Where do operators fit with current manufacturing technology trends?
If you are keeping up with where the manufacturing industry is heading, you will see diverse trends and approaches. So much new technology is being deployed and COVID-19 is placing a higher urgency on uptake.
Historically, we have implemented excellent tools to drive workforce behavior and asset performance visibility. Tools such as Six Sigma and Lean brought an increase in efficiency and a reduction in errors. OEE and historians provide a great level of understanding of machine efficiency, albeit in the rear-view mirror.
More advanced operations implemented MES software (at a massive cost), which gave them full awareness of material movement, yield, but in contrast further increased the complexity of an operator’s role in understanding and using yet another system.