This previous spring, Augury carried out the inaugural report “The State of Manufacturing Well being 2023” whereby 500 manufacturing stakeholders – VPs and better – provided their views on the present state of producing. The consequence identifies key challenges, traits, and finest practices as producers attempt to stability the competing calls for of income, individuals, and the planet.
Many producers are feeling extra assured as they apply extra Trade 4.0 applied sciences. Nonetheless, if one seems extra intently on the numbers, it additionally turns into clear that whereas AI is turning into the norm, not everyone seems to be harnessing its full potential.
Trade veteran and advisor Scott Reed, who spent over 30 years as a changemaker government within the constructing supplies business, talks about what struck him – and shocked him – most concerning the report’s findings.
Manufacturing Stays the Similar
In some ways, the state of producing hasn’t modified a lot within the final 50 years, in keeping with Scott. “Actually, when it comes to goals, it’s the identical story: getting product out of the door in probably the most environment friendly method doable. However when it comes to technological advances, the instruments have grow to be rather more highly effective by means of the evolutions of applications devoted to steady enchancment reminiscent of TQM, Six Sigma, Lean, and TPS, and over time developed into what we now name digital transformation,” says Scott.
“In the present day, you’ll be able to hit metrics you solely dreamed of some years in the past. We’d by no means think about hitting 98 p.c machine availability – the juice was simply not definitely worth the squeeze. However now we’ve got the instruments to get us there.”
“This doesn’t change the truth that to get wherever, you want a plan. It’s essential to, what I name, ‘prepared the setting’ the place all groups are all purposefully aligned and ready in directing and managing change,” says Scott. “Particularly now when it’s not getting any simpler.
You have got this unending want for effectivity and value discount, data switch points as we attempt to exchange an growing older workforce, upskilling plant-floor employees whereas additionally bettering security, creating and attaining sustainability objectives, assembly elevated demand with a recovering provide chain, and so forth… It’s a balancing act that will get extra complicated yearly.”
Fortunately, the report reveals an all-around optimism in how AI and automation may help with the state of producing significantly on the subject of the workforce. “Regardless of the widespread opinion that AI and automation are ‘stealing jobs,’ 80 p.c of respondents say know-how adoption can have a optimistic impression on workforce upskilling efforts. Of these, 12 p.c say that it’ll have a major optimistic impression,” in keeping with the report.
Producers Unaware of True Potential
Whereas 70 p.c of the respondents believed they have been assembly their manufacturing potential, different findings appear to contradict this confidence – with 35 p.c nonetheless citing machine well being as a key concern and solely 21 p.c with the ability to quantify their AI funding in manufacturing well being.
“As unhappy as it’s, these numbers recommend that chaos exists in lots of operations – that they’re nonetheless too busy with day-to-day firefighting,” says Scott. “There may additionally be an absence of requirements and operational self-discipline in addition to competing purposeful priorities and goals.
Merely put, everybody ought to perceive their Asset Capability, Utilized Capability, and Realized Capability as associated to the utmost allowed manufacturing charge, most accessible hours and scheduled hours, and manufacturing losses (downtime, gradual time, and high quality waste). Sure, that is OEE and Utilization. Nonetheless, should you don’t know the magnitude of the entitlement, you don’t have any clue the place and the way far the North Star lies forward.”
Manufacturing is Well being Rising
In the meantime, manufacturing well being – nonetheless a comparatively new time period – is attracting as a lot AI funding as the availability chain. Manufacturing well being is more and more seen, in keeping with the report, as “the inspiration for balancing competing manufacturing calls for, assembly upskilling wants, and attaining sustainability objectives.”
“This completely is smart,” says Scott. “This concept of manufacturing well being can actually assist producers sort out their issues. It rolls all the things underneath one interconnected umbrella: materials well being, course of well being, machine well being, product well being, and folks well being.”
The Huge Image: Every little thing is Related
With 26 p.c of the respondents nonetheless relating to sustainability as a hindrance to hitting productiveness objectives, it’s nonetheless a good suggestion to take a look at the “huge image” of the state of producing, together with all of the interrelationships. Because the report places it: “Optimizing machines and processes for cleaner, much less wasteful manufacturing additionally optimizes them for effectivity, security, uptime, and capability, which all result in extra worthwhile operations.”
“I’m really very optimistic about the way forward for our business,” Scott says. “However the C-Suite actually wants to know what their firm is striving for. After which they should clearly talk that with the remainder of the group. If it’s not clear within the heads of administration, it is going to get extra complicated as you go top-down. And there are not any instruments – AI or in any other case – that can resolve that.”
“Persons are too targeted on their explicit ache factors. They’ve a listing of 25 priorities however nonetheless can’t articulate what’s most vital. However the excellent news on this report is how these completely different challenges should not mutually unique – they’re very a lot inclusive.”