4 Steps to Prepare Your Automotive Staff on Integrating a Robotic Vision System
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Integrating a vision-guided robotics system into your automotive manufacturing plant can be a challenging process, but there are several ways to mitigate problems that may arise.
While you can forecast integration delays and plan for downtime, one of the most effective ways to quickly solve or even avoid these problems is to equip your employees with the skills they need to successfully manage the systems.
Onboarding your employees doesn’t have to start after the system is integrated, though. It’s critical to include them in the process, and you can do so by following these guidelines.
Decide on Manpower Reallocation
Once you’ve identified your problem and determined what tasks the vision-guided robotics system will perform, you’ll have to redefine the roles of employees who previously completed those tasks.
When deciding, consider these questions:
- Who will perform system maintenance?
- Who will train new employees on the system?
- Where else in the plant do we need to improve?
Keep in mind that humans will now be required to understand the system to perform maintenance and management—requiring new and existing positions to be filled. Integrating a vision guided robotics system also opens up the opportunity for your employees to take on high-level, strategic tasks that a robot otherwise could not handle.
Once decided upon, let your employees know about the plan by focusing on the value of the system and how it will elevate their day-to-day jobs.
Create a Timeline
Because integrating a vision guided robotics system could take weeks or months, it’s critical to establish a timeline for the process that you can share with employees.
A timeline will both keep employees informed and help them better plan and prepare for the changes to come.
Reach out to the manufacturer or integrator to confirm your timeline is doable, and make sure to update and adjust the timeline as changes are made to the plan. This will keep everyone on the same page and ensure there aren’t any last-minute surprises.
Plan Employee Training
Employee onboarding is one of the most important facets of integrating a robotics vision system into your automotive manufacturing plant. The better trained your employees are, the smoother the process will be.
To set up training, first reach out to the manufacturer for training or onboarding materials to share with your employees. Next, set up a training meeting with the manufacturer or integrator. Whether it’s in person or via a video call, you’ll need to ensure your employees can actually see how the system works, rather than just hear how it works.
Keep in mind that when you’re choosing a system, some manufacturers, such as Recognition Robotics, don’t require a third-party integrator, which can cost upwards of $500,000. An integrator serving as the middleman could also make it more difficult to troubleshoot issues during breakdowns.
Be Transparent
Finally, be transparent. This is a huge change for your employees; so, make sure to let them know about any changes that will be taking place, which will help them become more comfortable with the process.
Offer opportunities for employees to ask questions, or set up a meeting specifically for this purpose, where they can have any of their questions answered or concerns addressed. The integration is a team effort, so it’s important that your employees know their input is valued.
We’re Here to Support Your Integration Process
At Recognition Robotics, we understand that integrating your first vision guided robotics system can be a complex process, which is why we make sure to be available before, during and even after the integration process to assist with unexpected issues or questions. Contact us to learn more about our customer support, as well as our Robeye® and CortexRecognition® vision guidance robotics package.
