Is it time to contemplate a brand new IT specialty like automation engineering?
Jobs web site Certainly defines an automation engineer as somebody who will “seek for methods to simplify actions for workers, shoppers and firms by automating particular methods and manufacturing processes, like retailer checkouts or meeting traces”. These people work alongside IT and division managers to develop automation plans after which implement automation into enterprise processes.
They use programming languages like Java, C# and Python, and so they know work with machine actuators and sensors. Most significantly, they possess experience within the utility areas they’re requested to automate. In different phrases, a retail automation skilled may need abilities in automate grocery checkout traces in shops, however they may not know a lot about automate a producing firm’s meeting line.
Within the space of robotics, most of the abilities wanted for automation engineers carry over for robotics engineers. A main distinction is {that a} robotics engineer is engaged on a robotic. The objective is to program the robotic with the mandatory directions for it to suit into an current enterprise course of.
Examples of how working robots are used embody programming a robotic so it could possibly enter a nuclear facility to carry out upkeep, or activating a warehouse robotic that may retailer, decide, and ship elements from bins all through the warehouse whereas efficiently navigating round obstacles on the ground.
Robotics engineers use languages like C and C# and so they generally work on Linux platforms and have to be accustomed to the applied sciences of the actual robotics distributors they’re utilizing.
Automation and robotics engineers are in excessive demand in enterprise, though it prices significantly extra to recruit an automation engineer (mid-100,000s wage vary) than it’s to rent a robotics engineer (the mid-point wage is round $80,000/yr).
The place Do These Engineers Report?
Robotics and automation engineers should have the flexibility to cross-communicate with completely different departments after they implement options. In addition they want an intensive understanding of the completely different enterprise methods the place the automation or robotics applied sciences shall be deployed. It’s not a lot of a stretch to see that most of the system information and cross-communicational necessities are precisely what one would discover resident with an IT enterprise analyst. The distinction is that an automation or robotics engineer would have better abilities in programming, and in working with numerous mechanical and digital interfaces.
As a CIO, I as soon as had a challenge that required automation between our engineering CAD design database and the elements stock, invoice of fabric and work order methods on the manufacturing ground. There have been too might disconnects between engineering and manufacturing. We needed to remove this by integrating and automating info flows between the CAD system and the manufacturing methods.
Engineering was operating a standalone CAD system on a wholly completely different platform from what manufacturing was utilizing to run its payments of fabric, stock, and work orders.
The preliminary determination was for IT to take the lead on this integration-automation challenge as a result of IT touched all methods (aside from engineering’s standalone CAD system). Nonetheless, we discovered rapidly that engineering didn’t wish to relinquish any management of its CAD methods for the automation challenge.
We solved this by teaming an engineer from engineering with a programmer-analyst from IT and a producing engineer from, and we received the challenge achieved. It wasn’t the best challenge that we ever did.
Can IT Keep away from Getting Concerned?
That challenge with engineering, manufacturing and IT got here early in my CIO profession, and I discovered rapidly that automation initiatives have many alternative items, have interaction many alternative departments, and might rapidly grow to be as politically charged as they’re technically difficult.
I’ve talked to a number of different CIOs about get previous politics. Some are very happy to only have the departments that wish to automate retain their very own consultants or rent within the folks — and do the work themselves — however I’ve seldom seen this work. Why? As a result of invariably, the marketing consultant or the engineer {that a} division brings in has a query about combine with different enterprise methods that IT manages.
A technique or one other, IT shall be concerned.
Is There a Greatest Strategy?
From private expertise and from conversations I’ve had with different managers, an optimum method to automation and robotics when IT works with engineering-oriented departments resembling manufacturing, is to position the automation or robotics engineer within the engineering or manufacturing areas. Then the engineers might be savvy on the departments’ enterprise processes in addition to on the automation and robotics applied sciences which might be wanted. On this state of affairs, IT can be helping primarily in system integration.
Nonetheless, if the corporate is in finance, healthcare, retail, or different non-engineering-oriented companies, it’s seemingly that IT is likely to be the perfect vacation spot for a robotics or automation engineer, as a result of the person departments received’t have the mandatory skillset.
In all instances, automation and robotics initiatives require sturdy collaboration and cooperation between departments and IT. On this means, everybody might be assured that they’re transferring into every challenge with an entire and complete information base of the enterprise, the methods, and what they wish to automate.
