If it is well utilized, industrial automation is one way to continue production although it would be necessary to temporarily cut down human resources.
Earlier, I have discussed how automation is today found everywhere, but good automation is invisible. Although this blog article was posted only a few months ago, times have radically changed with the corona pandemic that has shaken the whole world, and this change is naturally visible in the daily life of industrial companies as well.
Some companies suffer from both material and staffing shortages whereas others must reduce production volumes and temporarily lay off their employees due to reduced orders received. In addition, the current situation forces manufacturing industry companies to identify ways to survive both operatively and financially beyond these exceptional circumstances.
In this article, I give a few tips on how to continue activities with help of automation even under exceptional circumstances and how to efficiently carry out an automation project.
Ensure smooth production – today and tomorrow
If it is well utilized, industrial automation is one way to continue production although it would be necessary to temporarily cut down human resources. Modern automation solutions enable remote control of even entire production plants with the precision of individual devices, from anywhere around the world. This is why automation and particularly its reliability are now an essential and critical element of competitive advantage of industrial companies – even in the middle of the crisis.
Now, it is an excellent time to note down all challenges and needs to ensure smooth production also in the future. The following questions might help you to reflect on production challenges:
- How to ensure continued production during exceptional circumstances?
- What does not function or causes a lot of work?
- Are there any functions that can be automated?
- Is all information important for operations safe and secure?
- Does reporting function although people are missing from the staff strength?
Automation projects are almost without exception perceived as very long and expensive undertakings, although a major change for practical purposes can often be achieved even with very small development steps. Below are a few tips for improving efficient completion of automation projects.
1. Everything starts from a careful needs assessment
Each automation project should start with a careful definition step. This means both an accurate analysis of the problem and a technical description of its solution by the automation designer. A careful analysis step increases understanding of the objectives of the automation project and thus creates a good basis for further development.
2. A highly skilled project manager leads the production team
An experienced and highly skilled project manager plays a critical role in the successful completion of an automation project. In addition to effective customer communication, the project manager is also typically responsible for keeping the entire project on schedule and budget, in this way facilitating the customer’s daily work. In addition, the areas of responsibility include internal resourcing and compliance with the terms and conditions of the delivery contract.
In the case of unexpected challenges, it is the project manager’s duty to immediately inform others about these and potential additional costs in order to reach an agreement on how to proceed and define an action plan as soon as possible.
3. A transparent project follow-up for peace of mind
In addition to efficient project management and leading, carrying out an automation project is significantly improved by a project follow-up that is as easy and transparent as possible. In an ideal case, the project follow-up is so transparent that the customer is constantly and in real-time aware of the current status and progress of work.
As the customer, you do not need to worry or inquire about the progress of the project in the traditional way; instead, you can check the status in real-time in a common project management system, for example.
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