An advisory committee at the Manufacturing Automation and Robotics Summit 2019, discussed typical topics associated with automation installations and how companies can master them.
UK manufacturing companies are forced to adapt to the confluence of major trends in labor supply, consolidation of the supply chain and optimization of the balance between quality and cost, a circumstance in which automation industrial plays a fundamental role.
The summit was held at Birmingham’s Aston Villa football club and was chaired by Duncan McFarlane, professor of business information engineering at the University of Cambridge Institute of Manufacturing. Where the expert group commented on three important issues
- What are the most important impediments to employee participation? This group was made up of:
Tata Steel’s Kevin White is the Process Control and Automation Manager. He commented
The reason why transparency and employee engagement from the start of any automation initiative is critical (is hearsay). Managers and team leaders must articulate exactly what they want the company, and its people, to achieve and explain how automation will help them achieve their proposed goals.
Joan Stewart Director of Operations for Hotter Shoes. She commented
Make it easier for employees to embrace automation, rather than fight it, and realize that sometimes it’s the operators who have the important insights, so incorporate them into the decision-making approach and leverage their valuable insights. That increases the chances of hitting the system integration.
Jeremy Hadall. Chief Engineer of the Manufacturing Technology Center for Intelligent Automation (MTC). He commented
Rather than simply cutting down the labor force, he sold the technology as a profit. Automation is a tool, one of many in a toolbox, that helps increase an employee’s value in a company, a tool that helps them improve their skills and credentials and, as a result, their wages and job happiness.
- Do the latest technological advancements require a new set of skills and do those talents exist now?
Kevin White. He commented: There is a significant disconnect between the use of consumer technology and the sometimes difficult nature of industrial automation. To replicate the experiences that users have in their personal lives in their work environments, we need to replicate the experiences that users have in their personal lives.
Joan Stewart. She commented: Planning for the future is essential. If you know that your company will integrate technology or an automated system, send your employees to trainings or schedule them to visit organizations that have done it before, so that the decision to invest can be evaluated.
Jeremy Hadall. He commented: The UK engineering shortage often indicates a lack of digital and automation engineers in particular. Young people have a wealth of digital skills that they learned through practice. Could we redesign our automation systems and user interfaces so that they do not require formal training, but are intuitive enough that users can successfully learn to use them on their own?
- What operations should organizations prioritize in terms of industrial automation?
Kevin White. He commented: You must have a deep understanding of your organization and establish what you want to achieve or exceed. After that, determine the payback you need to see – whether it’s monetary, more productivity, less risk, or higher quality standards – and see which technologies suit those needs.
Joan Stewart. He commented: There are some companies that often fail to have a clear vision as they are so focused on the process that they cannot step back and take a broader look, which is necessary.
Jeremy Hadall. He commented: Make sure you invest appropriately by asking “why as many times as it takes to find out what you really need. Don’t automate a procedure until you are sure of its need and benefits and don’t get carried away by the allure of a new tool.
Automation and robotics represent a significant capital investment and benefit that must be analyzed before acquiring it.
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