The Only Constant is Change in Manufacturing
Advances in manufacturing technology is affecting quality management strategies. Companies are reassessing their manufacturing requirements, and many are reshoring to the United States. According to studies conducted by the McKinsey Global Institute, the United States could boost annual manufacturing as much as 20% by 2025. To accomplish this, manufacturing processes must utilize technology to create better products with higher efficiency and lower costs. As a result, quality management systems must evolve to embrace the changes advanced technologies will bring.
New Frontiers in Manufacturing Technology
There are many emerging technologies that will effect industry in the coming years. These technologies will allow for higher quality production with increased process control. This increase in automation will result in smaller more capable workforce. Some of these advancing technologies include:
- Automated CNC.
- Analytics and machine learning.
- Precision robotics for assembly and quality inspection. The number of industrial robots in the U.S increased by more than 15% last year.
- Additive manufacturing technologies such as 3-D printing.
- AI for real-time monitoring and control of processes and asset maintenance.
- Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for process control and maintenance monitoring.
- Advances in human/machine interfaces such as Extended Reality (XR) to present data in a spatially relevant perspective.
New Perspectives for Quality Management
As the manufacturing floor changes so too must approaches to quality management. An important step will be to implement quality as an organization-wide function. This will require a transition from a silo perspective to one that will provide collaborative exchanges among all stakeholders. Quality will also have to be much more action based to respond to increases in capabilities of data capturing and analytics. This enhanced feedback will ensure more timely continuous improvement processes.
Responding to Risks
Intelligent change must identify and mitigate risks. Because all of the technologies mentioned here are vulnerable to cyberattacks, effective cybersecurity to prevent industrial espionage and theft of intellectual properties should be implemented. Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) are excellent mechanisms for accomplishing this. They ensure that risks are identified, mitigation processes created, and incident response procedures are in place.
CVG Strategy
CVG Strategy understands the importance of manufacturing technology and quality management. We support development of manufacturing in the U.S. We offer consultant services for quality management systems that fit your organization’s requirements. Our consultants provide expertise in ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100. We also provide services for ISMS cybersecurity solutions including ISO 27001 and NIST-800-171. Contact Us today to see how we can help.