The deal was massive. The kind salespeople dream of.
Multiple plants. 100s of machines. An IT-savvy CXO team, flush with funds and bullish about scaling operations 10x. Their #1 priority? Track every machine and every operator in real time. They moved real fast : back-to-back presentations, multiple visits to HQ, two highly successful proof-of-value trials, and tough negotiations. Within 4 weeks, we bagged an initial order worth nearly ₹1 crore. Another ₹6 crores was promised if all went well.

Implementation was handed to their IT team.

That is when the sh*t hit the fan. The shop floor crew resisted. Shop managers were always “too busy” for this project. Maintenance staff refused to share basic information. Supervisors were suspicious of the management’s intention. Operators looked like they were not interested. Even simple data—parts count—would not match, downtimes were not booked or were booked with wrong reasons, and there were frequent hardware shutdowns and network errors. Requests for tech support increased initially on WhatsApp, then long emails followed by angry calls.

In 18 months, we made 63 visits. We gave up. And then, we pulled out. Respectfully, but painfully. The dream deal had turned into a nightmare. What started as a high-value marquee project ended in quiet withdrawal.

What went wrong? Why did our system fail so miserably when it was working beautifully elsewhere? Our post-mortem report:

– The top brass wanted transparency, and instant results
– The IT team reluctant to leave their AC offices
– Middle managers feared exposure, and tough questions
– Supervisors feared upsetting cosy equation with operators
– Operators felt they were being policed, losing their freedom

Clearly, there was no alignment between the top floor and the shop floor. Prevailing work culture prevented free and fair conversations at all levels. Fear of management was the key driver in the organization.

In hindsight, all it needed was some in-house education. A shared purpose that answered “What’s in it for me?” for every person on that shop floor. Had the top brass taken time to explain the ‘why’—what the system could do ‘for’ each stakeholder, not ‘to’ them—it might have worked.

No trust. No success.
Without trust, even the smartest tech will fail.

Culture always eats system for breakfast.
We learned that the hard way.