Industrial automation requires a good implementation process design as much as it requires well-designed robotics and software. Overall, the process time frame depends on the number of associated tasks, number of automations, production goals, and implementation prioritization. Some simple projects require only a few weeks. Complex systems can require multiple months.
7 Steps of Automation Implementation
Below, we provide a glimpse into the seven steps of industrial automation implementation. You can develop your own project timeline according to these inclusions. By following these steps, you also help ensure your program provides the most beneficial results in the least amount of time.
Identify Processes for Automation
Examine each of your industrial processes. Which are suitable for automation? You will find some are more adaptable to technological automation than others.
Validate Automation Opportunities
Check the validity of each process, in terms of adaptability to automation. Remember that each process is typically inclusive of both transactional and decisional steps. Automation suits transactional activities, those that include repetitive and often time-consuming tasks. Decisioning aspects of processes frequently require human interaction.
Choose Your Design Model
Choose the appropriate design model for the desired process outcome. Sometimes this necessitates redesigning the process to maximize automation scope or for additional benefits. Remember to base your design on suitability for the business structure.
Customize Automation Modeling According to Process Needs
Some processes require splitting into distinct sub-processes as part of the overall model customization. This often requires the cooperation of the product build experts or other stakeholders of a particular process. It is also a potential means for greatly increasing process efficiency.
Develop an Automation Plan
You must dive deeply into your processes and identify everywhere an exception can occur. This can involve first automating the most time-consuming segment of your process, then focusing on automation of other incremental steps. Do this implementation process development in stages. You may find it is not appropriate to automate all scenarios. It can be more prudent to automate the majority of the scenarios and let experts work on the exceptions. Before moving onto the next stage, first, observe your plan’s functionality and performance in the current stage.
PLC System
Deploy Your Pilot Phase
A pilot project is a critical step before the implementation of any automation plan. Take this time to go through the process in real-time, observing the automation plan’s performance and effectiveness.
Use Pilot Phase Results to Make Improvements
Examine the results of your pilot phase and revisit scenarios requiring automation and any acceptable exceptions. Ensure key stakeholders for the process are involved with this step. They must understand the long-term project and support the next steps. Collaboration and stakeholder involvement is critical for successful automation and for finding the differences between testing and live scenarios. Training is also often required for roll-out.
Roll-Out
Your automation plan focuses on the development of the actual automation. But it must also provide clarity for training and contingency management. Your organization will probably need documentation of the process prior to automation for these purposes, as well. Key questions for this phase include:
- To which level can we drive change in the process or organization, as a whole?
- How many people will the process require after automation?
- Will output meet current volumes with reduced staff?
Maintain Focus on Automation
Automation is not a close-ended activity. You will experience changes in your processes and even in the systems. These changes require a positive change management process. You should also develop a plan for change management according to the estimated impact of any changes. For this phase, also achieve stakeholder endorsement.
Benefits of Automation
There are many benefits of industrial automation, whether as part of one process for through company-wide implementation. For your organization, these benefits can include:
- Reduced manpower costs
- Increased productivity
- Workflow optimization for increased efficiency
- Elimination of human errors
- Quick scalability
- Lower production costs
- Consistency in product quality
- Improved employee experience
- Increased profitability
