Key Benefits of Automation in Manufacturing
In today’s turbulent atmosphere riddled with supply chain issues, labor shortages, and rising manufacturing costs, the manufacturing industry is turning its attention to the implementation of automation as an effective and viable solution. Material handling solution systems consisting of AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), and innovative integration software are in high demand. Automation is key to addressing many of the challenges faced in today’s manufacturing industry.
How Can Automation Benefit My Company?
An excellent question! I am glad you asked.
There are many key benefits to automation in the manufacturing and warehousing industry. They include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Streamlining Workflow
- Increased Quality of Products
- Increased Productivity
- Increased Efficiency
- Increased Competitiveness
- Reduction in Costly Errors
- Reduced labor cost
- Reduction in lead times
- Increased reliability and availability
- Significant Cost Savings
- Improved ROI (Return on Investment)
With automation workflow can be streamlined allowing for an increase in quality of products, quantity of products, and a reduction in errors that can prove costly to the company. An improvement in productivity and efficiency can result in a reduction in lead times, assisting in addressing supply chain issues.
Automation will allow more companies to rise and compete in the marketplace. Supply chain issues can be crippling when the number of companies able to provide a product or a part are severely limited and a labor shortage is in effect. Longer lead times are an inevitable consequence which can bring the supply chain to a screeching halt. Companies, workers, and customers suffer as a result.
Automation allows more companies to enter the market place, competition to flourish, and a greater pool of suppliers to assist in circumventing supply chain issues. It addresses the problem of labor shortage as well.
Here’s the thing…implementing automated material handling solutions into manufacturing and warehousing facilities doesn’t just benefit businesses. Workers can benefit from the implementation of automation as well.
How Does Automation Benefit Workers?
Another excellent question! Let’s delve into this idea a bit more, shall we?
Mundane, repetitive, and dangerous tasks can be assigned to robots. This frees up the worker to focus on higher end tasks. Robots can take on the tasks of executing jobs that pose a considerable risk of injury to human workers. Increasing safety and quality of life in the workplace is a huge plus to automation.
An increase in productivity and efficiency often leads to higher profits. Higher profits allow companies to grow. In growth, higher end jobs open up for more workers to fulfill. In decreasing labor costs for mundane tasks, it opens up the potential for businesses to place more time, attention, and resources into training and promoting workers to higher skilled, higher wage positions. It’s a win-win for businesses and workers. So in short, the following lists a few benefits automating manufacturing facilities and warehouses provides to workers:
- Improved safety and quality of life
- Time freed up for higher end tasks
- Ability to focus on higher end skill sets with potential for promotion to higher wage positions.
- Increased productivity
- Increased morale
In the case of labor shortage, the workers that are employed are under undue stress. The excessive pressure can lead to a breakdown in communication, productivity, and efficiency. This in turn affects the quality of work and products.
Let’s be honest…robots are in no position to take over the world. Rather, we need to come to terms with the fact that they are very important, highly valuable tools that can propel us into a better future. Change can be scary, but it can also be extremely rewarding and beneficial to our overall well-being.
Automation is key in overcoming many of the obstacles faced in the manufacturing and warehousing industry. The implementation of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 are shining examples of how we can improve the success of both businesses and workers. It is a choice that, if executed properly, has the ability to change our lives and our world for the better.
Sources:
https://thebusinessjournal.com/local-manufacturers-embrace-the-benefits-of-automation/
By Stacey Foxworthy