Future Tech-Enabled Employment Models Will Redefine - Not Reduce - Jobs in Manufacturing

"Most products are still assembled by human hands, monitored by localized systems, and inspected manually," said Ryan Martin, Principal Analyst at ABI Research. "Digitizing these processes amplifies the value—and payback profile—of balancing IT and OT asset availability with existing operational improvement projects. Transformative technologies like robotics, ML, and AI may substitute specific tasks previously carried out by humans, but they will also allow those professionals to focus on new tasks – and these new tasks will, by nature, redefine the core skills associated with the occupation at hand."

"Most products are still assembled by human hands, monitored by localized systems, and inspected manually," said Ryan Martin, Principal Analyst at ABI Research. "Digitizing these processes amplifies the value—and payback profile—of balancing IT and OT asset availability with existing operational improvement projects. Transformative technologies like robotics, ML, and AI may substitute specific tasks previously carried out by humans, but they will also allow those professionals to focus on new tasks – and these new tasks will, by nature, redefine the core skills associated with the occupation at hand."

Amazon's use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in Prime fulfillment centers is a great example; contrary to the popular belief that the use of robotics would eat jobs, there are instances where net-new hires increased as result of overall efficiency improvements in e-commerce throughput.

There are countless examples of this kind of technology-driven industry turnover in practice.

Walmart, the world's largest nongovernmental employer, is using robots from Bossa Nova Robotics to scan shelves for out-of-stock items, check prices, and identify missing labels for a near-real-time view of which areas of the store need most attention. Here, shelf-scanning technology are used in combination with robots to help associates with repeatable, predictable, and manual tasks so they can focus on better serving the customer. Lowe's has a similar implementation with Fellow Robots, but for greeting and leading customers to the desired product; and Volvo Trucks is working with Uber Freight to eliminate inefficiencies in downstream logistics (due to wait time and/or the mix of short-haul versus long-haul trips) by coordinating load pickups and drop-offs with local truckers, changing the nature of not only trucking but also intermodal logistics.

"The introduction and wider availability of self-service analytics, machine learning, and AI simply helps level the playing field by focusing the conversation on how to supplement—rather than supplant—today's employees, putting the lens on the job itself rather than the organization or environment in which it resides," concluded Martin.

These findings are from ABI Research's Smart Workforces: Transformative Technologies for New Employment Paradigms report. This report is part of the company's Smart Manufacturing research service, which includes research, data, and Executive Foresights.

About ABI Research
ABI Research provides strategic guidance for visionaries needing market foresight on the most compelling transformative technologies, which reshape workforces, identify holes in a market, create new business models and drive new revenue streams. ABI's own research visionaries take stances early on those technologies, publishing groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms. ABI analysts deliver their conclusions and recommendations in easily and quickly absorbed formats to ensure proper context. Our analysts strategically guide visionaries to take action now and inspire their business to realize a bigger picture. For more information about ABI Research's forecasting, consulting and teardown services, visionaries can contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific or visit www.abiresearch.com.

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