Skip to content

Displaying 111-120 of 149 results for

Last 30 Days clear

Robotics as a Partner, Not a Replacement, for Manufacturing Jobs

SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturers today face a critical workforce challenge. An aging labor pool, persistent skills shortages, and post-pandemic attrition have created gaps that traditional hiring alone cannot solve. These pressures demand innovative approaches to sustaining productivity and competitiveness. Robotics offers a practical, scalable solution, not as a replacement for people, but as a partner that augments human capabilities. Collaborative robots (cobots) are designed to work alongside operators, taking on repetitive, physically demanding, or hazardous tasks. This partnership allows employees to focus on higher-value activities such as quality control, process improvement, and customer engagement. Studies show that human–robot teams significantly reduce idle time and improve throughput compared to all-human work environments. Real-world examples illustrate the shift. Chipotle’s “Autocado” robot automates the tedious process of cutting and coring avocados, while staff concentrate on quality and service. On manufacturing floors, cobots assist with material handling, precision assembly, and inspection; areas where ergonomics and consistency are critical. Rather than eliminating jobs, robotics transforms them, creating safer workplaces and more sustainable operations. This session, “Robotics as a Partner, Not a Replacement, for Manufacturing Jobs,” will explore how manufacturers can strategically adopt robotics to address workforce shortages without diminishing employee value. Attendees will gain insights into the benefits of cobot integration, practical considerations for implementation, and the long-term potential of human–robot collaboration. The presentation emphasizes that the future of manufacturing is not a choice between people and machines, but a partnership that strengthens both.

Partnering for Progress: How to Start and Scale Your Automation Journey

SOUTHEAST Session: Automation is transforming manufacturing, making it essential for companies to adopt and scale these technologies effectively. As industry trends favor smarter, flexible systems, understanding how to start and grow an automation journey is vital for competitiveness, efficiency, and growth. Many organizations face challenges in strategic planning, technology selection, and implementation. This presentation offers practical guidance on developing aligned strategies, avoiding common pitfalls, and partnering effectively to ensure long-term success. Staying informed and prepared in this evolving landscape is crucial for both new and existing users to unlock automation’s full potential.

From Blind Spots to Sweet Spots: Architecting Intelligent Visibility in Manufacturing Supply Chains

SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturers today are under immense pressure to navigate supply chain complexity while improving agility, customer responsiveness and cost efficiency. The industry has invested years in enabling core digital foundations like ERP, MES, WMS and operational dashboards; however, persistent blind spots across sourcing, production, inventory, logistics, sales and aftermarket services continue to erode operational performance and limit strategic decision-making. According to a 2025 survey of 300 mid-market manufacturers, only 45% have recently improved end-to- end- supply chain visibility, indicating that there is significant room for investment and improvement. Supply Chain visibility will be the future of manufacturing. A recent survey by Deloitte showed that 76% of manufacturers report limited visibility across their supply chain, making traceability a key issue in today’s environment. Data visibility is essential to a resilient supply chain; however, in a survey of 506 supply chain leaders, only 19% of organizations have embedded scenario planning into their operations, limiting their ability to anticipate and respond to disruption. The answer to fixing these blind spots isn’t yet another dashboard or point solution, but a digitally engineered supply chain with intelligent, end-to-end visibility and traceability across the manufacturing value chain. In this presentation, we explore why blind spots emerge and how a unified theme of real-time traceability can act as a digital thread to convert blind spots into sweet spots for manufacturers.

How Sensolus Powers Smarter Supply Chains: Insights from the Field

SOUTHEAST Session: Supply chains and manufacturing networks are experiencing profound change. Increasing globalization has made them more complex and harder to control, while rising cost pressures demand greater efficiency and waste reduction. At the same time, companies are under mounting pressure to meet sustainability goals and prove transparency in how assets are used and managed. The rapid adoption of digital transformation and Industry 4.0 technologies has created enormous potential, yet many organizations still struggle to connect their physical assets with meaningful, actionable data.  This presentation will educate attendees and provide insights into how Sensolus asset tracking solution helps organizations overcome complexity, strengthen resilience, and achieve operational excellence, bringing clarity and intelligence to modern supply chains.  

Kelvin Byrd

Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Kelvin Byrd, Dean, School of Advanced Manufacturing & Transportation Technology, Greenville Technical College