The Future Of Work

In The Near Future, More Companies Are Expected To Automate Almost All Processes In Manufacturing With Little Left To Do On One's Own. 

- Jayashree Kini Mendes

THE FUTURE IS DIGITAL, IS WHAT WE HAVE so often heard. Going by what has unfolded last few years in terms of technology, we have also come to believe it. The old ways of manually working out any task is passé. In the world of manufacturing, how will factories of the future be organised and managed? Are there any implications for the way data will be used, production networks operated, and manufacturing enterprises structured?

According to industry experts, a key factor that is driving transformation to factories of the future is the changing nature of demand. With customers demanding more variable value-adds, the manufacturer needs to support this with much more precision and specialty around the products.

Pawan Sharma, CEO, solutions & services, KPIT Technologies, says, “At the end of the day, the question that should be asked is whether the manufacturer is in a position to improve customer satisfaction, add to employee experience, and also supplier experience. This includes the way processes are digitised, right from concept to customers. It also includes R&D. Smart manufacturing is what companies in India should have. If you look at the Western countries, they already have factories of the future, which means they have automated to such an extent, that they have a ready blueprint that helps them set up a factory in the shortest possible time. Let’s say you have a setup in Chennai, and if you are looking at opening one in another city, it should be done in the shortest possible time. Most things remain the same. Employees too can quickly move and settle in Mumbai or Chennai. It's all about time to market."