Most manufacturing workers – more than half – hunger for change and “intelligent” solutions for labour-intensive jobs – but factories still operate in the old way because so many workers distrust new technology.
This is among the findings from an Intel study, “Industry 4.0 demands the co-evolution of workers and manufacturing operations” that aimed to establish what it takes to realize the full potential of intelligent factories; and whether companies, workers and manufacturing leaders areequipped to handle the changes ahead of them.
The research was undertaken against the backdrop of Internet of Things (IoT) rapidly transforming how humans work, operate and interact with machines, especially in manufacturing. Manufacturing is becoming more digitally intense, and the promise of the “intelligent factories” – where analytics, artificial intelligence and IoT converge to drive intelligent decision-making and optimise productivity – is real.
Some key takeaways from the study include:
* Automating the mundane: 59% of participants wanted “intelligent” solutions to take on manual or labour-intensive jobs.
* Bringing consumer tech to the factory: Participants envision consumer-like technologies in the factory, with 62% wanting smart machines that can partner with humans to complete tasks or can complete the tasks for them.
* Culture and leadership a bigger obstacle than technology: Participants described distrust of new technology and resistance at the C-suite level to technology adoption, despite the fact that it would increase efficiency for their companies.
* Fear of transition and the need for training: Participants saw themselves as potentially being at risk if they failed to learn new processes and navigate the transition successfully.
* The skills gap: Workers were worried their factories will leave them behind because while the industry changes, they are not getting a chance to learn newer technologies.