April 2020

Implementing AGVs: why workers need to be on board I ndustry 4.0 can transform an organisation’s processes and operations. It can revolutionise their productivity, improve accuracy and unleash new levels of efficiency. In operating environments where skills are thin on the ground and staff recruitment and retention a challenge, automation appears to be a fast track to nirvana. Yet the reality is somewhat different. Automation is not a direct replacement for a human workforce – how could it be? Today’s automated systems may offer huge opportunities to improve productivity, but they do not replicate the activities of a human workforce in a like-for-like manner. By failing to truly consider how the technology will be deployed – and, critically, how it will work in tandem with the human workforce – organisations are failing to get the point of automation or reap the rewards. Some mistakes are basic – such as installing a fleet of AGVs but failing to consider the need for automatic door opening. Others are more fundamental, such as overlooking the implications of dropping technology into a workplace without engaging the workforce. Either way, a misunderstanding of automation and its implications for both people and process can lead to serious operational problems that risk derailing essential investment in improvement. Assessing the way in which automation will fit in with existing processes is critical. If, for example, one of the biggest issues in a warehouse is vehicle congestion, especially at peak times, then simply replacing human- operated vehicles by AGVs without considering the timing and location of the routes is not going to solve the problem. Reconsidering the traffic flow, the way orders are batched, the tasks and the schedules, are essential to maximising the value of the AGVs. Growing numbers of organisations are considering using AGVs to replace the manual task of driving around a warehouse, picking items and delivering them to loading stations. Re-allocating those individuals to dedicated pick locations makes operational sense – but this is not a like-for-like situation. For example, while individuals may only be able to operate a single pick model, an AGV may be able to pick up to three items, not only reducing non-productive time, but also cutting the number of vehicles, and hence the investment, required. Dr Paul Rivers, CEO of Guidance Automation, explains why when companies implement automation technologies such as AGVs, they need to take into account the needs of people. This will allow them to introduce automation that can augment their workers’ experience, while also transforming productivity. n CONVEYORS, MATERIALS HANDLING AND AGVs