The Importance of Auditing Automation Plans to Avoid Costly Assumptions
- Published
- Source
- AutomationWorld.com
Recent case studies highlight the significant benefits of addressing bottlenecks and reducing changeover times through methods like SMED, without requiring substantial capital investment. Manufacturers are encouraged to audit their automation strategies to identify root causes and ensure that automation enhances the appropriate processes. A common pitfall is that new automation solutions may inadvertently reinforce outdated assumptions about existing processes, which can lead to inefficiencies.
The case of a shopping cart manufacturer illustrates this risk, where leadership was poised for a multimillion-dollar expansion despite stagnant sales. A thorough examination revealed that only 31% of production time was value-adding, with significant time lost to changeovers and waiting. By canceling the expansion and applying the SMED method, the company improved efficiency and increased revenue significantly without additional investment.
The shopping cart manufacturer’s experience underscores the need for organizations to audit their current processes before implementing new automation. Specifically, they should evaluate how current equipment utilizes its operational hours to avoid entrenching inefficient practices into new systems. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Original report
The Orthodoxy Audit: Three Assumptions Hiding In Your Automation Roadmap
AutomationWorld.com · Todd HagopianThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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