Hear from the Manufacturing Technology Centre’s (MTC) Chief Automation Officer Mike Wilson on the powerful impact automation can have not only on manufacturing, but the benefits across sectors.
The case for robot automation has always focused on the benefits of improved productivity, consistent quality, improved health and safety coupled with flexibility. However, a significant new factor is driving increased interest - labour shortages. Shortages have emerged across the economy following Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is highly unlikely that labour shortages will be addressed by changes to the post-Brexit immigration system alone. Alternative solutions will need to be found.
Since the pandemic began, a high proportion of people have left the labour market. Many workers from the EU returned to their home countries and a large number of older workers, opted for early retirement. The consequence of these decisions has been a significant reduction in the available labour force. As companies return to full production following the pandemic, this resulted in severe labour shortages across many sectors, from food supply chain and agriculture through manufacturing and distribution, to hospitality.
If the objective is to at least achieve pre-COVID levels of output, automation is a powerful tool in helping address labour shortages. This is not necessarily about directly automating tasks that are, or were previously undertaken by workers, but about identifying opportunities to utilise automation on mundane, arduous or dangerous tasks. The benefit of this being the available workforce is then released to take on tasks that require their skills and attributes.
Basically, using robots where consistency and speed are appropriate, and where tasks are simpler and non-value add, and people where their skills can add value to the product. It is normally the case that these value-add roles are more interesting, rewarding and often attract higher pay.
Many business owners are aware of robots being used in high volume sectors such as automotive and electronics but feel that robots may not be appropriate for their business. This perception often forms as a r
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