Are Smart Robots the Future of the Supply Chain?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, how often did you think about where the products you buy were manufactured? For certain, some people have always been interested in buying products made in America. However, most people have historically given little thought to where things are made or how they find their way to the United States.
Of course, all that changed during the pandemic. As store shelves emptied and new automobiles got stockpiled while waiting for electronic components, everyone around the world became painfully aware of the intricacies of the supply chain and how truly global the economy had become.
One of the many outcomes of the pandemic was a renewed focus on making the American supply chain more efficient and resilient. Not surprisingly, many links in the supply chain turned to advanced automation technologies to address issues that had come to light during the pandemic.
In terms of automating warehouses, in particular, smart robots quickly became a go-to solution for many organizations. Over the past couple of years, more and more human workers have learned to work alongside robotic counterparts. Experts believe this trend is likely to continue. In fact, some believe that future supply chain managers may oversee more smart robots than human beings.
In a recent Material Handling & Logistics article, the author cites a recent study by Gartner, Inc. that predicts that “[e]ighty percent of humans will engage with smart robots on a daily basis, and one in 20 supply chain managers will manage robots, rather than humans, by 2030.”
The article points out that “[o]rganizations are placing greater emphasis on enhancing the capabilities of their existing workforce by supplementing with robotics due to factors like labor scarcity and rising costs,” making smart robots “an important investment area.”
The growth in implementation of smart robots reveals that many, if not most, companies are indeed choosing to invest in these new technologies. At the same time, though, these organizations also need to be investing in their human assets, as many chief supply chain officers “acknowledge their organization lacks internal robotics expertise to maximally leverage these innovative technologies.”
Supply chain experts know that, “as fleets grow and companies embrace varied robotics use cases, establishing a management structure to oversee robotics operations becomes essential.” Finding those managers with the knowledge and hands-on skills to effectively manage these advanced automation technologies will become the new challenge.
Companies will likely need to hire new skilled workers or upskill current workers to make the most of increasing automation technologies. How can you be sure a worker has the advanced automation skills needed to excel in the workplace of the future? Many companies look for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the hands-on skills employers need.
The Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level.
For example, SACA’s Certified Industry 4.0 Robotics Specialist certification confirms that certified individuals can succeed as a robotics technician in modern production environments that use Industry 4.0 technologies. This certification verifies that individuals can install, program, test, interface, and maintain industrial robot systems and workcells. SACA offers a wide variety of other industry-standard certifications focused on advanced automation technologies and related skills. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Manufacturing Advice: Trust No One
What’s the key to long-term sustainability and success as a manufacturer? Some would argue that it’s trust. If a manufacturer gains the trust of the users of its products—and keeps that trust over time—it can go a long way to weathering nearly any storm that might come its way.
But is trust a two-way street? At least when it comes to cybersecurity and the protection of valuable intellectual property and technological assets, experts agree that the answer is a resounding “No!” In fact, cybersecurity experts have three words of advice for modern manufacturers: “Trust no one.”
As author Ramsés Gallego notes in a recent Smart Industry article, “[d]igital transformation has brought us AI, digital twins, and IoT—all built for productivity—but when trust is misplaced or unverified, the consequences can be severe and expensive.”
In the past, information technology staff have set up security measures as if a manufacturer’s internal network is a castle to be defended. In this type of model, “anyone or anything inside the perimeter was assumed safe,” points out Gallego.
Unfortunately, such a model is now outdated, because “but today’s factories are no longer isolated silos of machines.” Instead, “[m]anufacturing has become a hyperconnected ecosystem where IT and OT systems share data, AI automates decisions, digital twins simulate entire operations, and third-party devices plug directly into production lines. Every connection is a potential entry point, and attackers know it.”
That’s why “[m]anufacturing is now the most targeted industry for ransomware, accounting for up to 29% of reported attacks, according to CheckPoint Research. And this isn’t just about data loss—when OT systems are compromised, the impact is often physical and immediate. Think shutdowns, broken supply chains, or even nationwide disruption,” notes Gallego.
