2018 | Blue-Collar Robots

Category: Automation

Industry: Robotics

Location: Global

Related to: Future of Urban Living, Blockchain, Automation, Manufacturing, Machine Learning

Reviewer: Logan Larkin / BFA Parsons School of Design

Company: McKinsey Quarterly Fifty Five 

Website: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/five-fifty-lights-out

About:

McKinsey Quarterly Fifty Five published an article on the future of business functions and insights on how automation will create a “lights-out” manufacturing environment. According to Mckinsey, the “lights out” production concept involves the complete automation of activities and material flows. This is becoming more common as the cost of robots falls relative to labor. Robots are capable of doing a variety of tasks with speed and precision. If robots are capable of machine learning, and decision-making capability, they will be able to integrate easily into the human part of a factory.

Advances in technology have enabled integration of automation in the manufacturing industry. In addition, the people who are adept at designing and installing automated robotic systems are becoming widely available. Robots themselves are becoming more complex as well, allowing them to learn in real time and optimize their programs for each individual scenario based on previous outcomes. A successful automation strategy requires good decisions on multiple levels. Companies must choose which activities to automate, what level of automation to use, and which technologies to adopt. There are several factors that go into a strong automation strategy. Automation strategies must align with business and operations strategy in order to achieve a balanced organization of solutions. Another important factor is understanding why automation is the right choice by identifying what needs to be solved so that the automation can work at the highest possible optimization. Lastly, automation can lead to overly complex solutions and companies must be careful not to overcomplicate the manufacturing process.