AllenWeb
AllenWeb
Jun
98
Table of Contents
What do you mean by Automation?
Are Manufacturers / Service Providers
Ready?
What does MST and MIS mean?
American Businesses and Mechanized
Automation
Development and
ImplementationExciting New
Developments for Use & The
Question
The HR Element as Critical Point
Resolving the HR Element in
Automation
Can You Overcome Resistance to
Change?
Learning Curves in Implementing
Automation
Defining the term
"Automation"
Use of motion systems technology*
is viewed as "automation" by many.
Involved in complete automation through "mechanized automation"... fully integrating a company' s plant, facility, terminal or office processes by increasing capital investment to reduce labor unit cost resulting in substantially higher productivity and efficiency in producing quality products and/or services, and effectively distributing them into global markets and supply chains. This is accomplished by appropriate applications of MST combined with appropriate use of MIS.
Another definition of
"Automation"
Use of computers is another
view of what "automation" means to most.
Involved in complete automation through the use of planned and carefully designed management information systems supporting automated facilities and mechanized automation. Intelligent use of technology in information processing and its integration into customers' "seamless enterprise" of the future is the focus.
Motion systems technology is comprised of the following and is used by the author in design and development of systems for significant productivity improvements and operating cost reductions.
Hydraulics and pneumatics components,
systems, controls, materials and related products.
Power transmission mechanical
and electrical motion system technology for industrial market.
Instruments and components for
precise positioning, control, and monitoring.
Monitoring, control, and diagnostic
software applications in system and facility design.
Industrial computers - programmable
logic computers (PLC's) and industrial software.
Management Information Systems
(MIS):Operational applications in business progressively utilizing hardware: mainframe, mid-range, micro, mini, LAN-based, WAN, Client-server, PC Desktop, etc.and various platforms such as DOS, Unix, Windows, Windows 95, Windows NT, etc. Some of these may be familiar names to you, especially if you have worked in office atmospheres, or other computer aided business environments.
And then there are the business applications (software) for various activities that run on the aforementioned hardware, environments, and platforms. These include manufacturing, accounting, and many other business functions in both stand-alone and modules or packages (along the "systems" lines). These again may be integrated with others in almost every conceivable fashion to meet the needs of the user's organization.
To those experienced 'surfers' and computer / IT / IS buffs, the above is very elementary. But I put this site together realizing that the "audience" would vary from beginner to expert. It is really a shame more of the "techi-types" don't keep this in mind when they program things, especially help areas. They usually assume somewhere along the line that the person reading it is proficient in computer "lingo, buzzwords, key words, etc."
Just remember the advertisers out there are creating their TV ads to appeal to the 10-year old mind as a general rule. Remember the audience! You will always need to keep the beginner (our equivalent 10-year old!) in mind when you do and explain things, or the TV guys will capture a large part of the computer audience. It's coming, you know. Just watch! They are going to make it simple for the 10-year old to surf the net without the computer! (as we know it, openly). It is just a matter of time.
If we in the automation community do not make it as easy as possible with all levels of help assistance embedded in software packages for both businesses and pleasure use, we will not achieve the user growth that is truly possible in an enlightened provider world. We will not be able to dramatically overcome resistance to change unless we address this very issue very well.
A Note about the Internet and Intranet
Now, with the introduction of the internet, there has been explosive growth in requirements to "get on board" the information highway by both consumers and those who service consumers. Consumption of information or creation and distribution of information is the purpose of the internet.....or is it? It has become and will continue to be another distribution channel for the sale of products and services to an evergrowing, sophisticated affluent consumer customer base.
What is different is that whether you are an employee of a big company with billions in sales, or a self-employed business person with a little company and only two employees... you can reach the global community via the internet to tell them about your product and/or services at a small fraction of cost before! You can have just the same amount of "presence" to this particular channel ( a means of distribution and sales to end users which includes the internet user/surfer/consumer/information seeker as a conglomerate. The "intranet" is the name given a similar information highway within close organizations with security, etc intra-business and intra-relationship connections and dealings, etc.
