Manufacturing

Robotics in Manufacturing

T-Impact work with enthusiastic and driven manufacturers seeking to empower their workforce and improve efficiency using digital transformation. Our robotics & AI subscription model enables you to develop a strong business case before embarking on further automation projects, as well as achieving large levels of ROI within the first year of operation. Speak with one of our experts today to learn how other manufacturing organisations are already embracing this technology and what you can do to get ahead of the market.

MANUFACTURING TESTIMONIALS

Management and Administration

Financial Operations

Management and Administration

Gavin Goates, CEO of PCML Ltd.

Financial Operations

Nadine Bishop, Finance Director at PCML Ltd.

What are the disruptions to Manufacturing?

Shifting Regulatory Environments

Companies do not have the time to brief staff on the latest legislation, meaning that changes to health and safety regulations have left organisations on the wrong side of the law.

Under-skilled Staff

Manufacturers have found themselves operating over capacity due to a shortage of highly-skilled workers. Product quality is also affected.

Communication Issues

A lack of direct communication internally and externally means that vital details are withheld or missed due to technological and staffing limitations.

Emerging Technologies

5G connectivity, sensor technology and the Industrial Internet of Things has created massive levels of unstructured data for manufacturing firms.

Global Competition

Manufacturing firms have to adapt, offering unique propositions to remain competitive. Production is shifting towards high-value technology products of services to avoid price wars.

What can robotics do for manufacturing? 

Manufacturing has always used physical robots in assembly, testing, and packaging. Back-office operations have, however, remained understaffed and under-utilised resulting in delays. Problems like under-skilled staff and shifting regulations have reduced efficiencies for manufacturing firms. They have turned to RPA to optimise these back-end operations. RPA is now the essential tool for manufacturers to maximise their output for minimal cost.

Software robotics is essential for manufacturers to access new revenue streams and improve back-end efficiency. A balance of highly skilled virtual workers and technically skilled human staff can quickly lead to massive improvements in output, revenue and profit.

RPA is best used in rule-based processes with a high volume of data and clear workflow. In manufacturing, they can specifically be deployed for:

Managing Stock and Inventory

• Robots can monitor and control inventory levels.

• They can generate stock notifications and automatically re-order products when necessary.

• Minimal shortages of materials occur as a result.

Purchase Orders

• RPA can use a rule-based workflow function to extract data.

• Approval is obtained from senior staff and the request is processed accordingly.

• Capacity is shared and bottlenecks are avoided.

Vendor Communication

• The virtual workforce can open and manage all emails, downloading attachments when necessary.

• Details are logged into the central hub and the next action is determined.

• Human staff are freed, to focus on complex tasks instead.

The Robotics involved in Manufacturing 

AI and Robotics in manufacturing have traditionally been limited to the assembly line. However, new modern Robotic Process Automation (RPA) refers to software robots that can perform a variety of manual functions such as opening emails, processing data and downloading attachments.

By mimicking human activity, RPA can perform the same functions as humans on your console, creating and accessing information in your existing systems. When partnered with AI platforms such as IBM Watson, Microsoft AI and Google DeepMind, these tools can work in tandem to manage more complex processes.

 

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What are the benefits of Robotic Process Automation in Manufacturing?

RPA is essential for manufacturing firms to continue delivering a high ROI, but other benefits include:

Reduced Operational Costs

RPA can work 24/7 without stopping. You won’t need additional staff to support busy seasonal periods.

Standardised Levels of Quality

Your virtual workforce replicates every process identically. Quality assurance checks are efficient and extensive.

Improved Control and Assurance

Your RPA records every action end-to-end, so you have full visibility of where the robots are adding value.

Seamless Integration

Robots can be easily incorporated into your existing IT architecture without incurring significant costs or structural changes.

Free Key Staff Members

Robotics unlocks important staff members. Rather than dealing with administration, they can focus on generating revenue streams and business development opportunities.

FAQs

I am running in a Citrix/Virtual environment, can a robot work with this?

Yes. Our Robotics Subscriptions use UiPath technology, the best software for Citrix and Virtualised client environments. T-Impact have implemented numerous Robotic solutions in both Virtualised and Citrix environments.

I have been told all about AI, but what is Robotics?

Quite often these two terms are mixed up and sometimes intertwined. Artificial Intelligence is a broad definition that encompasses many specialist fields. One of these is Robotics. Robotics Process Automation (RPA) refers specifically to software Robots that perform work normally performed by humans. To add to the confusion, Robots incorporate some elements of machine learning within them, allowing them to learn and adapt. They also have pre-built integration into most advanced AI platforms, which allow them to make complex decisions and to learn from the data they process (machine learning).  The most common platforms include Microsoft AI, IBM Watson & Google Deepmind.

What processes are best suited to RPA?

Robotic Process Automation can be best deployed with repetitive tasks that deal with large amounts of digital data that is formatted or stratified by specific rules.

Will my robotics ever slow down?

No, your robotics solution can operate twenty-four-seven and you can scale outputs up and down to minimise any potential backlog issues.

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