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3 Tips to Make a Business Case for Robotics on Your Production Line

5/7/24 | Robert Werkman, Industrial Automation Services Manager

Perhaps you’ve experienced this before: Your production line is alive with activity, but you’re still missing the mark on your daily quota. Frustration builds inside of you because you and your team are working at peak capacity, but you keep falling short. As you investigate options to solve this problem, you learn about the benefits of implementing robotics into your production – boosts to production, quality, efficiency, and safety. This could be the solution to your daily quota woes.

But how do you make the case to your supervisor to invest in robotics? Here are three tips to effectively convey the value of robotics:

1. Speak the Language of ROI

In many cases, a top priority for business leaders is financial results. Coming to your supervisor and asking them to spend money without showing the return on investment (ROI) can almost certainly get your robotics pitch rejected. Translate the benefits of robotics into concrete metrics. Here are a couple of examples:

Increased Production & Quality: Showcase how robots are capable of tirelessly working while minimizing human error and production cycle times without sacrificing quality. If you’re discarding product each month due to quality issues, calculate how much money you’d save monthly with a robotics implementation. If you’re facing a labor shortage, calculate how much more product you could produce each month (this is a great case to make even if you aren’t facing a labor shortage!)
Reduced Costs: As the saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. While there’s an initial investment in robotics, they offer significant long-term cost savings. Show the decrease in reliance on manual labor, minimized rework, and the capabilities for off-hour production.

In short, do your homework and present a comprehensive ROI analysis demonstrating how robotics will pay for itself (and lead to additional profits) over time.

2. Address Concerns: Safety, Jobs, and Implementation

Anticipate potential concerns your boss might have:

Safety: Even more so than finances, business leaders are concerned about the safety of their workforce. Emphasize how robots can take over dangerous or strenuous tasks, protecting your workforce.
Job displacement: Some people are concerned – or even afraid – that robots will replace human workers, meaning you can face some resistance to their implementation. Explain that robots are collaborators, not replacements. They free human workers for higher-level activities requiring problem-solving and human interaction.
Implementation: Explain that many modern robots are programmable with user friendly, intuitive interfaces, minimizing the need for extensive programming expertise.

By being prepared with any concerns you think your supervisor might have, you’ll demonstrate a well-rounded understanding of robotics and its impact on the workforce – you’ll also be ready to respond to any of the concerns.

3. Tailor the Solution With Specific Needs

You don’t want to propose a generic robotics solution. There are multiple types of robots and platforms, each that are suited for specific purposes. Research and identify specific areas within your manufacturing process that would benefit most from robotics.

Look for tasks that are repetitive, dangerous, and/or labor-intensive. You’ll also want to consider the flexibility of robots. Many of them can adapt to changing production demands or scale with your business, but you’ll want to make sure you’re selecting the best options for your needs.

Presenting a targeted plan demonstrates that you've carefully considered the specific needs of your company and how robotics can directly address them.

By framing your argument around these key points, you can effectively communicate the value proposition of robotics to your boss. Remember, robots are not a magic bullet, but a powerful tool to enhance your teams and create a more competitive, efficient, and safer manufacturing environment.

A Quick Recap

These three tips will get you started on making a solid business case for robotics to your supervisor. Remember:

Speak the language of ROI so you can highlight the long-term financial benefits and growth opportunities
Address any concerns such as safety, job displacement, or implementation up front so you can get ahead of them and show how robotics can benefit
Tailor the solution with the specific needs of your business and operations to ensure you’re making a case for the right solution

Rexel’s robotics experts have the knowledge to assist you with any questions you might have. From identifying the benefits to finding the solution that makes the most sense for you, we’re here to help. Contact us today.

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