Manufacturing Automation: What Processes You Should Automate in 2020 to Get More Efficiency

The modern world is bombarded with the flow of advanced technologies. Cloud and quantum computing, Internet of Things, AI, 3D printing, and a plethora of other technologies ushered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution quickly change the usual way we perceive high technology and promise unfathomable horizons of opportunities. 

The field of manufacturing is the domain affected by innovation perhaps to the greatest degree. Its contemporary stage known as Industry 4.0 is experiencing a boom with the total market expected to hit the astounding $4 trillion this very year. 

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One of its symptomatic features is the widespread application of manufacturing automation solutions.

What Is Manufacturing Automation? 

Although being currently a trendy catchphrase, manufacturing automation systems are not a brand-new notion. In fact, they started to appear 50 odd years ago and drastically streamlined processing, assembling, material handling, and other numerous industrial operations. Robots and cobots have become the “great facilitators of life”, helping easily handle both daily routine tasks and complex assignments without making a human user move a finger. Automation and robotization are considered revolutionary in modern industries exactly because they make the concept of “effortless work” quite real.  

The Age of Process Automation Is Here for Manufacturing

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to claim that 90% of all labor activities and two-thirds of industry-related tasks can be automated. By upgrading older systems and introducing manufacturing automation companies will harvest significant benefits.

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• Labor productivity enhancement. Robots are more efficient than humans so the reduction of manual work spells greater productivity.

• Cost curtailment. Since fewer humans are involved, the salary expenditures decrease significantly.

• Product quality improvement. Automation drastically lessens the number of errors and defects. Process optimization in manufacturing presupposes intensified consistency and uniformity, thus contributing to the quality of the end products.

• Safety considerations. Machines can be applied in environments that are hazardous for humans and grant access to virtually inaccessible areas (for instance, under water, in space, etc.). 

• Lead time minimization. Leveraging software for material requirements planning (MRP) as well as for supply chain automation allows reducing the time between a customer’s order and the finished product delivery. 

• Monotonous operation elimination. When repetitive boring tasks are relegated to robots, employees are relieved to pursue creative activities or train to receive high-profile jobs that are so far beyond the machines' qualifications to perform.

The following processes will get an exponential boost when automated: research and development, procurement, sales and order processing, logistics and distribution, customer service, production, and operations. 

Manufacturing Processes Should be Automated

However attractive industrial automation might seem, it is important to realize that the introduction of manufacturing optimization via automation doesn’t conform to any universal pattern since the variety of shop floor tasks and situations allow the diverse scale of automation. 

Software for Manufacturing Industry: An Initiation

While introducing certain kinds of business process automation tools into your company’s procedures, it is expedient to start your journey into the realm of digitalization in small steps. And the simplest of them is implementing manufacturing workflow software. It will ensure streamlining basic paperwork operations (contract signatures, drawings, design sheets) and prepare your staff for more elaborate tools. 

The next step is the automation of the supply chain. It involves relations with suppliers and ordering of goods and services at greater operation speed, which will eventually tell positively on revenues. MRP software is what makes such automation possible. What is MRP system? It is a tool used to ensure the company has all the materials necessary to manufacture the products and finished items for delivery to consumers. 

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An alternative to this tool is ERP (enterprise resource planning) that has additional perks, including project and risk management. Both platforms have their advantages and shortcomings so before making an MRP vs ERP choice you should be aware not only of their capabilities but of your needs as well.

Eventually, you will ripen for PLM, which stands for product lifecycle management software – state-of-the-art technology that enables to control product manufacturing through all stages. 

Another important choice for you to make in business process automation is the one between ready-made software and customized solutions.

Custom Development vs Ready Solutions in Automation Systems

Although ready-made manufacturing software can be used outright after its acquisition and it is cheaper, opting for it seems a penny-wise but long-term expensive decision. For once, its updates are limited and any new feature is to be paid for. Secondly, you will have to reconsider your regular business processes, which is time- and effort-consuming and involves additional expenditures. Thirdly, there is no guarantee the ready-made solutions will work perfectly in your particular case.

If you have software tailored to your needs, it will be in full correspondence with the unique requirements, security regulations, and business policies of your company. Moreover, its functionality can always be expanded if the necessity arises. Plus, your employees won't have to undergo costly training before they can use it.  

Conclusion

Introducing manufacturing automation is a necessary prerequisite for Industry 4.0 businesses. By relegating complicated or repetitive tasks to computers you will boost the motivation of your personnel and curtail your company’s expenses.