MT Magazine May/June 2022

FEATURE STORY

JOB SHOPS ISSUE

14

Take video analytics. Bergstrom says the tech can be deployed in any size facility, whether it is a company the size of GM or a bracket manufacturer with one line and one facility that is supplying a company like GM. “Video analytics is about each step in the production line, improving quality.” As quality is a goal by a company of any size, the technology can be advantageous. Robots present a similar case, he says, if the task is line side loading; thenagain, the sizeof theoperation isn’t that important. “Other than economies of scale in terms of purchasing power, robots and cobots are just as deployable on a single line as they are in a facility with several.” He adds, “They are very applicable to small shops.” Bergstrom does point out, however, that artificial intelligence and machine learning are more applicable to installations where there is more scale. “In order to program and drive those algorithms – the more lines and the larger the network, the better off your AI and machine learning will be. “This is not to say smaller organizations can’t use them, but they’re more difficult to deploy, especially if it is in a single threaded, single-line, mom-and-pop shop.” That point segues into one where there is the question of labor. “Whether you are big or small, our view is that there is a transition going on as we speak,” he says.

are organizations that operate major manufacturing sites that have resources which can make many manufacturers awfully envious. But here’s something to keep in mind: According to industry research organization IBISWorld, as of 2022, there are 638,583 manufacturing businesses in the United States. The greater part of that number consists of those with fewer than 500 employees, which is certainly not where GM, Boeing, and Caterpillar are in terms of headcount. (Here’sa funfact fromtheU.S. SmallBusinessAdministration: There are 31.7 million small businesses in the United States across all industries and 20,139 large businesses, which means that small businesses represent 99.9% of all firms.) Small Like All So, what about video analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomous mobile robots, and other advanced manufacturing technologies – do they have applicability in small businesses? “One hundred percent yes,” Jason Bergstrom emphatically answers. And he ought to know. Bergstrom is the go-to-market smart factory leader for Deloitte Consulting. (He has also attained a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification, so he knows more than a little something about manufacturing efficiencies.)