NAM: Manufacturing In 2030 Event Explores Artifical Intelligence AI is changing the way manufacturers do business — from the production line to the back office and across the sup- ply chain. At the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s Man- ufacturing in 2030 Project: Let’s Talk about AI event last month in Nashville, Tennessee, panelists discussed how those sweeping changes would alter and enhance the manufacturing workforce. A collaboration between the MLC (NAM’s digital trans- formation arm) and the MI (NAM’s workforce development and education partner), the event provided key insights for manufacturers into how technology and workforce trends interact with each other. “The history of technology adoption is about improving the job quality of individuals on the shop floor. AI helps
them to do the job better, provide them with better tools, gives them greater authority and ultimately in- creases the value-add of their jobs. All of that is a net positive for those individuals,” said MI Vice President of Workforce Solutions Gardner Carrick. By leveraging data and enabling
Gardner Carrick
greater efficiency, AI will improve communication, in- crease collaboration and stimulate innovation, according to the panel. In addition, “AI can even inform the workforce’s creativ- ity by working with it to design a new product or system,”
said Jacey Heuer, lead, data science and advanced analytics, Pella Corpo- ration. While you might expect that implementing AI requires workers skilled in programming, data science
and machine learn- ing, manufacturers will also need to expand
BALEMASTER
Jacey Heuer
their bench of critical thinkers and prob- lem-solvers. The panelists had a few tips to help companies along: • Invest in upskilling programs to make the AI integration process at your compa- ny smoother and develop the talent you al- ready have. • Update job descriptions to reflect the skill sets the company will need in the next five to seven years. • Consider recruiting for and teaching adaptive skills — skills that enable individ- uals to adapt easily to changing demands and environments — which can increase the flexibility of your workforce. • Build partnerships with local schools, community colleges and technical and vo- cational schools to develop talent pipelines that will meet your needs. The Human-AI Collaboration While AI will take over monotonous, repetitive tasks, the panelists predicted that the industry would continue to center around human labor. “You can teach AI
You can count on us. Sustainable
Balemaster’s network of service providers across North America have capabilities ranging from emergency breakdown service to planned maintenance, and more. Combined with our multi-million dollar parts inventory at our Indiana factory, you can see how we’ll keep you maintained – and sustained – at a high level for years to come.
to do X. You can teach AI to do Y. [However,] combining the two may be really difficult for AI, while a human can do it better. You’re
Asi Klein
going to continue to see humans in roles that center on making decisions and telling stories,” said Asi Klein, managing director, industrial products and organization trans-
(219) 663-4525 | www. balemaster .com MAKING YOUR BALING PROCESS MORE PROFITABLE.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
10 January 23, 2023
www.boardconvertingnews.com
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker