Coming Back Stronger from Covid-19 with Improved Production Lines and Supply Chains
Automated quality control systems are key for the Covid-19 era. In a world of complex markets, unstable demand, and unpredictable restrictions, the full supply chain and the production line interact with each other and it’s more important than ever to get both right.
Alongside risk plans and supplier diversification, automated technologies like an automated drive-thru scanning system are what make the smart warehouse and global logistics – able to withstand shocks. The system is simple and ready-to-deploy, so warehouses can quickly integrate with existing WMS/ERP.
“We’ve seen a push to automate,” says Artemis Vision president Tom Brennan. “Our customers want both the automation itself and the reporting functionality built in so they can know they are shipping good parts to the right places. In the case of most customers, logistics and travel are tight, so you can’t just ship out replacement parts, or fly someone over to address an issue.”
In this era, the cost of failing quality checks becomes higher. The consequences of a misrouted pallet and missing product get magnified. The time it takes to scan each pallet adds up more. The inability to call up data needed to make decisions causes unacceptable lost response time. And it becomes harder and harder to bounce back from major disruptions.
The majority of manufacturers expect the pandemic to cause a change in operations, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), while 40% have reported facing supply chain disruptions. As manufacturers face shifting market conditions and pandemic-related restrictions, they are continuously more likely to invest in automation, with more than half of U.S. companies, and 55% of logistics companies, willing to invest.
Rather than eliminating humans from warehouses, a good automated system frees up workers from the repetitive, tedious parts of their jobs. It can also preserve worker safety and health without compromising production. As coming back stronger from the pandemic takes shape, these are the kinds of measures manufacturers do have in their control.
Artemis Vision has been a part of the Covid-19 response by directly supporting diagnostic tests and other automation solutions for major healthcare suppliers, as well as helping manufacturers optimize operations for more efficient and transparent processes. Whether in times of crisis or not, competitive speed, efficiency, and resiliency in supply chains hinge on reliable, automated systems.