If you examine the list of excellent reasons to automate your manufacturing you will probably find that you might be able to authenticate the need for automation in your operation with just one of the reasons listed. This could be the case if you look in detail at all the positive ramifications that a single reason can make on your operations. Usually the initial benefit that comes from one of these reasons can be a significant positive effect on the people that are in or associated with your business. If you look further than that, the benefit will extend into cost areas where automation reduces the cost of assets or increases production rates. If you have not looked at manufacturing automation for your operation, you need to, for the reasons listed below.
Manufacturing automation:
1. Replaces human efforts in major areas so they do not have to do dangerous and repetitive jobs. This cuts down on the mistakes that works make and the costly rework that you have to do when humans make mistakes in production.
2. Eliminates the creature comforts that you have to supply employees when they are working like salary increases, coffee breaks, holidays, vacations, break rooms, lunch breaks, parking lots, trade unions, sick leaves, insurance policies, personality conflicts, motivational talks, and a whole host of other costly items.
3. Increases production rates and improves product consistency. Your production line will make products at a rate that can get products to your customers in a timely fashion, when the customers want them. The consistency of each product will be improved because automated devices will make each product the same each time.
4. Makes timely delivery of products to your customers will substantiate your place as a dependable supplier in the marketplace. Customers will have faith in your products and your promised delivery schedules when automation is established in your business.
5. Stabilizes the return on investment for shareholders and stockholders because of consistent delivery of products. The investments made by these groups can be returned on a shorter cycle. Stabilizing the return on investment for shareholders will make it much easier to attract new investors in the future and retain a satisfied base of current investors.
6. Cuts down on the expenses of your company that are related to personnel, like workmen’s compensation, sick pay, holiday pay, and other such expenses.
7. Eliminates the need for storage of products before shipping to customers. Automated production lines can be set up to deliver products at the rate of demand that is required from customers. This will reduce the need for warehousing of completed products and inventory in process for extended periods.
8. Reduces the amount of warehouse space that is needed to support production. Product delivery can be synchronized with the production rate so that warehousing does not have to used before shipping products to customers.
9. Creates high quality goods that are well accepted by customers which can satisfy the requirements of investors in your business. Revenues can pay back investments in a timely fashion.
10. Establishes easier movement into new markets because of higher quality of products that come off your production line.
11. Reduces production costs. With the investment in automation devices and the utilization of such devices, the cost of production can be reduced because of increased production rates and the timely delivery of products.
12. Increases available work time. There is no need to shutdown production at any time of the day, automation devices can work all day, everyday. This also says something about the number of employees needed to perform manual tasks as opposed to the number needed to support automated production processes. There are less employees needed to support automation in comparison to the number needed to do manual tasks without automation.
13. Reduces the amount that you have to invest in inventories. With automation in place there will be less requirement for inventories in process and the need for long term inventories. Automation can be optimized so that inventories that are in process can be minimized or eliminated. This reduces the amount of warehouse area that your company needs to store such items.
14. Increases the quality of the working environment. Automation will improve the quality of the work environment by performing those offensive tasks so that worker are not exposed to harmful environments. You can cut down your exposure to liabilities that you ready don’t need. It is better for a robotic to do a dirty or dangerous job than it is to let an employee do the same job and risk being hurt in accomplishing the task.
15. Improves the production effectiveness of workers and their technical skills. Automation can move the focus of employees into the technical area where they become proficient in the operation and maintenance of automation devices.
16. Improves the utilization of plant space. Automation devices compact a lot of working ability into smaller spaces, reducing the amount of floor space need for production. Being able to compact automated production devices into a smaller space than what is required for non-automated production gives your plant.
17. Improves automation device utilization. Using programming it is possible to apply the abilities of an automation device to more than one production tasks. You can’t say that about many machines that are in your production operation. This kind of thing will spread the cost of capitalization over a lot of projects so they all can have a hand in paying for the equipment.
18. Improves reputation of your company in current market areas. Being able to deliver products on time and with consistent quality will improve your manufacturing reputation. This improvement will help your company to attract more customers and improve customer retention.
19. Reduces the amount of investment in capital assets. Expenditures for capital assets can be cut due to the use of automation. Being able to utilize automation devices in more than one production process will cut the number of non-automation devices that are required for purchase. This will reduce the capital allocations that are required by your company to operate effectively.
20. Reduces the turnover and recruitment of technical employees. Having automation allows you to train your employees in technical areas and retain them in your automated business. The expertise of your employees about your production processes is invaluable when you upgrade your production to automation. After all they are the one that know the details of how your plant operates to generate quality products. You will be able to upgrade the training and technical expertise of employees once automation is implemented.
21. Sustains a competitive advantage in marketing your products. Automation will give you the product quality that can keep your competitive edge with customers. With automation you will be able to stabilize and increase your competitive advantage over your competition. Automation will give you the ability to consistently deliver products of high quality to a growing customer base.
22. Keeps your business solvent in a tough economy. Using automation will keep your business moving toward better returns from operations and get you into a more productive phase. In extreme economic times automation can keep your business solvent when others face bankruptcy. Your automation will give you the latitude in production to successfully produce various products for a demanding market.
23. Cultivates goodwill among your customers. Automation gives you the ability to have production consistency that boosts your goodwill with customers. This will help you to gain the trust you need from your customers and establish your company as the foremost manufacturer in your industry.
24. Reduces the amount of waste and the costs associated with handling waste. Eliminating the waste that is created in production will reduce not only the cost of materials lost, but also the payroll expense that is involved in reworking or salvaging wasted materials and the cost of resources required to handle them.
25. Makes your business easier to manage in order to meet the demands of dynamic markets. Automation will help you to respond more quickly to the shifting demands of customers. You will be able to manage the change in production to meet customer demands.
Our consulting engineers can answer any questions that you might have about the automation of your business or they can supply you with a no-obligation quote for automating your business. If you have questions about automation or you would like to request a quote for automation, please click the “Request a Quote” button below and fill out the form to submit your question or request.
