The purpose of this article is to discuss technology trends for Wisconsin’s biggest companies. This article highlights how several companies in Wisconsin, including Northwestern Mutual, Kohl’s, ManpowerGroup, Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, Oshkosh Corporation, Rockwell Automation, Associated Banc-Corp, Briggs & Stratton, and Generac Holdings, have embraced technology and innovation in various aspects of their operations. From financial services to retail, manufacturing, and IT services, these companies have leveraged artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data analytics, managed services, and other innovative solutions to drive efficiency, improve customer experiences, and gain a competitive edge in their respective industries.
Northwestern Mutual Embraces Artificial Intelligence
Northwestern Mutual: Headquartered in Milwaukee, Northwestern Mutual is a financial services company that provides life insurance, annuity, investment, and banking products.
Northwestern Mutual has adopted the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance its business operations. The company is leveraging AI and ML to improve customer experience, streamline underwriting processes, and optimize its investment portfolio management. Northwestern Mutual has implemented a chatbot that assists customers in navigating its website and has trained it to answer frequently asked questions.
Additionally, the company has employed AI and ML algorithms to enhance its underwriting processes and identify potential risk factors. The algorithms analyze vast amounts of data, enabling the company to make informed decisions in a shorter time frame. Furthermore, Northwestern Mutual has developed an investment management platform that leverages AI and ML to optimize its investment portfolio management by analyzing various economic factors and making investment recommendations. Some of the benefits received have included enhanced customer experience, operational efficiency, and cost savings.
Kohl’s Leverages Big Data for Better Business Decisions
Kohl’s, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin is a retail chain that operates over 1,100 department stores across the United States.
Kohl’s is leveraging data science to make better business decisions. Kohl’s has been using data analytics for over a decade, but in recent years it has ramped up its efforts by hiring more data scientists and investing in technology infrastructure. According to CIO.com, The company uses machine learning algorithms to personalize marketing campaigns, optimize inventory levels, and improve pricing strategies.
One example of how Kohl’s uses data science is by analyzing customers’ online browsing and purchase histories to offer personalized product recommendations. This approach has resulted in higher conversion rates and increased customer loyalty. Another example is Kohl’s use of predictive analytics to optimize inventory levels and minimize overstocking, which has led to reduced costs and improved margins.
Kohl’s also uses data science to inform pricing decisions by analyzing market trends, competitor prices, and customer demand. This has helped the company to stay competitive and offer promotions and discounts that resonate with its customers.
Overall, Kohl’s data science initiatives have resulted in improved business performance, increased sales, and enhanced customer experiences. The company sees data science as a critical component of its strategy moving forward and plans to continue investing in this area to maintain its competitive edge.
ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has demonstrated innovation in its workforce solutions by leveraging technology. Through the utilization of AI, machine learning algorithms, and digital platforms, the company aims to efficiently match job seekers with suitable roles. Additionally, their focus on talent assessment, data analytics for labor market trends, and predictive analysis assists in providing strategic guidance to clients. Investing in remote work tools, enhancing candidate experiences with user-friendly interfaces, and emphasizing skills development through digital platforms are some ways ManpowerGroup has embraced technology to evolve its workforce solutions. While also engaging in partnerships and potential acquisitions with tech-driven entities, ManpowerGroup remains committed to utilizing technology to adapt to the changing employment landscape and deliver innovative services.
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was facing challenges in reaching their niche market through traditional advertising. President Asaf Jacobi sought a digital solution and discovered Adgorithms’ AI platform, “Albert.” By integrating various data sources, Albert creates lookalike customer profiles and swiftly learns customer behaviors, leading to quick, dramatic results. Utilizing Albert for all digital campaigns—paid search, display, email, and social media—Harley-Davidson saw remarkable success, with 40% of motorcycle sales credited to Albert. Metrics after three months showed a significant increase in website visits, leads, and the hiring of a sales team and call center to manage the influx of potential customers. Jacobi praised Albert’s effectiveness as an all-in-one solution, intending to streamline marketing technologies rather than expand them. Read the full case study here.
