Five tips for more digital automation in your manufacturing process

Over the past decade, manufacturers have revolutionized the way they produce products, while controlling costs and maintaining high quality. But there is always room for improvement. Here are five tips on how manufacturing organizations are using automation to improve manufacturing processes.

1. Switch from manual data entry to digital entry

Using simple techniques an organization can transform data entry from manual to digital. One option is moving from standalone workstation to a workstation with internet access. Another is to provide mobile forms, similar to those used in field force automation.  Focusing on the process as a whole can lead to new techniques, such as replacing batched data entry with task-based data entry.

2. Enable repetitive tasks to be automated. 

Automation makes it easy to effectively manage workflows while ensuring high standards of quality. For instance, enterprises can eliminate repetitive tasks that require little human intervention by automating the duration of high quality workarounds or even aspects of routine maintenance.

3. Accelerate physical automation

Automating physical processes also expands the operational impact of a motion-intensive process, saving on fuel costs and requiring less maintenance. For example, purchasing or hiring motion-source motion devices can help create real estate efficiencies, from space utilization to maintenance costs. 

4. Allow technology-driven automation to expand productivity

Technology-driven automation not only can improve workflow, it can widen industrial productivity. Utilizing this technology across entire manufacturing processes, from production to logistics, can help reduce waste and accommodate ever-evolving new products. 

5. Manage multiple workflows

Automation helps collect and assimilate data, reduce errors, improve consistency, and, at times, shift responsibility. But it does not always keep up with fluid workflows. Additional automation can actually reduce efficiency because it forces parts and components to flow through individual workflows before completing them. Instead, manufacturers that embrace automation can better integrate, create, and manage workflows and act as a single system from initial design through completion.

By optimizing existing software systems and allowing agile iterative innovation, industry leaders are increasing production capacity, from scratch to production, and from short- and long-term replacement, while remaining cost-competitive.