Manufacturing: coronavirus puts spotlight on what can be done remotely

The coronavirus outbreak is taking a heavy toll on businesses in all industries, with offices around the world temporarily closing to help stop the spread of the disease.

But many industries -- including manufacturing -- cannot easily switch to home-based working.

In the United States, some automakers have told non-factory employees to work remotely while keeping production going, The Verge reports.

Ford is among those that have taken this twin-track approach, instructing its employees to work remotely until further notice -- "except those in business-critical roles that cannot be done away from Ford facilities".

In Europe, Ford has temporarily suspended vehicle and engine production at its manufacturing sites.

New technologies enable factories to be operated with much less human intervention and it's thought the current crisis could accelerate the transition to Industry 4.0.

According to a new white paper from ABI Research, the COVID-19 pandemic will force companies to "radically rethink how they operate and embrace technological investment".

"To effect change, there must be a stimulation of a magnitude that means companies cannot do anything but make bold decisions to survive. COVID-19 is that magnitude," explained Stuart Carlaw, chief research officer at ABI Research.

Such bold decisions and technological investments could lead to a more concerted and widespread move to lights-out manufacturing; increased use of autonomous materials handling and goods vehicles; and a more integrated, diverse and coordinated supply chain.

However, Carlaw warned of "serious short-term implications" before this potential long-term impact emerges.

"Contractions in consumer spending, disruptions to supply chains, and reduced availability of components will create a rough sea for all boats," he said. "In the short term, there will be a retrenchment in outlooks [and] a reduced investment in modernisation, as survival instincts trump the drive to prosperity."

To learn how to manage the energy of your site remotely, click HERE.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Will COVID-19 accelerate the shift to Industry 4.0?

Image
The current global health crisis is also a business and economic crisis and will change the way we work, with a greater focus on technology. That's according to Nigel Green, CEO of financial advisory firm deVere Group, who says that a recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a "fundamental shift" in how we live, do business and invest. In particular, Green expects to see an acceleration in the adoption and development of Industry 4.0, or the fourth industrial revolution, reports technology and business news provider Verdict. "The coronavirus outbreak can be expected to speed up the so-called fourth revolution, which is fuelled by new technologies such as artificial intelligence and mobile supercomputing," he said. The physical distancing and self-isolation measures currently in place around the world are likely to help reinforce the adoption of digital technologies, Green added. "Enforced social distancing will highligh
Read more

Manufacturers turn to automation and smart tech as coronavirus hits production

Image
The coronavirus pandemic is likely to hasten the rollout of automation and smart technology in the manufacturing industry. Government rules aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 have kept employees at home and disrupted supply chains. As a result, manufacturers around the world have been forced to chose their factories and radically rethink how they operate.   In a recent article for CNBC.com, Rebecca Fannin looked at how the virus has impacted manufacturers based in China, the first country to be hit by the virus. The biggest impact was seen in sectors with large assembly operations such as auto manufacturers and electronic component makers. Resuming production "has been a struggle" at many factories, but highly automated plants such as Cadillac's new Shanghai facility had a head start, Fannin explained.  The Cadillac factory, opened in 2016, has 386 robots and two fully automated production lines that do welding and painting.   One clear, long-term imp
Read more

Crisis presents opportunity for manufacturers to reassess their digitalisation

Image
A crisis is a defining moment, and it can take a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic for people -- and companies -- to find the courage to make significant changes to the way they do things. In the manufacturing industry, the pandemic represents an opportunity for firms to reassess their digital strategy, writes Paul Hogendoorn in an article for Manufacturing Automation. The current crisis is of sufficient magnitude that the trajectories of many businesses will be altered, Hogendoorn explains. How they fare will be to a large extent affected by the decisions and choices they make. Hogendoorn goes on to discuss the three most common conversations he had with manufacturers before the pandemic struck: - the challenge of digitising their work flow; - gaining visibility into their production condition in real time; and - the need to make their factories and jobs more attractive to a younger work force. When it comes to attracting the next generation into manufacturing, we need t
Read more