Adapt and Overcome: Is Automation the Right Solution?
By Mark Howe, Vice President, Sales & Marketing
The Knotts Company
In The Knotts Company’s 68 year history, we have experienced a number of events that have an impact on manufacturing and society as a whole. From natural disasters to economic recessions, each has affected manufacturing’s way of doing business. Historic events, both big and small, are opportunities to better understand your strengths and weaknesses.
COVID-19 has impacted manufacturing in ways we would have never imagined. This pandemic has made it clear that in the future, factories, and warehouses will need to evaluate and adapt to not only serve their customers, but to also protect the wellbeing of their workforce.
As we all learned quickly, the future is unpredictable. However, we can take the steps needed to ensure that we can quickly adapt to these circumstances. Our mindset: with the right solutions, we can overcome any challenge that we’re facing. Flexibility is more important than ever to maintain production. Automation can provide the flexibility needed to minimize the risk of the unknown and ensure business continuity.
As engineers at heart, we’re rolling up our sleeves to provide the resources you need to transition out of the planning stages and prepare for future growth.
- Evaluate the current manufacturing and production levels for your facility. Where are potential gaps? Will a labor shortage cause a bottleneck and delays?
- Are workers provided with an adaptable workstation that gives them the space to work safely and efficiently?
- Can collaborative robots be used to handle low value, mundane repeatable tasks?
- Do you have the right partners to support your automation efforts?
We are all under pressure to do more with fewer resources in a very competitive global environment. The pandemic accelerated the need to evaluate how we are currently doing business. Let’s use this opportunity to adapt, overcome, and grow. There are many tools available today that can help you take control of your path forward.
What is your vision for the future? Automation will be a part of that future.