Automation Increases Productivity, Allowing Companies to Hire More Employees

Many employers are struggling to find workers with the skills required for today's manufacturing and logistics jobs. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, more than 80% of companies report difficulty finding qualified talent.

An aging population has reduced the available labor pool. At the same time, the U.S. job market remains strong. As a result, many companies face ongoing hiring challenges.

Robots, CNC systems, and other automation technologies have been used in manufacturing for decades. Today, companies are investing in automation to improve productivity, quality, and efficiency. Advances in robotics and automation technology have made these systems more capable and easier to implement than ever before.

Labor shortages are pushing more companies to invest in automation to support growth and maintain productivity.

Key Benefits of Automation

Automation helps manufacturers meet production goals while supporting their workforce. Common benefits include:

• Improves productivity and throughput
• Helps manufacturers address labor shortages
• Reduces repetitive manual tasks
• Improves workplace safety
• Creates opportunities for higher-skilled jobs

Does Automation Eliminate Jobs?

Some people still believe automation causes job loss and higher unemployment. This concern is especially common among workers who may need new skills or training. An increasing number of people now realize, however, this belief is a myth and have come to appreciate the wide range of benefits that automation provides. These proponents of automation demonstrate that, as robots and automation are used in manufacturing workplaces, the number of jobs actually increases. More jobs are created because productivity elevates, thanks to marked efficiencies directly related to automation.

How Automation Creates New Roles

In many workplaces, employees engaged in manual labor whose positions are eliminated may even benefit from automation. These employees can be trained to operate the robots and other automation technologies used in their workplaces. In these cases, the jobs lost to automation are resurrected in the form of new jobs created by automation.

In some industries, new jobs created by automation can turn out to be a benefit for employees. Take the automotive industry, for example, which FANUC, the world’s leading supplier of robots, CNC systems and factory automation, has helped revolutionize. A longtime challenge in the auto industry has been safety concerns of its employees on the assembly line floor. Employees can be injured by using equipment or handling materials and also become sickened from breathing in paints and fumes. 

Repetitive tasks can also lead to injuries. Workers who lift, twist, and perform the same motions throughout the day face a higher risk of musculoskeletal disorders. These demanding jobs often experience high turnover. Manufacturers may spend significant time and resources recruiting, hiring, and training replacements. This creates a cycle of continually recruiting, onboarding and training employees, cutting into companies’ bottom lines.

Thanks to automation solutions developed by FANUC, the automotive industry is achieving breathless speed, precision and repeatability in the production of cars, trucks and other vehicles, ramping up capacity while reducing costs. FANUC has helped improve productivity of the auto industry since automating processes for the internal combustion engine production more than any competitor. Jobs lost to automation in this industry were often replaced with new jobs created by automation, with employees benefiting from improved safety and work conditions.

Why Warehouses Still Need Workers

Investment in warehouse automation has continued to grow as companies work to improve efficiency, meet customer expectations, and address labor shortages.

Continued growth in e-commerce has increased demand for efficient warehouse and fulfillment operations.

For most businesses, a fully automated warehouse isn’t practical. Rather, these businesses would benefit from implementing automation technology to help receive and send out products quickly. In this kind of setup, employees are involved in handling goods in the middle of the fulfillment process.

Warehouses and distribution centers continue to depend on employees even as automation adoption grows. Automated systems help companies move products more efficiently, while workers handle supervision, exception management, quality control, maintenance, and other value-added tasks.

Humans and Automation Working Together

In many industries, from automotive to warehousing, the adoption of automation solutions is helping change what the modern workplace looks like. The use of robotics and automation technologies is certainly helping transform workplaces into fast, efficient and productive places. But robots aren’t taking jobs away. They are blazing a path for the creation of more jobs—jobs that are safer and cleaner.

FANUC has long provided educational opportunities, including FANUC Certified Education Training Programs, to help ensure employees are prepared to find new jobs created by automation.

Automation has helped improve productivity in U.S. manufacturing for decades. As technology continues to advance, manufacturers will need skilled workers to operate, maintain, and optimize automated systems. The future of manufacturing will rely on people and automation working together.

Sources

• "There’s a war for people’: strong jobs market belies a shortage of skilled workers" from The Guardian