Advances in technology affect any process, but especially those in the manufacturing industry. With rising costs and competition from other territories, the desire to have the latest technology has to be weighed up with balancing the books.
There are a number of factors to consider when deciding on new machinery, however, as it is not solely governed by operational costs.
Safety
Safety is the number one concern when deciding on new machinery or equipment. However, when the technology involved has moved on very quickly, or the existing operation has not been upgraded for some time, there may be a number of compatibility issues.
This is typically the case when a small to medium-sized operation becomes a much larger operation in a short space of time due to an external factor. For example, a hand sanitizer producer at the start of the coronavirus pandemic or face mask manufacturer.
When change is forced on an operation and upgrades are implemented in a hurried fashion, the temptation is to settle for a ‘workaround’ or a temporary solution that is not fit for purpose. When this occurs, the safety of the overall operation can be compromised.
Quality
You would expect new technology to increase the quality of production while also increasing the rate of production, but this is not always the case. Aside from any compatibility issues a new piece of technology may have with existing equipment, any new machinery will need a short period to ‘bed in’ and be fully calibrated for its task.
There will also be a level of re-training required for the operators and this type of upheaval will affect the consistency of production and inevitability the quality. While this is only a temporary concern, it will adversely affect any operation already running near capacity.
Footprint
Another factor to consider would be the space available. While advances in technology usually make things smaller, it is not always the case. In most circumstances though, production needs to be increased so new machinery is an addition rather than an upgrade.
In such circumstances, the size of the machinery may be the governing factor in selection. This is why many reputable suppliers of industrial equipment (PDX Gold being one example) will offer their range of products with varying footprints.
Rate of production
New technology will normally bring, once any teething issues have been solved, a faster rate of production than previously. This is usually a positive factor but it does also mean other parts of the business need to be assessed.
Clearly, demand is present (or there would be no reason to implement the new technology) but increased production will increase demand on the supply chain and the resultant storage and distribution processes, which may also need to be upgraded.
Cost
These other areas make it plain that the cost of implementing new technology into an existing operation is greater than simply the price ticket of the equipment itself, and that it has a knock-on effect for all working practices and the entire manufacturing process.
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