Automate your factory - Do’s, Don’ts and Expert advice

30-03-2022 370

How to automate attracting and retaining high-quality employees, keep them safe inside and out of the workforce, ensure endpoint security, and more.

Mục lục
How to automate attracting and retaining high-quality employees, keep them safe inside and out of the workforce, ensure endpoint security, and more. Today's businesses look for machines that impact their corporate bottom line beyond costs, including workforce stability and employee retention.

Sales discussions with prospects typically focus on three areas. First, how can they compete with foreign markets by reducing labor costs or the number of employees, saving money through their supply chain. Second, whether industrial robots will outperform the productivity of employees who need to rest and work in much shorter day cycles. Third, whether robotic systems will show significant improvements in increasing security and safety in the workplace.
 

As the industrial internet of things (IIoT) evolves into a certain business need, buyers become more interested in the capabilities of robots and their secure infrastructure. The growing sophistication of these robotic systems means that buyers need more support in their decision making. That's especially so as the COVID-19 pandemic spurs demand for fully autonomous robots that can take on certain jobs.

Over time, ROI analysis shifted from focusing on quantifiable machines and maintenance costs to looking at qualitative aspects of robotic systems, such as a higher level of skill required in implementation and maintenance. maintain IT processes. It is no longer sufficient to justify nominal machinery costs. Customers now need to set aside substantial sums of money for all elements of this information system - cost, maintenance and operations categories - before they consider investing in automation. .

There are times when robot prices are mostly focused on difficult operations and maintenance costs. Now, it becomes less straightforward, moving to intangible costs and benefits. These include how to attract and retain high-quality employees, how to keep employees safe in and out of the workforce, how to ensure endpoint security, especially when migrating remote workplaces, how to prepare for and anticipate crises, and how to maintain strict robot compliance with COVID-19 social distancing regulations.

Tangible variable costs include labor, energy, materials, ongoing maintenance, and manufacturing supplies. Intangible costs include training and management costs as well as ergonomic issues and questions about employee health and safety. The tangible benefits are increased efficiency, elimination of redundancies and reduced labor costs, among others. Intangible benefits include improved communication, reduced work-in-process inventory by combining operations, and increased safety and employee retention.

With the arrival of the pandemic, other indicators potential clients are typically looking at include how to inspire and encourage employees to work from their homes and, if working from home, how robotics in the industry can perform. be able to maintain compliance with social distancing guidelines.

Customers also want to know if it's worth investing more in robots that automate routine tasks, freeing up staff for higher-value projects, or whether buyers are better served. with collaborative robots, where humans and robots work collaboratively or not. These and similar decisions all revolve around the buyer's business goals, situation, needs, budget, size of workplace, and more. And that's why communication is so important to successful sales.

Successful consultants recognize that there are three parties to a purchase transaction: The automation supplier, the machine operator/engineer, and the end customer. Both the engineer and the customer have their own relationship with purchasing, and therefore each needs to be involved in the sales discussion. For programmers, it's their working connection to the machine. For the client, it is the desired outcome. Consultants need to thoroughly address their various concerns to justify their investment costs.

Questions to ask include: Why do customers need to buy Robots? What do they want from this tool? What projects do they want the machine to tackle? What is their main goal?

Increasing efficiency and reducing labor costs top most lists, but businesses today are also looking for machines that impact their business profits in other ways. These include increasing employee retention (especially in today's workforce), maintaining workforce stability, and working with an easy-to-use custom solution. That's especially important for first-time buyers, who are also struggling with the commitment that automation requires.

The future of automation exacerbates automation ROI calculations, as customers face a wider variety of robots from relatively simple automated mobile robots (AMRs) to complex collaborative robots. more sophisticated and visual-guided robots. Each type of machine offers different benefits and meets different needs.

Collaborative robots work with humans, AMR robots are often deployed for routine autonomous tasks, while visual-guided robots are more versatile and productive - and much more expensive. Some robotic systems may require a larger initial investment but can quickly offset the costs of both the technology and the integration process.