Rajeev engaged in a conversation with the CIOTechOutlook magazine in order to answer queries on how RPA is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry and bringing about a transformation in overall processes and operations. He has a total work experience of 34 years and 22 years in ERP with key experience in building technology solutions around business operations. His core expertise lies in data visualization and analytics, process automation and RPA.

Could you give us an overview of how Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is transforming the manufacturing sector today?

RPA is transforming the manufacturing sector by streamlining the processes and improving the efficiency of production. In order to give examples on how RPA is transforming the manufacturing sector we have to first state that this technology is able to perform the repetitive and mundane tasks like data entry, auto processing and others that can bring out a sense of fatigue if done by humans. It also has the ability to perform accurate inventory management. This creates an opportunity for workers to invest their time in value added activities instead of performing the repetitive tasks. So, it can be said that organizations need to adopt RPA technologies in order to increase the efficiency and quality of manual labor. While humans are able to devote a time frame of 8-10 hours a day, a robotic process tool can carry on with a process 24*7. Humans can make mistakes but robots are devoid of any kind of mistakes.

In terms of cost effectiveness, RPA is playing a vital role as well. Where there is need for three workers performing 8-10 hour shifts, a robotic process can be set up that is able to perform those duties all round the clock. It can be observed here that the task is being carried out by the robot more accurately and much faster. This is currently the aim of any manufacturer in India. RPA is also able to execute perfect inventory management in terms of tracking stock and stock mobility. 

Secondly, the industry is currently overflowing with data and analytics of this data is becoming important for organizations. To give an example, plant maintenance is very important part of company operations and the various important aspects of the maintenance process can be very well executed by a RPA tool. To summarize, RPA is revolutionizing the manufacturing sector as a whole.

Quality control and consistency are critical in manufacturing, How has RPA contributed to improving quality control and maintaining consistency in the production processes?

Adopting RPA in manufacturing automatically increases production efficiency and quality of the product. Here, the room for error is minimum or negligible which further boosts the quality. Most importantly, a step by step process can be followed by a robotic tool. There are different kinds of processes that are existent in a manufacturing plant and a RPA tool will be able streamline all those processes and provide an organized manufacturing process. As we all know that consistency is a key to success and RPA can provide the optimum level of consistency and eliminate the room for human errors. This aspect can very effectively enhance the quality of the product. Moreover, for the purpose of monitoring and performing quality checks, robotic tools can be put in place. The tools can accurately test all the production and check whether all the products are passing the quality parameters. Continuous monitoring is one of the key aspects for which RPA can be implemented in a manufacturing setup that can enhance the quality of production. 

What measures are in place to ensure data security and compliance with industry regulations when using RPA?

While implementing RPA, several measures need to be taken in order to ensure that data is secured and proper compliance is being followed. Here, data encryption can be taken as an example. When data is in encrypted form, it becomes secure and nothing external can have access to it. The RPA tool can also help organizations in creating restricted access controls. The tool can ensure that only the selected personnel from the organization have access to sensible company data. This ensures that the company data is not going haywire and the actions that are being taken by the bot which is under command from an authorized company personnel. RPA can also help organizations in tracking equity. In case of any issues or problems created in the processes, the respective RPA tool can raise a red flag and alert the organization in advance.

The introduction of RPA has transformed job roles. How has RPA affected the workforce in manufacturing, and what measures are companies taking to up-skill their employees?

RPA has changed the format of work for people working in a manufacturing organization. When robotic tools are performing the repetitive and mundane tasks, human workforce can be engaged in other valuable work which can create new opportunities for them learn. They can engage themselves in other key areas of the production process where human intervention is necessary. One aspect that needs to be considered in this regard is to look after upgrading the skill sets of the workforce. RPA tools and processes can perform duties in an uninterrupted way but the workforce need to be trained on the scenarios where human supervision is required to oversee the complete process and rectify mistakes.