ARTICLE
Which Process Should You Automate First?
Labor, quality, safety, and flow — a filter for the first cell that pays.
Start where the floor already hurts
Many manufacturers are dealing with labor that is hard to hire, hard to keep, and expensive to put on the worst jobs. Automation earns its place when it takes over work that is physically hard, repetitive, or inconsistent — and when you can measure the result.
The wrong first project is a plant-wide vision. The right first project is one station with a clear problem, a known rate, and a path to a cell you can support. For a longer walkthrough of what to measure, see the automation guide.
A practical filter
Labor strain
Jobs people leave, or cannot fill, are often the first to automate.
Clear steps
If you can write the motion down, a robot can usually run it.
Quality escapes
If the defect is in the motion, a cell plus vision can hold the spec.
Need a second set of eyes?
Send a video of the station. We will tell you whether it is a first cell — and what it is not.
