FEATURE u Smart Factory


Reimagining manufacturing operations post-COVID-19


John Condon, Ireland Country Sales Director at Rockwell Automation, discusses how the human touch will continue to remain important in post- COVID-19 operations


to ease, restoring social balance. Through lockdowns we have discovered more intuitive ways of working, but we must shift our focus now on finding the balance between virtual and physical interactions and tools to help boost productivity within manufacturing. Different industries have faced diverse challenges: in life sciences, for example, companies had to re-tool and ramp up production of essential medical devices and supplies under immense pressure. In CPG, major brands responded to fluctuations in global supply by utilising the breadth of their production network to fulfil orders for other regions affected by the crisis. With the dust settling, manufacturers are


W


now able to better prepare for the future, irrespective of potential manufacturing restrictions. For example, companies will structure their operations embracing digital tools to be resilient enough to handle future crises. We’ve had a broad vantage point to observe


how our customers in Ireland are adapting to the changes in recent months, and there are three distinct areas where manufacturers should focus their attention to make positive changes and promote safe and productive behaviour – changes to the factory floor, supply chain and changes in communication.


1. CHANGES ON THE FACTORY FLOOR


The pandemic prompted manufacturing decision makers to consider the best ways


36 June 2021 Irish Manufacturing


ith the mass roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine in the UK and Ireland, restrictions are beginning


to redesign the layout of their production workspace in the most optimum way. This includes planning around how machine operators can remain adequately distanced and how staff can be moved from manually interacting with machinery towards directing operations from control rooms. To manage this, there will be greater use of software, which will optimise the layout of production workspaces and flow of workers. Going forward we can expect more of a


focus on defining the role of people, which was once taken for granted. Conversations around Industry 5.0 have brought attention to the need for a ‘human touch’ revolution whereby workers will add a particular creativity and flare to personalise products, whilst automation handles the more arduous and manual tasks in future production processes.


2. CHANGES IN SUPPLY CHAIN The UK & Ireland’s manufacturing operations have responded particularly well to the urgency of the COVID-19 situation. The question is, if we encounter another pandemic- like situation in the future, how will we react? To be prepared, it is likely manufacturers will place a greater focus on leveraging their network of factories to make sure that production lines can shift rapidly from affected factories to different locations to meet demand. This requires companies to have more predictability and transparency across their whole chain, with intercompany integration at the data and process level. Local sourcing will also become more


important as companies seek to increase reliability and reduce potential bottlenecks.


Therefore, there will be significant growth of on-demand manufacturing technologies, such as additive manufacturing and robotisation, to increase the options open to decision makers and support business continuity and resilience.


3. CHANGES IN COMMUNICATION Whilst video conference calls have been time- efficient, this should not be the only physical interaction for future working. Gradually we will see a return of in-person relationship building and networking, although this will be more blended with digital interactions. Automation is about equipping people with


information. Remote technologies will continue to help staff collaborate across locations and leverage expertise from across the business without having to interact physically. The shift towards remote support will also bring changes to how companies interact with their customers, reinventing onboarding procedures and making them even more responsive to end-user issues.


BRINGING THE SOCIAL BACK With the recent news of easing restrictions, we’re now in a position to govern everything from how employees work and collaborate through to how our factories and supply chains connect and interact. Therefore, companies need to ensure that social interactions and human behaviour remain central to factory operations and are productive in any set of circumstances.


Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com www.irish-manufacturing.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44