automation – OM in the News

Exoskeletons Improve Job Design

A John Deere parts distribution center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, offers employees the use of exoskeletons to perform their jobs more safely and comfortably. Employees handle hundreds of packages every day with greater ease with the aid of these robotic devices.

Exoskeletons have the potential to impact many industries and improve ergonomics and job design in a variety of ways.

Video Spotlight:

How will exoskeletons be used in the next decade? (Jan 31, 2022, Interesting Engineering)

By Lisa M. Spencer|2023-06-04T05:20:09+00:00June 7, 2023|Tags: automation, ergonomics, job design, productivity, safety, supply chain technology, work design|

Do Manufacturing Workers Benefit from Automation?

Advanced manufacturing technologies promise better jobs. Is it time to rejoice?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it will transform work as we know it. This article delves into the benefits that automation could bring to deskless workers: safer jobs, higher pay, more opportunities for advancement, and so on. It is undeniable that automated technologies and artificial intelligence have the potential to enrich manufacturing jobs. However, their implementation will determine how workers are actually impacted.

Video Spotlight:

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-05-12T03:13:01+00:00May 12, 2023|Tags: automation, carbon footprint, flexible-manufacturing, job design, productivity, respsonsive supply chain design, robots, sustainability, work force scheduling|

AI and OM: A Complicated Relationship

AI has ushered in a new era of possibilities.

Once confined to complex, industrial applications, AI is now becoming part of our everyday activities. Recent advances in AI-generated art and text have created many possibilities. Although the technology cannot fully replace humans yet, improvements are so rapid that we can expect a dramatic transformation of work in the near future. The challenge for organizations will be to harness AI’s capabilities while countering its negative, unintended consequences.

This post is intended to help […]

By Corinne M. Karuppan, Ph.D.|2023-04-15T22:25:12+00:00April 16, 2023|Tags: artificial intelligence, automation, bill of materials, ERP systems, job design, product design, productivity, robots, security|

BMW’s Digital Twin Factory

The world’s first digital twin of BMW’s electric vehicle (EV) factory in Hungary is made possible with Nvidia’s simulation technology.

BMW can use the digital replica of its physical factory to detect and correct any problems before actual production, in order to plan and optimize its EV design. Eventually, BMW will be able to simplify workflow by integrating the physical and virtual world with artificial intelligence.

Video Spotlight:

BMW Group Celebrates Opening the World’s First Virtual Factory […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2023-04-02T06:36:23+00:00April 2, 2023|Tags: artificial intelligence, automated processes, automation, innovation, manufacturing processes, optimization, product design, technology|