Technology has made a substantial impact on our daily lives, it improves the way we operate, increases our efficiency, and allows us to communicate seamlessly. We are surrounded by smart devices such as phones, TVs, cars, and speakers, even the washing machine and coffee maker are connected to the internet or can be. Technology has entered every avenue of our personal lives and revolutionized the way we get things done, all for the better. If we have the capability to revolutionize our personal lives via technology adoption, there must be other areas where technology can make an exponential impact in the same way. e.g., manufacturing, an area with great opportunity for technology adoption and implementation.
Our economic engine is historically reformed every 75-100 years. However, the time span between revolutions is decreasing due to, you guessed it, technology. Within manufacturing, the first revolution started with mechanized production, which included the introduction of steam engines in the 18th-19th century. The second revolution introduced mass production via assembly lines after the invention of useable electricity, think Ford’s Model T production in the early 19th century. The third revolution introduces automation such as information technology (IT) and robotics near the end of the 19th century and into the early 2000s. Lastly and most recently, we are entering a fourth revolution, which involves smart connectivity between devices via networked devices, machines, and processes driven by cloud-based computing.
Two practical examples of technologies that completely changed the way we do things are telephone and email communication. The telephone was invented in 1876 but by 1900 there were nearly 600,000 telephones being used, by the year 1905 that number had increased to 2.2 million, and up to 5.8 million phones by the year 1910. In 1971 email communication was introduced, prior to email, mail was the standard practice for communicating written information via letters. Fast forward to today, prehistoric, and outdated methods of communication would debilitate our society and economy as we know it. Now, the standard practice of communication involves phone calls, text messaging, and video conferencing. Back to manufacturing, modern technology capabilities can give high-speed counts and identify defects, analyze machine data and environmental factors, and much more. Predictive analytics identifies the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data. Artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks. The amount of new, fun, and exciting technology at our fingertips is invigorating! New systems can collect new data, automate processes, and help create a collaborative environment for the frontline workforce.
Unlike the exponential growth and adoption of personal technology use, our manufacturing facilities are lacking in their technology adoption. It’s not just about the technology and its capabilities, it’s about technology integration and adoption so it can be utilized to get an understanding of what is occurring in real-time to make smarter and faster decisions. But why aren’t our manufacturing facilities embracing the full extension of the technology toolbelt via integration? The answer lies within uncertainty and the unknown of ‘how’ to integrate and leverage technology. We are at a crossroads of technological capabilities and ease of accessing data. The only thing remaining is to act and develop a plan to leverage technology to improve business as we know it. It’s time to change the narrative and for our manufacturers to start implementing and how layering technology into manufacturing can be revolutionary to the way we do business. In my upcoming blog series, I will be highlighting how to begin technology implementation, where to start, and the business outcomes that derive from these initiatives.