Written by Aamir Paul
Digital transformation is fundamentally changing the way business is done. Every industry has more data, faster processes, and safer, more efficient work.
However, the industrial sectors that could perhaps benefit most from automation and digitalization are lagging behind. Outdated notions of automation, such as the fear that robots will replace hard-working people, are holding back progress.
Industrial automation uses control systems such as computers and other information technologies to handle processes and machinery. These technologies are human-centric. They are not about cutting costs by taking away jobs. It aims to make repetitive or dangerous tasks safer and more efficient by reducing the need for people to participate in those tasks and allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks.
Automation is essential for industrial companies to remain competitive and retain their talent. As a result, almost half of all industries have begun some form of digital transformation. However, the early stages of industrial automation projects often present challenges such as delivery times, costs, technical issues, and communication gaps.
Working with an expert partner in digital transformation can help alleviate these challenges by organizing resources, addressing skills gaps, planning digitalization, and achieving interoperability. Such partnerships also have the potential to foster cross-industry dialogue and innovation to meet evolving market demands.
Responding to digital demands
In today’s digital age, industrial companies must leverage digital technology and automation to meet evolving customer demands. Now more than ever, companies are expected to produce highly customized products and deliver them on short lead times.
To make its operations more efficient and meet its sustainability goals, Whirlpool Corporation developed and implemented a resource management strategy across its 40 manufacturing locations worldwide. By integrating digital infrastructure and implementing strategic consulting with Schneider Electric as a sustainability partner, Whirlpool discovered new data insights to pinpoint process and resource inefficiencies. After learning that its Ohio factory had more than 20 million pounds of cardboard waste, the company expected to save more than $1 million over three years through improved resource management.
Data insights like this represent one of the biggest benefits that digital automation offers industrial companies. By making hidden data visible, businesses can reduce waste, save money, and provide real-time data to employees to make faster, smarter decisions, improving operations without compromising quality. will be able to speed up.
Automation can also help solve some of the key challenges associated with reshoring and nearshoring efforts, which have become key strategies for U.S. industrial businesses seeking sustainable growth and operational resiliency. Automation helps U.S. manufacturers become more globally competitive by enhancing operational efficiency, cost efficiency, and production scalability.
future industry
Remaining competitive in the industrial sector in an era of rapid digitization requires skills in data science, AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. At the same time, the proliferation of sustainable practices and renewable energy is drawing a whole new breed of professionals to the field, especially those passionate about environmental stewardship and sustainable resource management.
There are currently approximately 600,000 unsecured manufacturing jobs in the United States, and the industrial sector faces higher costs, reduced safety, production delays, and quality issues. Industrial automation can play a vital role in attracting new talent. This is because new industry professionals are digitally minded and expect advanced software and equipment from their future employers.
However, this concept has not yet caught on among many current and soon-to-be retired workers. In a recent Omnia and Schneider Electric survey of 407 industrial companies around the world, 73% of participants said digitalization will significantly change the nature of work over the next three years. However, 49% said they had no or insufficient skills in robotics and programming, and 30% said they had no or insufficient skills in data processing, visualization, and analysis.
Expert partners and advanced technology can help companies close the skills gap between departing employees and new employees by acting as onboarding drivers, helping employers identify skill gaps and create customized learning Allows you to create programs. These programs give employees the skills to adapt to evolving jobs and technology, and are critical for employers to ensure a top-notch workforce.
The successful integration of digitalization into facility operations depends on the buy-in of all employees. While partners can help companies develop strategies to improve workforce skills, it’s up to business leaders to create a culture that supports automation and innovation through comprehensive training and a focus on growth opportunities.
The path to widespread industrial automation requires strategic investment and a cultural commitment from business leaders to help employees understand the value automation brings. Companies that embrace industrial automation as an opportunity rather than a threat can attract new talent with future-proof jobs and foster economic and social development. By integrating industrial automation, leaders can set new industry standards and drive the development of innovative solutions that meet the needs of emerging markets.
Learn more about how you can partner with Schneider Electric to transform your operations.
