A recent headline in the Philadelphia Inquirer reading “Robots don’t get sick” succinctly summed up the current view of consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies during the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to automation. Even before the coronavirus, CPGs were embracing the technology in increasing numbers, according to the “Robotics: Innovation 2 Implementation” report from PMMI Business Intelligence, a division of PMMI. Lean manufacturing, international trade tensions, an aging workforce and the demand for rapid e-commerce order fulfillment were driving adoption. With flexibility now inherent to most robots, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is enabling machine learning for automation to operate in dynamic environments with ever-changing products making robots ideal for situations where employees need to social distance or are not available to work.
The number one challenge facing the industry is access to enough human resources with the skills to design, program, commission, operate and service the robotics on the plant floor of the future. The report calls for companies to adopt an automation center of excellence (COE) outlook, which includes the people, processes and technology necessary to maximize the benefits of automation, including robotic process automation. Rather than piecemeal together automation solutions, it is crucial to find new automation opportunities, scale-up automation throughout an organization and devise a long-term vision to ensure streamlined operations.