RoboticsTechnology

Justifying Robotics, Part II

It can be easy to overlook the more human piece of the ROI equation when looking at justifying robotics and automation in general, but for the long-term sustainability of an organization made up of people, it is the most important component. In the pursuit of justification for robotics and automation, consider the following elements: productivity, ergonomics and long-term well-being, and employee experience.

For this blog, we will focus on justification of robotics in the manufacturing and material handling world. If we consider the world of business as communities that should benefit all the people involved, the long-term viability of that business relies on their collective well-being. Profit is a necessary good in business, so justification is needed around investments, and how those investments are framed is critical. In pursuing automation and robotics for over 25 years with multinational companies around the globe, it has been my observation that agencies getting this balance right are the ones that thrive in the long term. Realities to consider in your justification pursuit include:

Productivity: All agencies in the manufacturing and logistics space need to demonstrate increased productivity year over year, no matter how it is measured. Often the measurement is value achieved per unit of operator work. Consider country-level metrics of GDP/working hour as a big picture version of this. Companies that desire to simply eliminate workers due to poor management and operational practices struggle to realize productivity gains as automation and robotics are implemented. Turn that equation around for best effect. Do you see your workers as critical to the agency’s success? Is leadership pursuing the enablement of productivity with more than a simple increasing of the grind expected with current practices? If so, supporting your workers with the tools required to radically increase productivity (i.e. through robots and automation) can now be articulated and justified clearly. Look for opportunities where robotics increase productivity, the ability to prove it, and recognize that on the heels of implementation, you will need increased skill sets to manage it. More on that later.

Ergonomics and Long-term Well-being: Poor ergonomic conditions for your fellow employees is a basic breeding ground for turnover of your most important asset. And for those that stay, their long-term well-being is at risk. Consider high-load repetitive twisting, lifting efforts. Consider precision needs that, at volume, operators just cannot get past 90+/-% quality. Consider volume needs that operators struggle to keep up with. When looking at the potential of robotics through the eyes of helping your fellow humans with productivity they cannot achieve on their own, the justification case builds.

Employee Experience: In a previous article around robotics justification, there is a good dialog around the “three Ds” – dull, dirty and dangerous jobs. If we are collectively pursuing a beneficial experience for our fellow employees, this becomes an important dialog to have, but reality dictates it comes along for the ride with the previously- mentioned justification elements. Consider, also, the flip side of the robotics implementation effort: bringing technology to the table provides opportunity for employee skills learning, and capacity for observation and optimization. I can’t count the number of times operators bring significant benefit to the table when watching a process, and are given the capacity to observe, learn, and articulate where the process can be improved. Will all employees seize this transition? No. Will most when they discover their presence and thought process is valued and that they are an important part of that community called business? Absolutely! Layer onto this reality the desire for the younger generation to have far improved experience, community and purpose in their work than previous generations, and the value proposition can increases exponentially.

May this brief article help you in your pursuit of improving the experience of your fellow employees in tough manufacturing and warehouse operations, while deeply enhancing the competitiveness of the community we call business. Thoughts and challenges welcome!

Source: Jon Robertson, Southworth International Group, Inc.

Learn more about The Robotics Group (TRG): mhi.org/trg

For further articles from the The Robotics Group (TRG):

How to Justify the Cost of Robotics–Part 1

Robot Safety

Podcast: Robotics and Humans: A Synergistic Workforce

Robotics 101

Robotics in the Warehouse

Order Orchestration Optimization Through Robots

Robotics in Logistics, Part 2 – You’ve Decided to Add Robots—Now What?

Robots In Logistics Pt. 1

Will Robots Change Your Warehouse Culture?

Robots Make Work Easier For Humans