Emerging Technology, Training for the Future, and the Next Industrial Revolution

Emerging Technology, Training for the Future,

and the Next Industrial Revolution

Technology isn’t just a tangible entity. It

moves beyond what we can see, feel, and touch.

It is ideas and theories. It includes philosophy

and risks. In a way, technology itself is like the

stock market. Different industries hedge their

bets on emerging trends. These trends develop

into useful products that change our world. It

isn’t just enough to simply guess where a new

technology may fit, or how emerging technolo-

gies will advance the industry. You must under-

stand how the ebbs and flows will impact your

business, and how new technologies will lever-

age against existing systems.

So, to be successful, we need to do our best

to first spot trends in the industry, and under-

stand how these trends point to a paradigm

shift in the way we operate. You see, every few

years, technology finds a way to revolutionize

the entire manufacturing process. Dating back

to the first Industrial Revolution, when manu-

facturing started to move from hand produc-

tion to steam power, there was a great shift in

how manufacturing impacted the economy.

From there, the utilization of electric power to

create mass production, and then the usage of

electronics to automate has opened the door for

where we are today.

We are on the doorstep of the fourth great

revolution in manufacturing, which has put an

emphasis on connecting the factory, the work-

force, and the end-user. It is this connected fac-

tory and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT)

that has created never-before-seen opportuni-

ties to include new technologies ranging from

robotics to 3D printing.

But as technologies continue to advance so

quickly, some may find it difficult to anticipate

what comes next. Just because there are new

technologies doesn’t mean you should be com-

placent with new improvements. Even the best-

connected factory today will experience shifts

in production down the road. Adjusting is more

than a single upgrade. It is creating a dynamic

environment that can adapt to fluctuations to-

day, while adjusting to include emerging tech-

nologies tomorrow.

And one of the best ways to ensure that we

are adaptable to all coming technologies is to

make sure our workforce is competitive. As dur-

ing previous Industrial Revolutions, the econo-

my is expected to grow. This indicates a growth

in jobs as well. But to truly grow, manufacturers

need to reinvest not only in innovation, but in

employees. Now is the time to focus on train-

ing employees on new technologies. A report

on advanced manufacturing [1] released in 2016

by the Subcommittee for Advanced Manufac-

turing of the National Science and Technology

Council stated that, “Over the next decade, we

will need to fill nearly 3.5 million manufactur-

ing jobs, although two million of these posi-

tions may remain unfilled due to a skills gap.

In fact, at this moment, 80% of manufacturers

currently report a moderate or serious shortage

of qualified applicants for skilled and highly-

skilled production positions.”

Much like when Henry Ford rolled out the

assembly line, there is a push for workers to

further hone and specialize their skills. The re-

sult of this is reduced waste, and a higher qual-

ity end-product. Investing in new technologies

may require funds up front, but this is worth it

when you consider the reduction in assembly

time and the increase in production rate. So, it

isn’t enough to simply adopt these technolo-

gies, but rather adopt a shift that includes train-

ing and preparing a workforce that can handle

current technologies and be adaptable to adjust

to whatever may come down the road.

In the end, the technology we have today

comes as the result of hardworking individu-

als. Sure, Ford made great strides to advance

the way factories produced goods in 1914. But

he also put an emphasis on his employees, en-

suring they knew how to operate the machines

that would change the world. Thus, he pro-

duced quality automobiles and revolutionized

the American class of blue collar workers.

While the digitization of our factories is a

great example of improving production while

decreasing waste, there needs to be a focus on

ensuring the employees can operate machines

across the entire connected factory floor and

train others to do the same. Much like IPC’s

Connected Factory Initiative states, it is impor-

tant to establish a baseline of communication

to achieve Industry 4.0 benefits. For “plug and

play interoperability” of devices to succeed, em-

ployees need to be able to understand and uti-

lize the technology.

Until the fifth Industrial Revolution comes,

we will need to innovate our processes and un-

cover new ways to make today’s systems work

better. Manufacturing will continue to grow in

the United States and across the globe, but it

will require a concerted effort to learn, adapt,

integrate, and evolve. PCB