Automation key to post-pandemic production
The COVID-19 pandemic has an adverse effect on the entire economy.
The Cairn Oil’s Barmer plant which was managed by more than 7,500 employees on site reduced to 1,500 employees as the pandemic led to the lockdown of many manufacturing plants worldwide. Still, the oil and gas plant could recover 1.6 lakh barrels of oil every day. Before the pandemic, they used to recover 1.8 lakh barrels every day. This decrease in number is because of the low demand and not because of the labor shortages.
Still Cairn can manage the production because of its investment in automation and digitization.
The chief digital officer of Cairn, Anand Laxshmivarahan said that the organization will be focusing on cost optimization post-COVID-19. Do the companies will be willing to invest only in automation.
Companies like Tata Steel, Mahindra, Toyota, Tata motors, Maruti, etc. have ample methods to automate their product lines.
The government has set norms and guidelines for the company to operate amid lockdown such as companies must screen the temperature of the employees, provide them with protective hand gloves, provide them with additional medical insurance, employees should follow social distancing norms while working, etc has led the companies to think about employing machines than men.
Mahindra & Mahindra’s Chief Human Resource Officer, Rajeshwar Tripathi says that the use of robots has significantly helped the automobile sector to grow. The company has already automated the body shop, the paint shop and some of its final assembly line.
Tata Steel, Vice President, HR, Suresh Tripathi said that Tata Steel employs thousands of contract workers for maintenance of machinery. Instead of that they can use sensors that can estimate the problem well in advance.
Ceat, HR Head, Milind Apte also has mentioned about adopting digitisation and automation.
In the long run automation will prove to be profitable and will generate greater return on investment and will also prevent such shutdowns. Automation although leads to less number of manpower, it will also need new set of skilled people.
