Automation Strategy & Management
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Automation Strategy & Management
An automation strategy allows a manufacturing company to stay ahead of the curve, adapt to changing market demands, and remain competitive in an increasingly technology-driven industry. Implementation Engineers provides our customers with comprehensive facility technology strategies that include three pillars: technology, process, and people. We not only develop technology roadmaps for our clients, but we also implement the technology during IX®. We work with clients to develop multi-year roadmaps with pragmatic and actionable content such as pilot technology deployments, and foundational data management requirements needed to support technology evolution. Additionally, we build in change management and upskilling to ensure we move the people through the effort to yield the maximum intended value.
Automation roadmap built for implementation
Process and People gaps identified to support future automated facility
IX® in Action
Our client, a leading aircraft equipment manufacturer, had manual operations at one of its facilities involving jig-based drilling and manual assembly of units using rivets and threaded fasteners. In collaboration with IE, the client sought to fully automate the assembly process to increase throughput while reducing reliance on manual labor. Activities during IX® included:
- Mapped the current process to identify/confirm all process steps and respective labor content
- Developed a future state map to incorporate automation options that address labor and throughput requirements
- Identified general operational improvements along with the automation roadmap to achieve the future state
- Identified key automation steps to enhance throughput objectives in tandem with initial process enhancements
- Proposed Smart Workstations and basic Collaborative Drilling as starting point with the potential for multiple automation paths at varying levels
- Mapped the current process to identify/confirm all process steps and respective labor content
- Developed a future state map to incorporate automation options that address labor and throughput requirements
- Identified general operational improvements along with the automation roadmap to achieve the future state
- Identified key automation steps to enhance throughput objectives in tandem with initial process enhancements
- Proposed Smart Workstations and basic Collaborative Drilling as starting point with the potential for multiple automation paths at varying levels