Download document () of 20
Send email
Download
You have exceeded the download limit
Why improving human-machine interaction is crucial in the age of workforce scarcity
Building great machines is simply no longer enough
Not long ago, a skilled worker would take years to become proficient in using a machine. But today’s operators may not have the same skills and rarely spend decades on the same factory floor. To compress the learning curve, you need to understand and cater to the needs of this new generation of users.
The operator interface is the bridge between the human and the machine. A well-designed human-machine interface (HMI) can make the difference between a smooth, productive and satisfying experience and a frustrating, error-prone and costly one. This is especially true in the age of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT), which is all about automation, digitalization and the use of smart, connected devices.
Our recent research through S&P global shows that a lack of an available and skilled workforce to prevent and mitigate the effects of unplanned machine downtime can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses per hour in some industries. At the same time educating and upskilling machine users to properly use and understand the product is critical to its success and deemed among the most challenging machine life cycle phase by 28% of respondents*.
Oh, it’s very, very big... that is one of the biggest problems that our customers have right now... you know, aging workforce. And some of these guys have been working at that company for 20-30 years. They know everything about the machine. And now to train somebody new... it’s very difficult. They don’t have the people. They don’t have the expertise.
Intuitive machine operator interfaces offer 4 major benefits
An HMI is not just a screen – it covers all interaction between human and machine
Communication from human to machine
This includes the hardware that allows the user to enter commands, from turning the machine on and off to controlling its entire operation
Communication from machine to human
Also known as status signaling, it uses visual, auditory and tactile cues to convey the machine’s state and notify the user what action needs to be taken
Related stories
See how other machine builders have made their interfaces intuitive and easy to use.
