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Production October, 2023
The Role of Automation in the Manufacturing Supply Chain
By Adrian Wood, Strategic Business Development Director, DELMIA I
n broad terms, automation is a term for technology applica- tion Whereas automation ca-
pabilities may have been regard- ed as science fiction at one point in the past, it is now definitely coming of age, especially in the supply chain realm. Supply chain automation
uses digital technologies to con- nect applications, streamline processes and enhance efficien- cies within supply chain opera- tions in the manufacturing envi- ronment. According to a recent report
by Deloitte, the automation sector is expanding at a CAGR (Com- pound Annual Growth Rate) of 40.6% per year and is expected to reach $25.66 billion by 2027. There are numerous bene-
fits to supply chain automation. A connected supply chain sup-
port by automation technologies can free employees from menial, manual and time-consuming tasks. Automation can reduce er- rors associated with manual processes. This, in turn, assists in planning cost control by pro- viding accurate, real-time infor- mation on inventory levels. Automated digital technolo-
gy ensures transparency and vis- ibility of operations which is be- coming increasingly important to the consumer. An automated ap- proach to health and safety en- sures regulations are always met, and risk management is im- proved.
One of the major advantages
of automating a supply chain is the capability to integrate sys- tems with large suppliers en- abling a strong foundation that permits more visibility between
partners. If the response to COVID-19 has taught us any- thing, it’s to expect the unexpect- ed. Automation boosts an organi- zation’s agility in adapting to changing production and ship- ping demands. Automation can be viewed
from a couple of different per- spectives. First, the requirement to automate data collection drives the supply chain planning decisions. Typically, in strategic planning, a lot of information ex- changes are done by email and excel spreadsheet, which is both problematic from a timing point of view and an accuracy point of view. DELMIA’s solution to this challenge was to introduce a rapid and streamlined automa- tion process to enable data and collect it. This proved to be a very successful way to drive the deci- sion-making process.
Clever Collaboration Intelligent automation can
assist companies in developing a flexible, agile, autonomous, re- sponsive and scalable supply chain. The supply chain is the backbone of business operations. Companies must be fully aware of the various activities in the supply chain to ensure it’s work- ing optimally. Strategic planning is a col-
laborative process and automa- tion assists in keeping people ac- countable for that process. It makes it far easier to follow a best-in-class process if you have an automated workflow which in- cludes a dashboard of activities. This collaborative approach relies on seamless automation for peo- ple to follow along in sequence, ensuring everyone’s viewpoints are included, and the correct data is collected and stored. Instead of having people
enter data manually, which is a laborious process and susceptible to error, DELMIA automated the more intricate components of their data collection, which en- sured best-in-class practices and the optimal output of the overall planning process. If your factory is the “heart”
of your manufacturing organiza- tion, your supply chain is the ar- teries and veins. Your business’s operational efficiency is depend-
See at productronica, Hall A2 Booth 153
ent on all these components being effectively connected to de- liver a reliable service. Implementing automation
in the supply chain process gives DELMIA the ability to “sense and respond.” This is another way to ensure efficiency, stream- lining and overall productivity. If you have automated feeds into the planning process and you re- ceive signals from the supply or demand side that require rapid changes based on disruption, au- tomation allows the system to function autonomously. This pre- vents costly delays. DELMIA has implemented
an automated workflow genera- tor and automated reply based on the demand changes in the system census. This means the data can be collaboratively viewed throughout the entire process and verified by the right people at the right time. This au- tomation solution removes the frustrating delays you may typi- cally get when waiting for people to input data manually.
Changing Times We’re most certainly living
in exciting, albeit nerve-wrack- ing times. Between politics and pandemics, manufacturers must think on their feet to keep abreast of the ever-changing lightning-quick developments in consumer trends and technologi- cal advancements. Automation technologies
have become super sophisticat- ed. From carefully synchronized planning to customer connection, smart factory practices, intelli- gent supply methods, digital de- velopment, and dynamic delivery — automation is changing how we do business. Thus, from both a collabora-
tive/people and data/planning point of view, automation is vital in allowing your system to be easily accessible, up-to-date and accurate. It ultimately allows everyone on the team to follow along in the sequence output through automated feeds into
the planning process. Contact: DS Americas Corp.,
10715 David Taylor Drive, Suite 450, Charlotte, NC 28262 E-mail:
therese.snow@
3ds.com Web:
www.3ds.com
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