Musings with Mike – The Human Centered Side of Automation

It’s been a year since Mike Ramirez took the reins at Orka Automation, so we took a few minutes to get his thoughts on lessons learned and looking forward.    Come to find out, Mike has LOTS of thoughts – which led to a new series we are affectionately calling, “Musings with Mike.”

We’re starting this series with the human centered side of automation – something near and dear to Mike’s heart.

Automation has a human centered side, and that’s a good thing!   

For years automation has been viewed as a tool in conflict with humans.  A vehicle that would take, rather than supplement or create jobs.  Based on everything we’re seeing and experiencing, we couldn’t disagree with this more.

Today, with the labor shortage and desire to improve process as a catalyst, we are beginning to experience a change in how automation is viewed in terms of its “human” impact.  Automation is now being adopted by companies as a way to create better workplace environments for employees. Integrating various primary and secondary automation elements throughout manufacturing processes streamlines tasks and makes production facilities safer for everyone.  Companies of all sizes can leverage elements of automation to handle the tasks that, frankly, people don’t want to do and probably shouldn’t be doing!  By automating monotonous and unsafe tasks, we can free employees up to work on more value-added areas of the business.

By taking into consideration the equipment, processes and people throughout a customers manufacturing process, we can recommend the right automation solution, partner to ensure better adoption of the change and create better, safer workplace environments for people.  At the end of the day, aren’t your people the reason you automate something?  To make their jobs easier and safer?  To improve the human condition and create a work environment that employees truly value and want to be a part of?