The Human Side of Automation
The following article was originally published by Wide-format Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Wide-Format Impressions.
While much of the discussion about the automation of print processes today centers around things like mechanical systems, robots, software, and AI, discounting the human factors of work is a recipe for failure. It is also a factor that can hinder the success of automation investments.
Value Employee Training
There is perhaps no better investment to ensure project success and smooth flow through an operation than training. If your employees don’t know what they are expected to do, or they’re unsure of the best way to do their assigned tasks, they are left to devise their own solutions. Inevitably, untrained employees will find what they believe is the best way to do the job (they really have no choice). Is their way the best way? Maybe. Is forethought and training a better approach? Absolutely.
Enable Open Channels
Conversely, is your way always the best way to do the job? If your company culture is built on following instructions and not speaking up, then you may be limiting the ability of your employees — the very people who are working with the equipment and systems you utilize — to make suggestions for improvement. By creating a culture that includes listening to suggestions and established channels of open communication, your company can benefit from process improvement and innovation ideas. And most importantly, your employees can play an active role in improving their jobs.
Share a Vision for Better Work
For each of the automation solutions you integrate into your processes, take time to communicate and share your vision for how these solutions will benefit the business and change the nature of work. For some employees, automation can be seen as a threat — a way to replace a job with a machine. However, when automation is thoughtfully implemented, it is often used to improve work by removing highly repetitive tasks, such as loading or unloading a machine. Better work means that employees can instead focus on quality, monitor the systems they use, and minimize waste caused by mistakes.
Embrace Competitive Pay
As production processes have become more digitized (and, subsequently, more automated), the nature of work has changed. By and large, printing production jobs are no longer the “craft” they once were, and the pride and identity that went along with practicing that craft has also largely disappeared. Today’s manufacturing employees, whether they are working in printing or another industry, are more likely to jump jobs and industries in search of a better pay rate. So, pay them what they’re worth. Pay them what it takes (within reason) to keep them at your company. The costs and disruptions of hiring someone new may be far more expensive than a pay increase.
Optimize Plant Layout
Think of your production as a string. Depending on the layout of your shop — both in terms of physical systems and software — that string may be a tangled knot, a continuous straight line, or something in between. Plant layout isn’t simply about making your machines fit into the space available. It is intended to ease the flow of production so that your employees can move work from order entry through to shipping along a smooth and unobstructed path. A thoughtful plant layout reduces confusion, and therefore cuts down on waste and helps improve profitability.
Dan Marx, Content Director for Wide-Format Impressions, holds extensive knowledge of the graphic communications industry, resulting from his more than three decades working closely with business owners, equipment and materials developers, and thought leaders.