But enough diversion about the internet... let's return to our subject... automated systems.
Whether mainframe or client-server, the major concern should be an awareness of both critical success factors and important customer requirements.
The critical success factors, according to Prof.Dr. Hasso Plattner, Vice Chairman of SAP, are:
Maintainability
Scalability
Functionality
Knowledge Management
Performance
Variants
Interoperability.
In addition, the important customer requirements are:
While I do not suggest that SAP business system products are an end-all solution, I do advocate SAP R/3 product applications in a client-server environment from the standpoint of what they are doing to help create "seamless enterprises" and enable those enterprises to rise above all going into the future.
Other Items of Importance
Problems
Some problems can develop from several areas, most which are management related. An example: -"to do something automated, but not really sure of exactly what to do or how to successfully implement it."
Planning
The most important element in a project is prior proper planning. Planning must include judicious due diligence, adequate feasibility, and contingency scenarios. The most important leg of the planning stool is the development of understanding among the parties on managing expectations or "how to manage management."
Model Transfer Differences
Allowances must be understood and made for automated facility model transfer differences
- from one culture to another
-one country to another
- from one business environment to another
- from one industry to another
- from critical area differences
- training difficulties due literacy or lack thereof
- personnel education and skill levels
- management differences
Managing Expectations
Many times, during an internal push for approval or in follow-up project reporting usually, management levels have not managed upper management's and/or the board's expectations. If they have, they have not done it well.
We see this time and time again where the reality of what is really going to happen and how things will evolve are never fully represented or only partially disclosed. Whether as a result of the internal approval processes or covering up a potentially "career limiting move"... at the end of the road it can be deadly! Expectations must be properly planned and carefully managed during any automated project.
Paul is an automation project developer and implementation leader
who...
Paul's goal is the successful development and implementation of "seamless enterprises".
What is being done in lieu
of automation development investment?
Increasing use and reliance on
non-union and minimum wage labor vs. automation investments.
Reduction of unionized labor's
control and cost thru negotiation.
Creation of private facilities
"out of reach" of union influence, discouraging union operations.
Introduction of "non-union"
operations to increase efficiencies i.e., lower labor cost per unit.
The central question is
- is THIS really the long-term fix?
WHAT CAN BE DONE... for efficiencies to reduce cost and product/service time ... NOW?
NOW the focus must be on automated plants with systems to fully integrate the company's products or services into the supply chain and fit into the "seamless enterprise" concept.
The Marine Transportation Industry as an Example
Remember Sea-Land's (an up-start trucker's idea of shipping) start in Intermodalism?
· FACT - it took a trucker, Malcolm, to put the idea of truck trailers on both truck chassis and ships so that cargo would not have to be "rehandled" at the docks. It was not a shipping man. And where did Malcolm go to get help in talent for equipment control, leasing, and maintenance? The railroad industry! (Malcolm... the founder, chairman & CEO of Sea-Land).
· FACT - the existing waterfront - shipping, ports, terminal, organized labor, etc. - was reluctant to accept change and fought it as long as possible in every way....
· Ports, labor and shipping were all equally entrenched and resistant, but "competitive forces" forced change acceptance. Those that didn't accept it ended up broke or accepting a much lower market share and dismal profits. Boston labor was notorious in resistance, and Boston port suffered as a consequence. Boston labor finally accepted realities and reluctantly changed. Note: The lost revenues to companies and lost wages to labor will never be recovered.
· Finally the intermodal container became the way of international transportation of valued goods where shipment condition and time to market were important. The inventory cost and time value of money ultimately supported a phenomenal increase in this "automated" transportation form.
Leaders in dealing with change
and implementing automation.
Noord Natie (terminals) - Antwerp. This 500-year old terminal operating company is in the forefront of change and is the leader in "mechanized automation for handling various cargoes".
