Addressing Workforce Challenges Through Automation
TCI, a leading manufacturing company in Taiwan, was facing a growing challenge: an aging workforce. Many employees were approaching retirement, and younger generations showed little interest in the traditional roles available in the company. Concerned about the future, TCI’s CEO recognized that digital transformation was the key to ensuring long-term sustainability and growth.
By implementing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to modernize their operations, focusing first on the factory floor. This initial step not only alleviated their workforce challenges but also laid the foundation for a smart factory. As the benefits of RPA became clear, it was expanded across departments, transforming TCI into a fully integrated smart factory.
Solving Workforce Concerns on the Factory Floor
TCI’s journey began with a focus on automating labor-intensive tasks on the factory floor. The CEO’s goal was to reduce the company’s reliance on manual labor and create a more efficient, automated workflow. Here’s how RPA was implemented in key areas:
Electroplating – Automating Production Parameters: RPA was introduced to automatically set production parameters for electroplating. This ensured consistency and quality control while feeding real-time data into TCI’s ERP system, allowing managers to make immediate adjustments as needed.
Spray Coating – Configuring Inkjet Settings: RPA was used to automate inkjet spray coating parameters. This streamlined the process, improved precision, and connected directly with backend systems, providing real-time updates to inventory and production schedules.
BGA Quality Assurance – Automating Daily Reports: By automating the collection of corrections and scrap data for BGA components, RPA allowed quality assurance teams to generate daily reports and send them directly to management. This improved decision-making and ensured timely corrective actions.
Molding – Exporting Production Data: RPA helped TCI automate the export of pitch classification data in the molding process. Engineers could instantly access this data in backend systems, reducing downtime and improving process optimization.
Drilling – Verifying Material Origins: RPA automated the creation of verification forms for materials used in drilling, ensuring compliance with production standards. This reduced manual labor while ensuring that accurate material data flowed directly into the ERP system.
These initial successes on the factory floor provided immediate benefits, such as reducing human error, increasing operational speed, and allowing real-time data integration. As the workforce challenge was alleviated, the CEO realized that RPA could be expanded to further optimize TCI’s operations.
A Step Toward a Smart Factory
Encouraged by the success on the factory floor, TCI expanded the use of RPA across other departments. This created an integrated system that connected operational technology (OT) with office automation (OA), building the foundation of a true smart factory.
Procurement – Automating ERP Data Entry: With RPA, TCI automated the entry of procurement details into their ERP system. This gave the procurement team real-time visibility into inventory levels and allowed them to align material purchases with production needs. The integration between the factory floor and backend office reduced shortages and excess inventory.
Sales – Aligning Forecasts with Production: RPA also automated sales forecast consolidation in ERP. This ensured that production schedules were accurately aligned with market demand, reducing production delays and enabling the company to respond quickly to changes in customer needs.
Outsourcing – Automating Work-in-Progress (WIP) Tracking: For outsourced production, RPA automated the daily WIP updates, providing managers with real-time insights into supplier progress. This allowed TCI to make more informed decisions regarding outsourcing timelines and supplier management.
By expanding RPA to backend processes, TCI was able to achieve a seamless connection between the factory floor and office systems. Data from every stage of production flowed effortlessly into management tools, creating an environment where decisions could be made in real time with complete visibility.
From Workforce Challenge to Smart Factory
Through the implementation and expansion of RPA, TCI successfully transformed into a smart factory. The initial goal of addressing workforce challenges evolved into a full digital transformation, providing the company with the following benefits:
Real-Time Decision Making: Data from the factory floor was instantly available in backend systems, enabling managers to make faster, more informed decisions.
Increased Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks across departments allowed TCI to reduce manual labor and improve overall operational efficiency.
Improved Accuracy: RPA reduced the margin for human error in both factory operations and backend processes, leading to higher product quality and more reliable data.
Workforce Attraction: The introduction of advanced technology made TCI more attractive to a younger, tech-savvy workforce, addressing the CEO’s initial concerns about the aging workforce.
Sustainable Growth: With RPA in place, TCI was able to scale its operations without worrying about labor shortages, ensuring long-term sustainability.
The Vision of a Smart Factory
What started as a solution to workforce concerns ultimately resulted in a smart factory transformation. By bridging the gap between OT and OA through RPA, TCI now operates with fully connected systems. The factory floor no longer operates in isolation from backend office functions. Instead, every process, from procurement to production to quality control, is interconnected, creating a streamlined and highly efficient operation.
Ready to Transform Your Factory?
TCI’s success story demonstrates how RPA can do more than solve immediate workforce challenges—it can create the foundation for a smart, connected factory. If your company is looking to modernize its operations and build a future-proof smart factory, contact us today to learn more about how RPA can connect your factory floor with your backend office.
