Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1477844
22 SMT007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2022 Relatively simple automation of operations, optimized to meet short-term goals without real consideration of long-term challenges, has proven to be near-useless. It was le to good, old human intelligence to respond to recent extraordinary events, make quick decisions, and navigate through obstacles, as well as look for opportunities. Lack of investment in flex- ibility, the acceptance of dependencies on materials and products made in remote loca- tions, as well as reliance on key people in the organization where only one person knows or can perform certain tasks, have led to extreme challenges for many. In our continuously changing world, we seek to avoid things over which we have little or no control. Local sourcing of key materials, security of operations and data, and automa- tion choices that provide flexibility with a vast range of simultaneous operational and business models, should top the "to do" list, as manufac- turing embraces the world's uncertain future. e most unexpected and interesting chal- lenge, however, is that during such volatility, we found we could not even rely on human intelligence. We are now experiencing eco- nomic patterns of inflation and potential reces- sion, which seem familiar to those old enough to remember the 1980s. Legacy economic tools to deal with these issues, however, seem inap- propriate as, unlike previous cases, employ- ment levels are very high—exactly the oppo- site of previous scenarios. While companies were focused on business challenges, people were also making their own private changes, as they decided (or were forced) to seek a "better life," moving from roles that were just accept- able to ones that stimulate them. is turbu- lence in the labor market can be regarded as good news from the digital transformation perspective. So, Let the Machines Do the Talking e technology behind automation of phys- ical work continues to evolve considerably. ere are more choices of hardware automa- tion solutions than ever before. e priority between flexibility and optimization, how- ever, is now under serious review. Rather than having a person or an automation dedicated to a specific role, we have learned that such resources should be flexible, allowing them to be dynamic across a whole selection of priori- tized tasks. Humans have the physical dexter- ity to be flexible; automation is also making progress. e real challenge, in both cases, is to pro- vide the continuous step-by-step guidance as to how to perform and complete each task. Humans are then not dependent on niche, rarely used training, nor on specialist knowl- edge. People receive information in the form of electronic work instructions, and deliver to automation through IIoT-based commands and data exchanges. is innovation brings the need for a holistic view of operations, sourced from the domain of MES, which already pro- vides the central control and management of operations. Standards-based "plug and play" interoperability across the shopfloor, for exam- ple with IPC-CFX, is proving its worth, and differentiation from older data exchange mech- anisms, as it provides any machine or solution a secure protocol and fully defined unambigu- ous language. An extension of this MES intelligence is to automate the decision-making processes that drive operational events. Human intelligence is no longer motivated, or interested in, search- ing for data and using it to make mindless rou- tine decisions. Retaining sustainable human intelligence will be for those who derive In our continuously changing world, we seek to avoid things over which we have little or no control.