ECT (terminals) - Rotterdam. This terminal operator is clearly the leader in improving and applying terminal "intermodal container handling systems technology" for the present and the future. This lead in adapting to change and efforts at continuous improvement as contributed to keeping Rotterdam the largest port in the world.
Opinion · Automated facilities will have to fight similar battles dealing with resistance to change.
But yet again, the same goods condition and time to market are playing a significant role. The inventory cost and time value of money are now critical elements to ALL parties in the process: vendors, customers, internal, etc. Those that accept change and go forward on all cylinders to implement necessary and appropriate actions to participate in the future will be in it. Those that continue to resist, as the old general cargo ship owners of yesterday, end up in the history books.
That is the only place you will find them because they went out of business. They went out of business because they did not change, were not flexible, and did not "automate." They were not even in the running. They waited too late. They didn't "get on the bus."
I would like to share a personal experience with you. In 1988, I was in Hong Kong on business. It had been over twenty years since I had been there in the 60's. As we were crossing the water in a water taxi (boat), I asked "What happened to all the sailing sampans?" whereas the young Chinese man escorting me to a meeting responded. "Everyone uses motors these days."
My response was "Well, I really liked the sailing sampans. They always were so romantic in the sunsets." At this, my young companion responded, " You are old-minded." The moral to the story is "Do not be old-minded!!"
You cannot hang on to sailing ships, general cargo vessels, sailing sampans, nor should you hang on to old business manufacturing, practices or processes these days....we cannot be old-minded. And even if we are, we must change or we too will end up as only history. So, get on the bus!! You can start by asking yourself one question...the one below.
· Do YOU believe "change" is inevitable as business environments naturally change over time due to fundamentals such as new technology introductions, demographics, etc.?
It isn't easy to "catch the
bus"!
The Business Framework is the new strategic product architecture for the
industry-leading R/3
business solution. For business on the Internet - SAP AG will deliver
the foundation for Internet applications with 3.1 of its R/3 System. More
than 25 R/3 Internet Application Components will be shipped with R/3 3.1.
R/3 Release 4.0 will provide powerful enhancements for market-driven global supply chain management, include new comprehensive retail and public sector industry solutions, and deliver new components of the Business Framework architecture.
The Question
(and this is only MIS stuff!...it doesn't address MST evolutions along with continuous improvement in operating techniques that developed, made, and delivered Plattner's product to the market better, faster, and cheaper than competitors)
Do you get the gut feeling that something is going on here? Two giants teaming up to reach millions of internet users (potential direct customers and sophisticated investors and buyers) today and the future (millions of new) users of tomorrow. Do you have the feeling that this information super highway is being widened for more traffic than any major freeway? Do you get the feeling that you had better locate your business next to the new busy highway? Or are you content to let the traffic and customers go shopping along the freeway and you just want to stay in town?
Well, partner, America's small and medium size towns are full of empty buildings and forgotten businesses as a result of a new interstate by-passing the town. This analogy is appropriate for what is happening now, not next year or the next decade, but right now!! Can you see it? I certainly hope so! For the sake of your company and possibly your very own future.
The question remains ...where would your company been in all of this? Does it remind you of the shipping guys who sat back and refused to change and become part of the intermodal revolution/evolution? Who made a transaction? Sea-Land, who is still going strong, or ...yes, you guessed it... forgotten companies that folded their tents such as U.S. Lines, Pacific Far East Lines, States Lines, Seatrain, American Mail Lines, American Export Lines, etc., etc...just to continue to use the marine analogy of those who did not get on the bus.
Someday you will be able to carry the power of a mainframe in your briefcase (maybe you already are!). Will it be you carrying that briefcase or your competitor? Did your firm or the "other" firm enlarge its marketing capabilities and integrate its business into the global supply chain? Think about it... and think hard! 2000 is coming soon! (See The Year 2000 Problem).
Remember - Management must plan for the future. Are you?
Thank you for visiting the site. I hope it was informative. Have a great day!
To Catch the Bus...What to do?? Send me an e-mail if you would like to explore the answer.
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