Balancing people and technology to optimise plant operations.

A digital workforce reflects the evolution of technology within the modern workplace. This technology is central to the way we do business. As a result, many organisations already use elements of a digital workforce without realising.

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way people live. Social distancing, face coverings, and remote working when possible are the new norms. Manufacturing, deemed an essential service, must forge on, finding new ways of working that balance the safety of workers with maintaining a production schedule to meet supply chain demands and sustain profits.

Manufacturers find themselves navigating the new normal of split team working, digital platforms, and remote working that can make worker connectivity and productivity challenging. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for manufacturers willing to embrace digital platforms and other technology designed to circumvent such issues.

Robots-as-a-Service uses a cloud-based system which allows for easier requirement changes.

The intent behind these “as-a-service” implementations is to democratize the technology while lowering the barrier to entry for businesses, large and small alike. The “as-a-service” philosophy is becoming more prevalent in today’s working environment and is spreading to new aspects of work. One of those new arenas is robotics as a service (RaaS).

Technology and the manufacturing industry have always worked hand in hand. Recently, however, rapid technological innovation and the Internet have fuelled the ongoing industrial revolution in 2020 where robotic automation is expected to expand its role and impact in various manufacturing settings.

Learn how Industry 4.0 incorporates the data and analytics from smart instruments to add tremendous value to an organization.

Intelligent automation is increasingly being applied in businesses; don’t get left behind

Robotic automation, also known as robotisation, involves the automation of manufacturing and other business processes through the use of robots in different forms. Industrial robots, for example, are used in manufacturing, taking over tasks normally associated with or performed by a human being. These include tasks such as welding, shipping, assembly line work, materials handling, and product packaging. Software robots are also part of robotic automation, in that they are created to render generic automation capability, and are configured to perform manual, repetitive tasks as exemplified by the chatbots people encounter the first time they visit a website.

Companies should be looking to benefit from the potential of technologies such as artificial intelligence and edge computing for business success and competitive advantage.

Robotic automation can spur greater efficiency, deliver better results, lower costs and increase flexibility, but companies need to have the right tools to make the robot's application successful.

When implemented correctly, robotic automation can spur greater efficiency, deliver better results, lower costs and increase flexibility — for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger-scale manufacturing companies. However, businesses must have a sound and strategic vision of robotic automation before pursuing it. They should understand how it will be introduced and to which applications, outline its potential benefits, and clearly understand the unique budget and operational strategies.

Cybersecurity poses a serious threat to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enabled devices and robotic automation equipment. Attackers who gain access to industrial networks have a number of devastating options available to them, from changing production data to causing harmful production errors.