What approach should manufacturers take to protect themselves? Experts now recommend a zero trust cybersecurity framework. And it’s based upon a simple principle: “never trust, always verify.” The assumption underlying this framework is that “everything—human or machine—can be compromised.”
Does this seem cynical? Perhaps, but Gallego concludes that it’s “the only safe assumption…in an environment where uptime and safety are paramount.” Moreover, it’s important to remember that, when it comes to manufacturing systems, “the consequences [of a cybersecurity breach] can be severe, threatening worker well-being, product quality and even public safety.”
So, what does a zero trust framework look like for a modern manufacturer’s IT team? “Remember learning the question words at school: who, what, when, where, why, which? In a zero-trust environment, every user, device and application must answer those questions, every time, before they’re granted access.”
Managing such an approach is no simple task. Modern manufacturing facilities can include “thousands of interconnected systems controlling machinery—from factory robots, to power grids, to all the hardware and software that monitors and controls devices, processes and infrastructure.”
Finding the right people to properly secure manufacturing networks is paramount. Effective cybersecurity implementation may require manufacturers to add more technology experts to their teams. Personnel with hands-on experience with advanced automation technologies used in manufacturing will play a key role.
It’s critical for manufacturers to hire highly skilled workers that can manage cybersecurity risks, in addition to operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing the advanced automation systems that are being implemented. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing “skills gap” issue in the manufacturing sector, finding highly skilled workers remains a significant challenge.
How can manufacturers find the workers they need? And how can they be sure that workers have the hands-on skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? Today, more and more manufacturers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills employers need.
For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Automation Essential for Reshoring Manufacturing
Made in USA: those three words bring forth a swell of pride in hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers across the nation. Over time, though, those words have appeared on fewer products as the United States has become an integral part of a truly global marketplace.
Long gone are the days when American factories produced the majority of goods consumed within its borders. As international trade grew, industries learned that other countries could sometimes offer cheaper labor and sometimes even better technology.
The very nature of the capitalism Americans love rewards industries for maximizing profits by outsourcing production around the world. Indeed, many economists see free and open international trade as the ideal. However, offshoring manufacturing can have consequences.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages and long wait times became problematic as supply chains were strained to their breaking point. Auto manufacturers, in particular, became acutely aware of the problem of having no domestic source of the advanced semiconductors they needed to power the electronics that fill modern vehicles.
In the wake of the pandemic, renewed calls for reshoring manufacturing were heard loud and clear across the country. Have those calls been answered? Where does the reshoring movement stand currently? Will the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again trade policies centered on tariffs spark increased reshoring? Or is there another key to making it happen?
In a recent Manufacturing Dive article , author Søren Peters argues that, while the impact of tariffs is uncertain, “sustainable manufacturing success depends on the competitive advantage that automation delivers.” In fact, he notes that “the reshoring movement has been underway for years — even before the recent tariff announcements.”
He cites recent statistics that show reshoring began years ago and has been spurred on by increasing use of advanced automation technologies. Peters writes, “Look at the numbers: In 2023, more than 287,000 US manufacturing jobs were announced from reshoring and foreign direct investments — a 26-fold increase from 2010, according to the Reshoring Initiative’s annual report. This growth parallels an 88% increase in industrial robots operating in the U.S. between 2013-2023, as reported by the International Federation of Robotics.”
Regarding tariffs, Peters questions their efficacy: “While tariffs could accelerate the reshoring trend, manufacturers are generally cautious. Companies are reluctant to base major reshoring decisions on potentially fluctuating tariffs. Production relocations require years of planning and substantial investment. Companies need permanent competitive advantages, not temporary policy shifts.”
Peters concludes that “[t]his is precisely why automation must be central to any serious reshoring strategy… While trade policies shift, it is the industry’s own ability to compete that makes reshoring sustainable — and for that, automation is the foundation.”
