Adopting new manufacturing technologies is the industry trend right now — experts advise it, consultants encourage it, and every publication or keynote stresses that companies won't be competitive without doing so. But not every manufacturer can just throw new technology into their facility and be successful.
Before manufacturers implement these new technologies, they have to ensure their workforce is ready to handle them. Human limitations can easily derail attempts at digital transformation. This has led business leaders to focus more on upskilling their workforce and bridging the gap between technology and human workers.
The Manufacturing Engineering and Technology publication polled multiple industry executives to learn how they approach nurturing talent to keep pace with technological advancements in manufacturing. These executives focused on strategies to train the next generation of workers, closing the skills gap, increasing retention, and overcoming workers' resistance to change.
Aside from a focus on talent, executives also stressed that new technologies need to integrate with existing systems. Overcoming these challenges will help smooth the path to adoption for many of these new advanced manufacturing technologies.