Johnson Controls
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Johnson Controls is a multinational conglomerate that produces a range of automotive parts, building systems, and HVAC equipment.
Technology is revolutionizing industries, including building operations through IP-enabled Building Automation Systems (BAS). These systems ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for occupants by managing various behind-the-scenes activities in buildings. However, many BAS projects face challenges in balancing budgets and reliability due to network topology issues. Traditional options like star and daisy chain configurations are either costly or lack network resiliency.
Enter ring topology, which offers a balanced solution by connecting devices in a circular pattern, providing redundancy without excessive wiring or costs. Recent innovations from Cisco and Johnson Controls now enable the use of ring topology in the Metasys Building Automation System. This advancement allows for a circular data path using the Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP), reducing port requirements and enhancing security. The flexibility of the system supports various network topologies and integrates seamlessly with existing IT systems. This development ensures a reliable, cost-effective, and secure IP-based network, ready to leverage current and future building technologies.
Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation: Based in Oshkosh, Oshkosh Corporation is a manufacturer of specialty vehicles and vehicle bodies for defense, emergency services, and commercial purposes.
Oshkosh Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of specialty vehicles, faced challenges with disparate service desks and disconnected IT tools due to its 15 strategic acquisitions since 1996. Greg Thoreson, Business Architect at Oshkosh, highlighted the lack of consistency and end-to-end visibility, leading to high upgrade costs for each individual tool. The corporation decided to adopt ServiceNow, aiming to unify service delivery across various departments and replace legacy tools comprehensively. This aggressive approach resulted in significant cost savings of $3 million and operational efficiency improvements post-implementation.
The transition to ServiceNow involved a fundamental shift in delivery capabilities, emphasizing business process improvements over technological aspects. The platform overhaul resulted in saving 8,000 work hours through enhanced business processes, eliminating 36,000 unnecessary approvals, and streamlining employee onboarding and offboarding. Additionally, ServiceNow increased visibility, exceeding service level targets, and significantly enhancing IT’s customer satisfaction rating by 6%. Oshkosh plans to expand ServiceNow beyond IT to include facilities and human resources for a unified enterprise destination benefiting employee support services. You can read the full case study here.
Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation: Headquartered in Milwaukee, Rockwell Automation is a leading provider of industrial automation and information solutions.
Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) have been allies for over a decade, recognizing the convergence of IT and OT fields in digital transformation. The partnership aims to tackle challenges like network silos, cybersecurity threats, skills gaps, and data abundance. Rockwell Automation now integrates Cisco’s Cyber Vision into its LifecycleIQ Services portfolio for threat detection, offering visibility into industrial control systems and securing infrastructures. This collaboration addresses security concerns in the integration of IT, cloud, and industrial networks, assisting customers with existing or updated Cisco infrastructure. Angela Rapko, from Rockwell Automation, highlights the partnership’s potential to enhance cybersecurity and ecosystem integration. Cisco’s Vikas Butaney emphasizes the Cyber Vision’s role in embedding cybersecurity in industrial networks for scalable and secure operations.
The incorporation of Cyber Vision into Rockwell Automation’s threat detection portfolio showcases the alliance’s commitment to fortify industrial cybersecurity. This joint effort builds upon previous initiatives such as Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) Architectures and Allen‑Bradley Stratix managed switches, providing scalable and secure industrial network solutions. To delve deeper into this expanded collaboration and the significance of visibility in industrial cybersecurity, an upcoming webinar on May 11, 2021, offers more insights. Read the original news story here.
Associated Banc-Corp
Associated Banc-Corp: Based in Green Bay, Associated Banc-Corp is a bank holding company that provides a range of financial services, including banking, wealth management, and insurance.
Associated Bank, N.A. has teamed up with Digital Bridge, a local non-profit focused on refurbishing and distributing technology to communities in need. This collaboration aims to address the digital divide by providing refurbished technology in Milwaukee, Green Bay, Chicago, Dane County, Racine, and Rochester. Through this initiative, the bank supports Digital Bridge’s mission of digital inclusion, offering affordable technology and digital literacy workshops to vulnerable populations to enhance connectivity. Associated Bank collected and donated over 273 laptops from various bank locations and lines of business. The largest donation, comprising 90 laptops, was directed to Milwaukee Succeeds and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, facilitating digital learning for students and providing work-friendly devices for professionals.
