadget that doesn’t really change much.​Change Management: A Key Factor In Avoiding ResistanceEvery change, including technological, raises a number of questions and concerns. Employees often fear change; they worry that a system might replace them or that they won't know how to use it. That’s why you should always begin change management well before the actual implementation.People should be involved in the process, allowed to ask questions and have their concerns addressed. Highlight the clear benefits, not only from the company perspective but, above all, from the employee’s perspective—how the change will make their work easier, lighten their workload and allow them to work differently and more effectively. Training sessions can help with understanding the technology and preparing to use it before it reaches the shop floor. This approach effectively minimizes resistance, which often turns out to be the biggest obstacle to implementation.​Keep ROI In MindEvery successful implementation should yield a tangible return on investment. Sometimes, even marginal annual gains can transform the entire production process and result in big savings.Before implementation, it’s worth estimating what return a given technology should bring you and how long it will take to materialize. Many technologies, despite high initial costs, can effectively pay for themselves in less than two years. To test implementation hypotheses before a full-scale rollout in the factory, it’s a good idea to start each process with a pilot program. This approach not only allows for easy scaling but also minimizes initial costs and makes it easier to refine and adapt the solution to your factory’s specific conditions.​Which Technologies Deliver Quick Returns On Investment?​Automated ReportingAt one manufacturing plant we worked with, operators spent 15 minutes of their time after each shift filling out paper reports. At first glance, that doesn’t seem like much. However, with 50 employees working in shifts, it turns out that the annual cost of this practice amounted to approximately 150,000 euros per year.The introduction of a simple automated reporting system, which collected data directly from the machines and replaced paper forms with digital ones, minimized the time spent on these tasks, ultimately delivering an ROI in nine months.Energy Consumption MonitoringThere’s no denying that utility costs can be enormous these days. One of my clients had about 200 machines in their factory that would sometimes run "dry." In short, they were consuming energy even when no production was taking place.The machines were equipped with meters, an EMS was implemented and reports showing energy consumption per specific machine were generated. This made it possible to effectively identify the machines that were consuming energy without producing anything and then automatically shut them down in such cases. As a result, energy costs were reduced by as much as 12%, with an ROI achieved in 13 months.​Predictive MaintenanceAt another facility we audited, there were approximately 100 critical pumps in operation. A failure of just one of them and the resulting unplanned downtime were estimated to cause a loss of approximately 19,000 euros.In this case, vibration sensors and a PDM system were implemented. They detected abnormal operating patterns, and alerts were sent directly to the maintenance department long before a failure occurred. To recoup the investment, it was enough to prevent just one incident—in such cases, the ROI typically occurs in less than a year.OEE System And Downtime MonitoringIn many factories, machines don't experience a single dominant type of downtime. Instead, they exhibit dozens of short disruptions, material shortages, jams and safety zone intrusions.Implementing an OEE system allows for the collection of real-time data on the causes of such micro-downtimes and their duration. This enables identifying recurring losses and eliminating them through process or technical improvements. The ROI depends on the scale of the operation, but it's typically achieved much sooner than the assumed two years.​Digital Improvement ReportingThis is a less obvious way to achieve significant savings. We implemented a system that supports employees in reporting everyday, minor issues, as well as ideas for improving the work environment. Insights from people who are close to these processes and interact with them daily can bring tremendous value to your factory’s operations. Many of these changes can be implemented quickly, which can result in substantial annual savings. The upfront cost of such a solution is relatively low; however, the ROI is harder to quantify, as it will depend on the actions taken and their results.​ConclusionTechnology that delivers real improvements and quick ROI doesn’t always have to be very complicated. Often, simply eliminating minor sources of waste can yield measurable results. However, we must first properly identify these inefficiencies, collect data and only then select the technology that will help us minimize or completely eliminate them. Throughout the entire process, it’s also important not to forget about the human factor and proper change management in order to get the most out of the entire process.Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?