Take Small Steps to Experience Big Gains with AI-based Solutions
Generative AI and digital transformation continue to dominate trending topics in the metalworking industry. Cut through the noise and determine what works for your shop.
Posted: January 3, 2024
Welcome to 2024 where the road to digital manufacturing, cybersecurity and AI is paved with endless possibilities. There is a great deal of buzz about these issues, as well as the opportunities and available solutions to achieve success. How best can metalworkers navigate the conversation and put the advantages and benefits to work within their shops?
Industry experts say the best advice is to start slowly and experience a “win” where you can see the value of utilizing digitalization, cybersecurity, automation and AI in your manufacturing processes. Address the main pain points that are getting in the way of efficiency when manufacturing and shipping products to your customers.
Dedicate 30 minutes or an hour a week to these digital topics to feel like you are making headway in navigating solutions that might work best in your operations. And if you have a staff member who you consider an “AI evangelist,” give them the green light to explore options because they will support your digital transformation efforts because they understand the pain points you want to solve. It is a smart approach to encourage innovation.
“It is important with any automation [solution] to know what you’re good at,” said Al Whatmough, the director of product management, design and manufacturing for Autodesk, which offers the Fusion Industry cloud for manufacturing, connecting the entire life cycle of a product’s development. “But it is actually more important to know what you’re bad at,” said Whatmough, a former machinist and instructor. He noted that shops understand their strengths and take jobs where they can optimize their strengths. Take the same approach when reviewing digital transformation solutions.
Technological Upgrades and Competitive Strategies
Digital solutions provide many advantages when addressing challenges such as labor constraints, supply chain bottlenecks, or time management in the design stages of production.
Other advantages to consider:
- Cost reduction: predictive maintenance sensors and analytics predict equipment failures, which reduces downtime.
- Operations: automating various manufacturing processes leads to a reduction in human errors, which increases efficiencies.
- Innovations in product development: digital tools support collaborative design, which leads to faster innovation and time to market.
- Flexibility and adaptability: cloud-based solutions enable your shop to scale up as needed so you can manage data, applications and resources in the manner that works best within your shop.
This year, consider implementing and leveraging or expanding the use of AI-based solutions in your manufacturing processes to achieve your full manufacturing potential — not to mention improve customer satisfaction and overall business performance. Take small steps to realize big gains.
“But it is actually more important to know what you’re bad at.” Shops understand their strengths and take jobs where they can optimize their strengths. Take the same approach when reviewing digital transformation solutions. — Al Whatmough, Autodesk
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