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Testing Todd: Where Can We Improve?

Suppliers and manufacturers alike are struggling to fill spots lost during COVID. Whether it was downsizing due to lower demand or loss due to the pandemic, we are all facing challenges on our return to full strength.

Looking at this from a high-altitude level, I wonder where we can improve. In process design and implementation, we look at the overall task, space, environment, ergonomics, facilities, and the like. We look to implement the process so that it is effective and provides the required deliverables. Right now, we are facing labor shortages that put a strain on processes that once were robust. What can we change?

One of the final stages of process development is automation. Can we automate any tasks or the process entirely? In many more challenging processes, this answer is no; human intervention is required. But even here, the shortages are being felt and throughput suffers. But we can make some changes that may be more efficient.

The word automation strikes fear in many as the first thought is loss of jobs to mechanization. This doesn’t have to mean a loss of a job; the “task” may be automated, and a human is no longer required, but that doesn’t mean the human is replaced entirely. First, the key to automation is to remove the human from the tedious, repetitive tasks. The highest workplace injuries are attributed to lifting and twisting. Further, these types of tasks can introduce errors, as over time an operator can become fatigued and lose focus from a repetitive task. If there’s a lift or twist injury, you might have lost time and insurance claims.

Our focus, rather, should be on automating these tasks. Lifting, twisting, and flipping can all be automated with today’s handling equipment. Loading conveyers, flipping products, changing directions, and loading or unloading machines can all be accomplished by these intelligent machines. No more injuries, claims, or lost time. Some periodic maintenance and they just keep on rockin’.

The human element can be moved to fill lost spots in other more important tasks that require critical thinking and activity. This can also help fill the voids where COVID took its toll. We can develop stronger employees with more interest and eagerness to learn something new; it’s a win-win. So, as we look forward to changes in the upcoming months and years, let’s use that higher perspective to see where we can automate tedious tasks and move those employees to more important tasks. We want them to develop meaningful skills and a greater understanding of the overall manufacturing picture in the environment in which they are placed.

Let’s not look at it as employees who are losing jobs; automate the tedious and often harmful tasks, then transfer that available brain power to where it can best be utilized.

This column originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of PCB007 Magazine.