INDUSTRY 4.0
robotic vehicles to do the unskilled work such as collecting and dropping products at specific locations.
And even if there are sufficient staff available, automation can still help to accelerate processes and production lines, meaning businesses are more productive. Robots and humans can work well collaboratively to improve efficiencies in the workplace, for example. ‘Inspection robots’ make it easier to view inside taller objects such as when conducting a pipe inspection, allowing this task to be easier for a human to perform and work in harmony with technology.
Planning for a pandemic future Even without a global pandemic, during the winter months cases of flu and the common cold rise. This, in turn, limits potential workforce numbers. To combat potential staff shortfalls, organisations need to get ahead of the curve and integrate automation within their operational processes. The working day can be just as effective, even with a reduced number of staff, by deploying innovative technologies to existing tasks, meaning the organisation is not as dependent on humans. In situations where humans would have previously been moving heavy boxes, these types of processes can be easily and quickly taken over by autonomous vehicles, which can be used to simply tow or carry items to and from designated areas.
Automation technology can also benefit processes that require people within close proximity to each other in case of restrictions coming back into place. Social distancing measures made manual processes unworkable, emphasising the need to embrace technology to safely enable this new way of working. Automation is about efficiency, and the most efficient systems have the fewest humans. With efficiency and consistency at the heart of the operation, errors can be reduced and optimisation and lower operational costs can become the focus.
How satisfied are your employees? The job market suffered during the peak of the pandemic, but it is clear that this
is now recovering with a rise in the national minimum wage and a wider choice of job vacancies available. To prevent a potential loss of staff, some organisations have been offering incentives to existing employees as a way of keeping them motivated, while using it as a tactic for attracting new employees too. However, these enticements only offer a short-term solution to a long-term problem and have, in some cases, resulted in a bidding war—a war that ultimately no one wins. Instead, what needs to happen is for employers to create a more fulfilling workplace shaped around the evolving needs and expectations of the post-pandemic worker. The key to this is offering a job that is stimulating for the human; tasks that keep them entertained and are challenging. Automating the mundane tasks, such as long walks for picking, packing and checking inventory, frees up the humans for more challenging, or even new roles in the workplace, taking on work that is more fulfilling. Additionally, when embedding automation into business processes, organisations will need members of staff to observe the robots and make sure no technical faults occur, and if they do, to repair them—in turn, opening more doors for the existing workforce to develop and upskill themselves in robot preservation and maintenance, thus increasing job satisfaction.
Conclusion
The future of the workforce is uncertain, and both society and business are changing and adapting all the time and no one can predict what is around the corner, with future lockdowns and viruses, Brexit and ongoing staff shortages. However, businesses can prepare. Automating processes allows organisations to maintain a safer working environment; retain business-as-normal regardless of staff numbers, and open new opportunities to satisfy and keep employees. The future of the workplace is changing, and businesses can thrive if they embrace automation and get ahead of these changes.
Guidance Automation
https://www.guidanceautomation FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | MARCH 2022 35
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