AutomAtion & robotics
investing in the Future
Automation is yet to reach its full potential – but this should not steer organisations away from making that initial investment, explains Paul rivers, CeO, guidance Automation.
Grow Your own robot o
ver the past few decades, we have already started to witness the automation evolution take place, with the global
market size of industrial robotics forecast to increase to 18.62 billion dollars by 2025. now with the ongoing pandemic acting as a driver for uptake, with two thirds of business leaders using automation to respond to the impact of coViD- 19, more and more businesses are looking to automate their processes and take advantage of innovative technology, particularly with social distancing measures in place. Automation can be seen as a complex area,
and it is yet to reach its full potential – the challenge remains for robots to accurately and efficiently ‘pick’ items – but this should not steer organisations away from making that initial investment. instead, by incrementally deploying new technologies and starting to innovate your processes, that can be scaled as times goes on, businesses can future-proof their investment and continue to reap the benefits from innovation time and time again.
grOw yOur Own rObOt if we think of robots’ life span like that of a human, it is currently transitioning from childhood to adulthood. currently in the ‘teen’ years, robots are learning on the job, working out how to walk and adjust, particularly in warehouse settings. they have not quite got the skills needed to pick effectively, without damaging, dropping or just not being able to grasp items. instead, a current method that is often used to grab and manipulate the task of picking is the process of suction, which does not compare to human ways and dexterity. but we are not far away from reaching this transition,
with robotics and sensor technology advancing at such a pace, the fully-equipped robot picker and packer will one day become a reality, making robot ‘hands’ viable. but why wait when the benefits of robotics and automation can deliver multiple benefits within the warehouse today? moreover, when the potential exists to build your own, scaling the technology as innovation becomes reality, businesses can continue to reap the rewards, without ripping and replacing entire infrastructure. say for example, you have an existing robot
that moves around the warehouse to help speed up order fulfilment and inventory management, and the humans do the picking and packing. this already provides significant benefits to an organisation, including improved accuracy and productivity, and new levels of efficiency. but once automation and robotics
development reaches the next stages where a robot can perform the picking itself, it will have additional capabilities because the technology has evolved, in turn, becoming more affordable and usable, unlocking new advantages. Humans will be able to move to the outside edges of the warehouse, enabling warehouse processes to become smoother and more efficient. by adding more to the robot over time – such as when picking technology is perfected – as and when the technology becomes more affordable and practical, businesses can give their robot more capability during its life – scaling it to grow with the size and needs of the business.
nO need tO riP And rePlACe by having already made the initial robot investment and making incremental changes as the technology matures will help businesses
robot to offer the complete lights-out, pick and pack solution, they will have wasted valuable time in getting the foundations right, and therefore need to rip and replace their entire infrastructure. those who delay will only have to change more of their processes and teach their employees how to work alongside the robot collaboratively. instead, organisations that invest in automation at an earlier stage can maximise the opportunity for better results sooner, through a more gradual implementation of technology and automation.
the rOle OF humAns there have always been concerns around the role of the human when automation is deployed, even at an early stage. And it is no surprise that once the robot reaches adulthood, worries around job security and the employee’s role in the warehouse may increase. but this should not be an issue, as the opportunities will still be available for humans, and are more productive and fulfilling than before. traditionally, humans are stuck doing menial
and repetitive tasks in the warehouse, such as picking, packing and checking inventory, of which they are prone to making mistakes out of boredom. with automation, humans can take on more responsibility and re-deploy their
to reduce their costs overtime. we can only expect the price of robots to increase as the technology becomes more advanced, but by putting the foundations in place at an earlier stage and scaling the technology gradually, the business case from a financial perspective is far more viable, as opposed to one significant investment later down the line. Additionally, if organisations wait for the
16 JuLY/AuGust 2021 | FActorY&HAnDLinGsoLutions
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