We’re sure that you have heard that automation and AI have been changing the business landscape as we know it. There have been a number of improvements over the years since the evolution of technology, and while there are still some who are hesitant and resist the change, the benefits are definitely being noticed.
In this article, we’re going to be focusing specifically on automation and AI and the way that it has been changing the manufacturing industry, what benefits it has been providing, and why we should continue on with these developments. If you would like to find out more about this, you know what to do.
A combination of AI and automation have produced a more efficient solution than ever before. By streamlining processes and being able to produce results faster, the manufacturing industry has been seen to grow as a whole in terms of efficiency. There is far less waiting than there used to be, with orders being fulfilled within a fraction of the time that it used to take.
Efficiency is one of the main concerns for any singular business, and any industry as a whole really. Nobody wants to get a bad reputation as an industry that can’t provide for their customers, whether that happens to be other businesses or the general public is irrelevant. Thanks to automated services and AI taking over in areas like customer service, employees can focus on their tasks, rather than trying to do everything, letting things slip through the cracks in the process.
One of the biggest problems that the manufacturing industry has always had, as well as other industries out there, is human error. Now, we’re all human and we all make mistakes, right? We accept that, we know that it’s part of being a person, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for business. Of course, there are areas of the business process where being a human with compassion and understanding is important, but not in the manufacturing process.
What is needed during this process is precision, and the ability to not get it wrong. This means not putting anything into the computer or the system wrong, it means not miscalculating when you are measuring something, and a whole load of things that all fall under this category. That is one of the biggest benefits of automation and AI, they reduce the risk of this being the case. We would say that they wipe it out completely, but there is always a risk of human error when humans are involved in the process. We’re not saying that to be mean, we’re saying it because it’s true.
Do you understand how tough it can be to manage inventory in a warehouse? More often than not, when people are completing the task things are going to slip through the cracks, things are going to be missed out, and it’s going to go wrong somewhere. Changing to an automated process and using AI to give it the flexibility it needs to adapt based on differing variables is essential to improvement in inventory management.
There are so many demonstrable results already here, with businesses within the manufacturing industry reporting a decrease in costs due to AI forecasting demand, predicting stock needs and automating replenishment of inventory. The AI being used can track the inventory in real-time, allowing companies to avoid overstocking, or running out of stock!
Cobots, which are collaborative robots for those of you who don’t know, who are equipped with AI are able to do incredible things. They can take on some of the dangerous or hazardous tasks alongside people to enhance the safety of the workplace as a whole. Keep in mind that these cobots are far less likely to make any kind of mistake that would cause any kind of harm to humans, and therefore the safety aspect of it is already massive. Manufacturing is not always the safest industry to work in, with more people than we can count having been injured in one way or another.
So, any way to make the process safer should automatically be considered by anyone in the industry. But, you’ve also got to think a little bit further than this and think about the other aspects of safety. With all of the electrics and power distribution needs of a warehouse, or any other place of business, you have to be careful, right? This means taking your time to research information like the best industrial control panel enclosure to protect those critical components and manage production programs.
Everyone seems to think as well that because technology is so expensive when you’re trying to get it all set up, it’s going to stay this way forever. Yes, the cost of the tech that you are going to need is high, but this doesn’t mean that it’s the more expensive option. For example, AI can help reduce costs in areas like labor expenses, lowers waste, and even optimizes energy consumption. These are all massive issues that businesses face often, especially those in manufacturing who are operating large warehouses. So, AI and automation have taken the expensive process you once had, and replaced it with something that is a little more cost friendly.
As we mentioned, you simply need to have enough money to make the initial investment, and then continue with maintenance of whatever pieces you have.
Hopefully, you have found this article helpful and now have a more solid understanding of how automation and AI are changing the manufacturing industry. While it might not always be immediately obvious the impacts that it is having, we can assure you that those who work in the manufacturing industry will have noticed a change over the years. It’s important now more than ever to get on board with AI and automation in this industry, or you may well be left behind.
