At the moment, manufacturing companies are stretched to the limit in terms of production capacity and ability to manage projects. Labor shortages may account for some of this overload. One solution that seems obvious is automation, but it can be a challenge for companies. How can automation projects be completed more quickly and efficiently? This article looks at the best practices that can be implemented in your plant to help increase your ability to complete automation projects.
Develop an automation strategy
Do you have an automation strategy? First off, it is important that you have an overview of the current processes by identifying the bottlenecks. This step will allow you to establish a concrete action plan. You need to analyze the opportunities in your plant, identify priorities, and evaluate the scope and benefits of each automation project. You will then have to mobilize the stakeholders in your plant to carry out these projects.
Having clearly defined your objectives and identified your priorities, you will then be able to find the appropriate solutions to achieve them.
Conducting an internal assessment of automation expertise
Automation does not necessarily mean hiring! It is wrong to think that you must absolutely hire specialized workers to carry out your automation projects. You may already have the necessary resources! Verify the automation potential of your employees, among them, there may be some that could easily be redirected to these projects. It will be important to train them adequately so that they can develop their full potential. You will also have to get these resources to be very good in project management, an imperative skill in automation.
Working with partners
After conducting an internal resource assessment, you will be able to better visualize your needs and meet them by working with strategic partners. You could call upon the services of a firm with an expertise in automation, an integrator, an equipment manufacturer or a component and technology supplier to help with your automation projects.
The advantage of dealing with an independent firm of experts like Merkur is that it can objectively explore and compare several solutions to help find the ideal solution for you.
Standardize technologies
There are a multitude of technologies and brands that you will want to implement in your plant. In order to improve your automation capacity and to facilitate the maintenance of your equipment, it is essential to standardize these technologies. It is certainly easier to support one specific type of robot, rather than 4 different types. This allows you to train multiple resources for one model, instead of having to train one resource per model.
Do not hesitate to implement known technologies. Even though the cost of acquiring these technologies may be higher, they are easier to implement, and you will save on long-term support costs. By standardizing your technologies, you also facilitate the hiring process: the more variety in equipment, the more specific skills your future candidates will need. Your potential pool of resources will then be significantly reduced.
In the current context, it is certain that manufacturing companies that are successful in automation projects are better positioned to compete. Several financing and grant options are available to companies that wish to undertake such projects. Our teams of experts can help increase your capacity to carry out automation projects. Contact us !
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MERKUR is a firm of experts in manufacturing performance and innovation and has been doing so for over 25 years. From strategy to execution, its sole objective is to make Quebec’s manufacturing companies more efficient by offering innovative solutions in product development, operational excellence, manufacturing engineering, automation and smart factory. Merkur is proud to contribute to innovation and productivity in Quebec!
KHROME PRODUIT TRANSPORT is a manufacturing integrator located in Drummondville specialized in the design and manufacturing of train car interiors and exteriors. Its strength comes from its great engineering capacity and its manufacturing agility. Among its customer portfolio, there are major manufacturers such as Alstom, Bombardier Transportation and Kawasaki Rail Car.
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