Important Considerations for Best Results on Factory and Process Automation
Demands of the Digital Age
The rapidly evolving industrial landscape demands high standards of efficiency, precision, and cost-effectiveness. In such a setting, factory, and process automation lend a helping hand to businesses seeking to stay ahead of the curve. However, traversing the path toward successful automation requires a strong understanding of automation concepts and essential considerations for a beneficial implementation.
Establish automation goals
Rather than embracing automation just going behind the crowd, define a clear vision with desired outcomes. For instance, increased output, consistent quality, reduced human intervention, lowered maintenance costs, etc. Cast a vision before investing in maintenance management software. The same applies to a CRM Software, low code workflow automation solution, or any other digital solution.
Automation: Compatibility Concerns & Adoption
Automation is not a lone software solution. It must work harmoniously with existing systems and processes for greater synergy.
Appreciate and encourage human-machine collaboration. Please understand that automation reduces the degree of human intervention but is not a substitute for skilled labor. Invest in upskilling and reskilling your workforce, in line with the data analytics of automation solutions, to maximize its potential and for continuous improvement. Be in tune with the constantly evolving automation landscape.
Evaluate automation results
Go through the software licensing agreement in detail. Plan training right from the trial version usage stage. Evaluate the effectiveness of current maintenance operations by comparing them against the results using your upcoming cloud-based digital solution. Come up with a Failure Mode Effective Analysis(FMEA) document. While factoring in Voice of Customer (VOC), Voice of Business (VOB), and production requirements, consider broader benefits such as safe, secure, and comfortable workplaces and the least environmental impact by tapping into trending IoT solutions.
Record savings categorically
Calculate labor cost using past utilization data over a period and compare it against reduced costs using digital tools to optimize staffing levels. Record utility savings, spare savings, maintenance cost savings, downtime-related savings, etc. Develop a comprehensive ROI model incorporating all costs, savings, and projected payback period. Such a tabulation is essential to embark on a successful journey towards automation.
Automation in line with production requirements
In today’s fierce business competition, embracing automation is no longer optional. It’s crucial for successful business outcomes. Any system is as good as the person using it. Automation is no exception to the above wise quote. For an automation investment that pays rich dividends, you need to harness its true potential. Understand production requirements clearly after involving cross-functional teams for a holistic view.
Besides maintenance automation, you may contemplate purchasing new machinery to replace manual tasks as a part of production automation. In such a case, redesign the layout to accommodate new physical infrastructure, power grid, and data networks. Evaluate the impact of automation on service expenses, procurement expenses, capital expenditure, and risk mitigation.
The cultural shift for continuous improvement
Automation necessitates a cultural shift from individual skills to collaborative problem-solving between humans and machines. Hence, invest time and money in training and communication to ensure smooth transitions. Choose an automation system with future growth in mind. Choose add-on modules that can adapt to changing production needs.
Establish a culture of continuous improvement by monitoring data, asset location, maintenance progress, the dynamic workload of each service engineer, etc., in real-time.
Return on Investment
Finally, calculate ROI (Return on Investment), the golden metric. Include energy expenses, procurement costs, labor costs, spare costs, and the expected time to recover your investment. In addition to these core elements, consider investing in IoT-based hardware that integrates seamlessly with your existing infrastructure. Choose automation systems that require minimum upskilling of your team. Unlock the hidden potential of automation with a commitment to continuous learning, arriving at data-driven decisions for the winning edge in business.