Why is automation so critical to the reshoring effort? Peters notes that “[t]he most immediate obstacle to rapid reshoring is workforce capacity.” There simply aren’t enough manufacturing workers to fill available positions right now, let alone to staff numerous new facilities resulting from reshoring.
Fortunately, new automation technologies have taken some of the pressure off, allowing the U.S. manufacturing sector to continue increasing production capacity even with fewer workers. That might not last long, though, because those new automation technologies also contribute to an ongoing problem: the automation skills gap.
New automation technologies can take up some of the slack of having too few workers, but manufacturers now need more workers with more advanced skills who can operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair these new technologies. So where will they find the workers?
As companies embrace new technologies, they will often need to either upskill current workers or hire new workers with the advanced automation technology skills they require. If hiring new workers ends up being part of their automation implementation plan, manufacturers should look for candidates with industry-standard credentials that prove they already possess the advanced automation skills needed to thrive.
For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies.
SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Manufacturers Prefer Practicality When It Comes to Robots
Humans have been fascinated with robots since the days of the old Jetsons cartoons. Back in those days, flying your car home from work to your home in the sky seemed like it might be possible by 2025. But alas, cars still don’t fly. Robots that clean your floors, though, have become reality, so not all is lost.
Today, robots take many forms. Kids in grade school commonly work on simple robots in the classroom. Robot vacuum cleaners and even robot lawnmowers can be found in homes across the country. The most common place for humans to interact with robots, though, is at work.
Robots represent one of the most common types of advanced automation technology that has transformed industry, especially in a sector like manufacturing. From robot dogs that help improve preventive maintenance to humanoid robots that mimic not only human abilities, but also the human form, robots have become ubiquitous throughout modern manufacturing.
So, what’s the go-to robot for most manufacturers? Those who have long feared humans being replaced by robots might worry that humanoid robots fit that bill perfectly. However, experts note that manufacturers thus far seem to prefer function over form.
According to a recent Reuters article by Akash Sriram, specialist robots have captured the attention of manufacturers: “their ability to do single tasks cheaply and efficiently is attracting investor dollars as focus shifts to function from flash.”
Specialist robots are not “the sleek humanoids of science fiction that are meant for complex and adaptive work.” To the contrary, these “boxy and utilitarian robots – some the size of industrial tool chests – are built to handle tasks such as hauling parts, collecting trash or inspecting equipment.”
Their popularity stems from the fact that “they offer a clear path to profitability, given the stress on automation across industries, including retail, defense and waste management.” This is a stark contrast to humanoid robots that “are still grappling with technical challenges, including limited training data and difficulty operating in unpredictable real-world environments.”
While more complex humanoid robots may become more popular in time, current funding reveals that specialist robots will continue to dominate manufacturing facilities for the foreseeable future. “Data from PitchBook shows robotics companies globally raised $2.26 billion in the first quarter of 2025, with more than 70% of that capital funneled into firms making task-focused machines.”
Another key factor supporting the popularity of specialist robots is cost: “[t]he cost of humanoids is also far higher than task-specific robots. Components such as cameras and lidar sensors can push manufacturing costs for humanoid robots to between $50,000 and $200,000 per unit, compared with $5,000 to $100,000 for task-specific machines.”
Regardless of what type of robot any manufacturer chooses, it’s clear that companies will need to hire new skilled workers or upskill current workers to make the most of these new advanced automation technologies.
How can you be sure a worker has the advanced automation skills needed to excel in the workplace of the future? Many companies look for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the hands-on skills employers need.
The Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level.
For example, SACA’s Certified Industry 4.0 Robotics Specialist certification confirms that certified individuals can succeed as a robotics technician in modern production environments that use Industry 4.0 technologies. This certification verifies that individuals can install, program, test, interface, and maintain industrial robot systems and workcells. SACA offers a wide variety of other industry-standard certifications focused on advanced automation technologies and related skills. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
