Why Technology Alone Does Not Change the Way We Work

Without a shift in working culture, even the most powerful technology risks being underused or sidelined. The challenge is not only technical but also deeply human. 

Information is Power, But Especially When It’s Shared

Take the example of a knowledge-sharing platform. It can be rolled out successfully, with full integration and training, yet remain empty if people feel uncertain about what can be shared in the new situation, or if information ownership is still perceived as a source of professional power. In many companies, long-standing habits mean that individuals can decide what knowledge is passed on, when, and to whom. Unless the culture encourages transparency and recognises the value of shared insight, the information might remain in silos, and the new system might add little to actual performance. 

When a Safety Training is Too Fun to Change

Safety training is another case where culture sets the boundaries of change. Walking the shop floor can be familiar and even enjoyable, both for trainers and participants. It breaks the routine of the office day. No wonder people might hesitate when asked to replace “fun part” of the training with virtual environments.  

However, cultural change does not mean taking the good parts away. The visit to the factory production floor can remain as a valuable feet-on-deck experience. What can be improved is the preparation: imagine entering the site after first rehearsing it in a photorealistic 3D model. The field visit becomes safer, learning is faster, and the sense of place is clearer from the start. 

Don’t Discard Valuable Experience   

Many industrial veterans know equipment in a way that manuals and diagrams never capture. They understand how a machine “really” works, with subtleties acquired over decades. When a digital twin shows the machine’s location, parts, and sensor data in real time, does this hard-won expertise lose its relevance? In practice, it does not. The veteran’s insight becomes more powerful when connected to shared data. The culture of work needs to shift so that experience is not hidden but amplified through digital models, making tacit knowledge visible to others. 

Resistance Is Often Unintentional

It is important to recognise that rejecting new practices is rarely deliberate sabotage, or just saying no to the change on a principle, or even someone acknowledging that they might lose some unintentionally acquired power on the shift.  

More often the rejection comes simply from the natural slowness of cultural change. Any new way of working feels difficult at first, even if it is welcomed. Learning takes time, motivation is uneven, and the wider purpose may not be clear. Sometimes established figures in the workplace shape habits by deciding, subtly, which tools are “worth using”. All of this shows that cultural adaptation needs as much attention – work, time, decisions and sometimes money – as the tools themselves. 

What Industry Leaders Do Differently

The issues of change are not new but have been studied for decades across industries. Typically, the companies that stand at the front line of adopting new technologies are also those that identify the cultural obstacles early. They prepare by removing barriers, setting expectations, and supporting behavioural change. In these organisations, digitalisation is not just a project but a transformation in the way people see their roles, share their expertise, and approach safety and responsibility. 

How SolidComp Supports Change

Here at SolidComp we understand that a digital twin or any advanced visual tool delivers its full value only when people truly make it part of their daily work. Of course nothing is worth using just for the sake of use, but what matters is that the new tools elevate the smaller and larger tasks that lead to successful fulfilment of one’s objectives. 

Our expert services include supporting not only the technical implementation but also the cultural change that follows. We can share use case examples where Reality Twin can be applied in change projects, in competitive tendering through shared visual data, and in safety training with virtual environments. Our customer is never alone when it comes to implementing new asset management tools in the way they operate.  

Recognise Value and Take Ownership of Your Work Culture

Developing your business to succeed with new digital tools is necessary, but by itself not sufficient. Changes must be accompanied by a culture that accepts new ways of working, values openness, and trusts that expertise is strengthened rather than threatened by technology. 

Changing the work culture does not require grand programmes. Success comes with people inside the organisation who see the value, take ownership, and guide colleagues forward. When culture and technology progress together, industrial operations achieve genuine transformation. 

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