Automation Isn’t a Catalog Purchase: Understanding Project Risk

Buying sophisticated automation equipment is only one part of a successful automation project. The larger challenge is managing the engineering, schedule, and business risks that come with implementing it.

In a recent article published in Quality Magazine, AMT Founder and CEO Mike Jacobs shares a real-world example of a company that took on a complex automation project as an extension of their existing customer relationship. What initially appeared to be an equipment purchase ultimately exposed the company to technical, schedule, and business risks it was not prepared to manage.

The application itself was challenging: robotic de-racking and machine vision were needed to transfer large automotive assemblies from reusable shipping racks into a high-volume production process. The system also had to accommodate years of rack wear, forklift damage, dimensional variation, and the occasional need for manual intervention. The technology was only part of the challenge.

Organizations new to automation may assume that a detailed specification, a capable system builder, and a purchase order are enough to keep a project on track. In reality, managing a complex automation project also requires continuous engineering oversight, clearly defined responsibilities, realistic milestones, and active risk management from design through installation.

Before implementation begins, automation buyers should be working with their integrator and internal project team to answer questions such as:

• Who is monitoring engineering progress throughout the project?
• How will technical, schedule, and business risks be identified and managed?
• What milestones demonstrate that the system is ready for factory acceptance testing?
• What needs to be verified before equipment ships?
• How will the team respond when actual production conditions differ from those encountered during development and testing?

Answering these questions early helps project leadership understand where risk exists, who is responsible for managing it, and where additional engineering support may be needed.

Perhaps the most important question is also one of the simplest: Who is accepting the project risk?

For companies entering automation for the first time, understanding where that risk resides—and having project leadership prepared to manage it—can be just as important as selecting the technology itself.

Read Mike’s full article, Automation Isn’t a Catalog Purchase, in Quality Magazine for a closer look at why successful automation projects depend on technical expertise, disciplined project leadership, and clear collaboration between the customer and the automation integrator.

Choosing the right partner starts well before a purchase order is issued. AMT’s complimentary eBook, How to Choose a System Integrator Partner, offers additional guidance for manufacturers evaluating automation partners. Download your copy here.