LaDonna Reed, Associated Bank’s director of community accountability, highlighted this initiative as part of their commitment to bridging the digital gap and investing in local communities, aligning with their new Community Commitment Plan (CCP). The CCP emphasizes aiding low-to-moderate income communities and supporting small businesses across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, marking a 40% increase in lending and investment efforts compared to the previous plan from 2018-20. You can read the full story here.
Briggs & Stratton
Briggs & Stratton: Headquartered in Wauwatosa, Briggs & Stratton is a manufacturer of small engines, outdoor power equipment, and lawn care products.
Briggs & Stratton’s IT director, Norm Mackensen, highlights the familiar challenge faced by IT teams: the constant struggle to manage daily technology operations while trying to drive strategic innovation. Before leveraging managed services from CDW, only 20% of their IT time was dedicated to business advancement, with the rest consumed by routine maintenance and system upkeep. This scenario changed when the company partnered with CDW Managed Services, offloading routine IT tasks and allowing their internal team to focus more on strategic initiatives.
Seven years ago, Briggs & Stratton faced a pivotal moment, aiming to extract more value from IT while a significant portion of their technology team approached retirement. External advice suggested outsourcing non-core IT functions, leading them to engage CDW Managed Services for overseeing various infrastructure elements. As a result, critical systems now run more efficiently, allowing the internal IT team to shift to a more strategic role, contributing more significantly to the company’s success.
Briggs & Stratton’s decision to collaborate with CDW as a managed services provider stemmed from their successful past engagements. CDW’s extensive involvement in various infrastructure aspects, from building data centers to managing web environments, demonstrated reliability and expertise, providing a dependable partnership. Before this transition, the internal IT team faced challenges due to limited resources and specialization in specific areas, leaving them vulnerable during times of absence or technical issues. However, since partnering with CDW Managed Services, those concerns have vanished, providing consistent support and expertise for maintaining services and resolving issues promptly.
Generac Holdings
Generac Holdings: Based in Waukesha, Generac Holdings is a manufacturer of power generation and energy storage systems for residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
Generac, a $4.5-billion-dollar energy management company, boasts a lobby with an 85-inch screen showcasing their latest innovation, PowerINSIGHTS. This interactive platform illuminates North America’s map with glowing orange dots and key metrics, offering insights into energy landscapes. CIO Tim Dickson highlights its impact, drawing employees’ attention and encouraging ideas for improvement. PowerINSIGHTS emerges as a game-changer in managing power grids, addressing the complexities of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as solar, EVs, and Generac generators.
PowerINSIGHTS, initially born from a hackathon led by Tim shortly after becoming CIO, wasn’t a preplanned corporate project. It’s a testament to Tim’s belief that innovation doesn’t require waiting for mastered IT fundamentals. His advice centers on using available resources, harnessing team talent, and taking tangible steps to drive innovation. Tim’s successful hackathon yielded unexpected employee creativity and spurred the establishment of a COE to nurture ongoing innovation.
Generac’s journey with PowerINSIGHTS teaches that innovation doesn’t need perfect talent or exhaustive plans from the start. Tim urges CIOs to act, create, and embrace change, emphasizing that actions speak louder than words. The team’s initial rough innovation led to real transformation, including a shift to cloud infrastructure and a fundamental change in the company’s technological landscape. Embracing ongoing innovation can inspire teams, discover new opportunities, and earn respect from peers. You can read the full story here.
Conclusion
The case studies of these Wisconsin-based companies showcase their commitment to embracing technology-driven solutions for enhancing business operations. By adopting AI, ML, data analytics, and managed services, these companies have experienced improved customer engagement, streamlined operations, cost savings, and better decision-making capabilities. The initiatives undertaken by these organizations illustrate the transformative power of technology and innovation in modern business strategies, emphasizing the importance of staying agile, leveraging available resources, and fostering a culture of continuous innovation to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.