Is it time to think about 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 corporations by automating particular methods and manufacturing processes, like retailer checkouts or meeting strains”. 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 tips on how to work with machine actuators and sensors. Most significantly, they possess experience within the software areas they’re requested to automate. In different phrases, a retail automation professional may need expertise in tips on how to automate grocery checkout strains in shops, however they may not know a lot about tips on how to automate a producing firm’s meeting line.
Within the space of robotics, most of the expertise wanted for automation engineers carry over for robotics engineers. A major distinction is {that a} robotics engineer is engaged on a robotic. The aim is to program the robotic with the mandatory directions for it to suit into an present enterprise course of.
Examples of how working robots are used embrace programming a robotic so it may possibly enter a nuclear facility to carry out upkeep, or activating a warehouse robotic that may retailer, choose, and ship components 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 should be conversant in 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 $80,000/12 months).
The place Do These Engineers Report?
Robotics and automation engineers will need to have the power to cross-communicate with totally different departments once they implement options. In addition they want a radical understanding of the totally different enterprise methods the place the automation or robotics applied sciences can 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 expertise in programming, and in working with varied 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 components stock, invoice of fabric and work order methods on the manufacturing flooring. There have been too could disconnects between engineering and manufacturing. We wished to eradicate this by integrating and automating data flows between the CAD system and the manufacturing methods.
Engineering was working a standalone CAD system on a wholly totally 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). Nevertheless, 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 acquired the challenge achieved. It wasn’t the simplest 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 tasks have many various items, interact many various departments, and may rapidly turn into as politically charged as they’re technically difficult.
I’ve talked to a number of different CIOs about tips on how to get previous politics. Some are more than pleased to only have the departments that wish to automate retain their very own consultants or rent within the individuals — and do the work themselves — however I’ve seldom seen this work. Why? As a result of invariably, the advisor or the engineer {that a} division brings in has a query about tips on how to combine with different enterprise methods that IT manages.
A method or one other, IT can be concerned.
Is There a Finest 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 similar to manufacturing, is to position the automation or robotics engineer within the engineering or manufacturing areas. Then the engineers could be savvy on the departments’ enterprise processes in addition to on the automation and robotics applied sciences which can be wanted. On this state of affairs, IT can be helping primarily in system integration.
Nevertheless, if the corporate is in finance, healthcare, retail, or different non-engineering-oriented companies, it’s probably that IT may be the very best vacation spot for a robotics or automation engineer, as a result of the consumer departments gained’t have the mandatory skillset.
In all instances, automation and robotics tasks require sturdy collaboration and cooperation between departments and IT. On this manner, everybody could 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.