Future Trends in FMS

As a result of simultaneously aiming at flexibility, quality and efficiency, the future manufacturing industry will strive towards :
producing to order
virtually no stocks
very high quality levels
high productivity.

From this it follows that factories will undergo developments leading them to have the following characteristics :
long operating times
continuous flow production
short throughput times
motivated employees

As far as the factory of the future of the future itself is concerned, aiming at excellence means changes in :
Technology
Work and organization
Management.

The reason is the rise of flexible automation as well as its extension to small and medium series size superseding both manual work and rigid automation.

It is rather a tall order for factories having to satisfy efficiency, quality and flexibility.

Aiming at quality and flexibility, in particular, implies (apart from the introduction of new technologies) that other capabilities are needed than those required to cope with efficiency.

This, in turn, implies that work, organization and management will have to be different.

The capability to create this kind of factories becomes increasingly a weapon in the competitive battle. In this context "Excellence in Manufacturing" or "Worldclass Factories" are more significant slogans than "The Factory of the Future".



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