Thinking About Moving Production Closer to Home? We Can Help

August 4, 2022 | 2 min read

Paolo Avagliano, SVP Delivery & Customer Success, Bright Machines

The pandemic arrived just as businesses and consumers were feeling increased pressure to abide by more eco-friendly processes and behaviors. This combination has created a spike in buying behaviors focused on local and regionally made products, causing manufacturers to reassess how and where they build products. 

This shift toward buying and creating local goods has many benefits, including minimizing waste and emissions, reducing supply chain risk, and funneling money back into communities to help with job creation and stability. But, for there to be enough products for consumers and companies to purchase, manufacturers need to be able to scale production up or down, quickly and easily. That’s where Bright Machines’ intelligent automation technology full-stack solution comes into play. 

Successfully move production closer with intelligent automation 

With any significant operational shift, there are challenges that manufacturers need to navigate when relocating factories. For example, production in the U.S. is often more expensive and complex due to higher labor costs and outdated or inadequate infrastructure. But, the rise of intelligent, flexible automation makes scalable local production both sensible and achievable.

When manufacturers embrace intelligent factories, they create: 

Increased operational flexibility: While automation was initially designed for throughput and repeatability, today’s automated solutions have flexibility at the top of the list of benefits. Bright Machines Microfactories can be programmed to carry out different tasks for different products,, can be easily changed to accommodate new instructions, and are reconfigurable and reusable. This level of flexibility allows manufacturers to build smart factories with the ability to scale production based on local demand, thus ensuring they don’t make too much or too little of a product. They can also quickly pivot to a new product if the market changes. 

New opportunities for the workforce: Reshoring with intelligent automation as part of the solution means manufacturers can address the workforce challenges they’ve been experiencing for decades. For example, Brightware Studio has low- or no-code workflows and intuitive user faces that allow workers at all skill levels to run production and manufacturers to analyze lines more easily. Those that invest in reshoring also bring more well-paying, stimulating jobs to their communities. 

Those who pursue the opportunity and adopt closer-to-home production will experience benefits for decades to come—not just for their business but for their communities too. Notably, reshoring production won’t be an easy or overnight shift for most manufacturers. Still, any potential hurdles they face will be addressed with modern technology, made specifically to support and grow alongside manufacturers, wherever their operations are located.

Want to learn more? Reach out to our team today. 

To learn more about our capabilities in building the backbone of AI, visit Bright Machines.