From Humans to Machines and Back Again: How “Efficiency” Has Evolved in Manufacturing
The evolution of “efficiency” is really a story about the relationship between humans and machines.
Need to Know
- Manufacturing efficiency is shifting its focus from machines back to people.
- Empathetic leadership can improve human performance in digitally driven manufacturing.
- Training, autonomy, and employee insight help manufacturers maximize technology investments.
It’s no secret that the manufacturing industry is changing. State-of-the-art machinery, advanced production techniques, new levels of insights, and tech like AI have all propelled the industry forward into something that would’ve been unrecognizable a century ago.
Humans’ roles in the industry have evolved as well; it used to be the case that, if you were a “manufacturer,” you physically built goods yourself. Now, there are countless job functions within the industry, from white-collar executives to system architects and AI technicians. Even the ways we discuss and measure manufacturing outcomes have changed, evolving alongside the industry’s natural journey forward—and even more changes are coming beyond the perceived pinnacle of machine-based optimization.
