Manufacturers are set to experience five years of innovation in the next 18 months, as the pandemic has demonstrated the need to adopt digital tools to automate processes, obtain real-time information and create agile supply chains to comply with new demands and restrictions.
And this shift comes at a time where supplies are needed more than ever. COVID-19 continues to impact production and supply chain lines across the globe, and factories are adjusting production lines to comply with social distancing requirements, redefining traditional manufacturing practices.
To adapt to the new manufacturing landscape, manufacturers would be wise to adopt the following five best practices to train staff effectively and leverage digital tools to meet production goals.
1. Deploy remote training tools
Historically, factory workers have been trained via on-the-job training with two people next to one another. As this is no longer possible due to social distancing requirements, manufacturers can fill the gap with remote training tools, such as augmented reality (AR), to give workers the opportunity to train with experts remotely.
Using smart glasses or mobile devices, workers can receive step-by-step 3D instructions overlaying the physical production line and use digital annotation tools to guide the on-site worker through the process or point out a specific area or concern on a machine or line, without the need for physical human interaction.
AR training increases content understanding, knowledge of spatial structure and long-term memory retention, while ultimately improving physical task performance. Experienced workers can also record instructions for ongoing tasks based on their expertise, preserving tribal knowledge as the manufacturing workforce braces for a wave of retirements in the next decade.
2. Upskill workers with human-machine collaboration
With COVID-19’s impact on factory capacity and new social distancing regulations, technology is vital for success, but people are still the heart of the operation. With Industry 4.0 comes the opportunity to evolve jobs.
Automation can prevent a crowded factory floor while replacing tedious, repetitive tasks. This frees up workers to leverage their creativity and expertise to find unique ways to use technology to improve operations or solve critical issues. For example, a worker may be in charge of analyzing data from connected machines to forecast downtime or be tasked with finding ways to consolidate processes to reduce the number of steps needed to create a product.
By upskilling workers with human-machine collaboration, manufacturers can safely comply with new regulations and accelerate production amid the pandemic and beyond.
3. Create an internal team of digital champions
To prevent internal skepticism of Industry 4.0 technologies, it is important for manufacturers to build trust with employees that implemented changes will make the company more competitive by being at the forefront of product innovation and enhanced operations. Serving as the connection between the factory floor and the technology, a centralized team drives solutions, standards and investments will help accelerate initiatives and scale them across the organization.
These digital champions will encourage innovation and excitement by highlighting how each person will play a critical role in the success of digital transformation efforts. Deploying digital technologies and walking away will not suffice for post-pandemic success. Putting people first and facilitating the transition to digital is critical for keeping employees motivated and meeting production demands.
4. Use digital tools to react to the changing landscape
Digital is no longer a luxury, but an essential tool for manufacturers to remain productive, competitive and successful post-pandemic. By investing in IoT technologies, manufacturers can replace manual equipment monitoring and operational assessments to adapt to restricted worker capacity and social distancing requirements.
Smart factories can transform programs and systems to adjust to the evolve post-pandemic landscape as needed, such as maximizing production or scaling back processes if demand decreases. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, companies that are the furthest along in digital transformation will stand out from their competition thanks to their more agile manufacturing environments.
5. Extract value from factory floor data
Adopting a real-time analytics platform can provide instant insights without the need for manual monitoring. Manufacturers can obtain valuable insights from equipment (such as increased demand or the need for equipment maintenance) allowing them to identify trends and alter capabilities accordingly.
As all equipment is connected to the factory network, workers can have a full view of factory operations, allowing them to analyze performance in real-time, troubleshoot issues quickly and avoid downtime for unforeseen repairs. This visibility is critical for reacting to disruption with accelerated innovation, maximized workforce productivity and optimized operations.
Looking forward
Manufacturers must be agile and flexible to succeed in the new normal. By leveraging AR training, advanced analytics, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies and powering a human-machine workforce, manufacturers can operate at their highest capabilities and easily react to ongoing disruption.
Keith Higgins is vice president of digital transformation at Rockwell Automation. He previously served as vice president at FogHorn and CMO at RiskVision until its acquisition in 2017. Higgins was also an executive at Symphony Teleca Corporation, an IoT and connected services company, where he played an integral role in the doubling the company’s revenue leading to a nearly $1 billion acquisition by Harman. His views are his own.