Recent advancements in AI are revolutionizing manufacturing by providing capabilities to perform automated planning and scheduling, process monitoring, optimization of workflows, automated error handling, and intelligent maintenance. The term smart manufacturing is used to cover a broad category of technologies that utilize AI and digital representations combined with sensors and networks to improve operational performance within the manufacturing enterprise. Smart manufacturing is beginning to leverage generative AI models to generate plans and utilize image recognition for defect detection and quality assurance. Recent AI advances in pattern recognition and signal processing are also being utilized to assess equipment health and recommend maintenance at optimal intervals. Deployment of smart manufacturing technologies is expected to have positive outcomes for workers and the environment.
- Worker productivity can receive a significant boost and health risks can be reduced by deploying smart manufacturing technologies. Many manufacturing jobs involve the execution of physically demanding tasks, such as sanding or grinding, which result in health complications like carpal tunnel syndrome and musculoskeletal injuries. Through smart manufacturing, these health hazards can be eliminated, empowering workers to concentrate on tasks that add value. Therefore, implementing smart manufacturing not only mitigates health risks for workers but also opens avenues for career growth for manufacturing workers, guiding them toward more gratifying and enriching roles.
- Many traditional manufacturing processes are wasteful in terms of energy consumption, generation of waste that goes to landfills, consumption of natural resources, and emission of harmful pollutants. Smart manufacturing technology aims to eliminate errors and optimize the processing condition. Therefore, smart manufacturing technologies can be leveraged to reduce energy consumption, conserve natural resources, and reduce waste. This helps in reducing the overall environmental impact of manufacturing.
Many people are concerned about the impact of smart manufacturing on the prospects for jobs in the manufacturing sector. Humans are highly flexible and can quickly adapt to handle new challenges and can often find creative ways to solve difficult problems. Moreover, human expertise is indispensable in deploying and utilizing smart manufacturing technologies to optimize production. Humans have played an important role in traditional manufacturing enterprises, and we expect that they will continue to play an important role in the era of smart manufacturing.
Human workers teamed with AI-powered machines will help the industry in delivering smart manufacturing solutions to increase human productivity, reduce health risks for humans, and unleash human creativity. The advent of smart manufacturing technologies is changing the nature of work. Therefore, smart manufacturing technologies cannot be deployed without the right kind of workforce.
In many situations, management gets excited about the potential of smart manufacturing technologies, and decisions to select and deploy smart manufacturing technologies are made without consulting workers. It is not uncommon to see situations where workers learn about smart manufacturing technology during the worker training phase of the technology deployment. This leads to a lot of challenges during technology adoption. Previous experiences have taught us that just training the workers is not enough and a lot more needs to be done to make sure that workers are engaged appropriately when developing and deploying smart manufacturing technologies. To ensure success in the deployment of smart manufacturing technologies, we need to engage workers early in the decision-making process. Moreover, providers of smart manufacturing technology need to play an important role in educating workers.
If workers do not believe in the technology, then adoption will be very slow and painful. Therefore, engaging workers at all stages of technology development, selection, deployment, and utilization is important. Workers need to be aware of technology capabilities and they need to believe that the technology will empower them to do their jobs better. They also need to be assured that the technology is safe and will improve their lives. Sometimes, workers need incentives to utilize new technologies effectively. User interface design should also be done in collaboration with workers who will use the technology. Workers also need to clearly understand how embracing new technologies can help them progress in their careers.
Ultimately, if workers become advocates and champions for smart manufacturing technology, then the technology will get adopted in a faster manner with reduced friction. Professional societies are beginning to play an important role in this area. Many companies offering smart manufacturing solutions are launching their own training programs to ensure the time needed to develop programs at traditional academic institutions does not create a workforce shortage. They are also running their own technology awareness programs.
The following seven-stage approach is necessary to create smart manufacturing technology advocates and champions in the manufacturing worker community:
- Generate Awareness: The initial engagement with workers should focus on generating awareness of technology and available solutions. This can be accomplished by partnering with professional societies active in the smart manufacturing area.
- Alleviate Concerns: During this stage, technology providers need to convince workers that the technology is safe, and it will enable them to do more value-added tasks and increase their value within the organization. Accomplishing this requires holding meetings with workers at deployment sites.
- Align Interests: During this stage, the technology provider needs to convince workers that adopting new technology can lead to career growth and create more employment opportunities for them in the future.
- Provide Education: This stage needs to focus on training workers at customer facilities to use and maintain the smart manufacturing technology.
- Create Partnerships: Technology providers should try to engage workers in improving the user interface and refining the process to ensure that the solutions being deployed are easy to use and address customer needs in an efficient manner.
- Demonstrate Value: This stage needs to focus on delivering and documenting the promised performance in terms of cost, time, and quality so that technology users can see the value of the new technology.
- Gain Trust: Finally, a concerted effort is needed to gain workers’ trust by providing prompt support and service, demonstrating a high degree of reliability and safety.
When workers buy into the value of smart manufacturing, the adoption of technology is expected to be much faster and smoother. Technology advocates and champions from the worker community can leverage the technology to improve their own job performance, deliver value to employers, help fellow workers, and accelerate technology adoption.