1.
Automation in Industry
The People make the Difference!
Steve Huffman
Vice President, Mead O’Brien, Inc. St. Louis, MO
Chairman, Gov’t Relations, Automation Federation

2.
Do you ever think about helping to solve
the biggest challenges our world faces?
People are the value proposition, as they
have been forever.

3.
What are the World’s biggest challenges?
 Energy
 Water
 Food
 Environment
 Health
 Chemicals
 Minerals
 Material goods

4.
A career in industrial automation will be a
career designed to help meet and solve
these daunting challenges!
In order to see the future, one must recall
the past and how we got here.

5.
History of The Value of People in Industry
1. Era 1 - Early manufacturing
2. Era 2 - Industrialization
3. Era 3 - Automation
4. Era 4 - Technology
5. Era 5 - Empowerment

6.
The Earliest Industries
People were the heart of the business
Manager
Miller
Buyer
Sales
Marketing
Maintenance

7.
Role and Value of People
1. Era 1 - Early manufacturing
2. Era 2 - Industrialization
3. Era 3 - Automation
4. Era 4 - Technology
5. Era 5 - Empowerment

8.
Exponential Increase in Complexity

9.
Specialization
Shippingg
Buyer
Sales
Maintenance
Management
Operations
Accounting
Engineering

10.
InstrumentValve
Controller Desired value
--- Set point
Process
People were in Control!
Mission – Safely increase efficiency

11.
Role and Value of People
1. Era 1 - Early manufacturing
2. Era 2 - Industrialization
3. Era 3 - Automation
4. Era 4 - Technology
5. Era 5 - Empowerment

12.
Fewer Operators – Broader View
Becoming Information Craftsmen

13.
“They replaced me with a controller”

14.
Solution Perspective
Challenge Solution Technology enabler Talent

15.
Role and Value of People
1. Era 1 - Early manufacturing
2. Era 2 - Industrialization
3. Era 3 - Automation
4. Era 4 - Technology
5. Era 5 - Empowerment

16.
A Change in Perspective Occurred
New TechnologyFind a Problem
From
To
Challenge What Is the Solution? Technology enabler

17.
Throw Technology at It!
CIM
Lights-Out
SPC-SQC
E-Manufacturing.com
Expert Systems
3D Graphics
Object Orientation
Artificial
Intelligence
Fieldbus Intelligent Instruments
Dashboards OPC
Internet
Technology has great value –
only if applied to solve a problem!!!
MAP
Scorecards
Client-Server
6s
Pixel Resolution
Bandwidth
Ethernet

18.
Executive Concerns
 Experience drain – Graying of workforce
 Difficult to attract/retain high performing staff
 Engaging the employees in the business
 Helping employees understand their value
 Attracting new employees

19.
Real-time is the final frontier
STRATEGY
EXECUTION
Quarters
Months
Weeks
.
.
.
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Right Markets
Right Customers
Right Suppliers
Right Profits
.
.
.
Right Quality
Right Location
Right Quantity
Right Cost
Right Product Mix
.
.
.
Right Temperature
Right Chemistry
Right Energy Cost, Etc.
Production
Control
Business
Control
Process
Control

20.
Conquering the Real-time frontier

21.
Reliability, Cyber Security, Sustainability,
… to name a few
Reliability…
“Top performing plants spend an average of 1.4% on
maintenance. A $1 billion plant = $14 million whereas poorly
performing plants spend 3.5 times more = 49 million!”
R. DiStefano, Reliability Consultant, Emerson
Cybersecurity….
“If an industrial control system or critical
infrastructure is attacked, or even unintentionally
compromised, the result could include regulatory violations,
equipment damage, production loss, harm to the
environment, and even public endangerment.”
S. Huffman, Automation Federation
Sustainability….
Meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
Automation Competency Model, USDOL

22.
Why Empowerment – a time problem!
When You Can Control – Do
When You Cannot Control - Manage
Management
(Transactional)
Control
(Real Time)
Efficiency
Profit
Asset
Quality
Environmental
Safety
Efficiency
Profit
Asset
Quality
Environmental
Safety
1990 2015

23.
Enterprise Control principles
Operations
control
Business
control
Process
control
STRATEGY
EXECUTION

24.
Optimizing Profitability and Efficiency
Production Volume
Energy Consumption
Materials Consumption
Process Control
Process
Empowerment
Process
Measurement
Business
Control
Business
Empowerment
Business
Measurement
Plant
Business
Enterprise
$

25.
Cascade of Operational Performance “Loops”
Industrial Plant
Process
Control
Advanced
Control
Plant
Business
Control
Enterprise
Business
Control

26.
“Workplace Departures”
• Increasing Baby Boomer retirements
– 10,000 per day for next 20 years
– 400,000 years of experience being lost per
day
– Huge amount of experience leaving
workforce
– Hiring was suppressed through the last 15
years
– Lack experienced workers to fill the gap
Boomers

27.
Characteristics of Millennials (1980-95)
• Meaningful careers
• Tech Savvy
• Diverse
• Cyber Literate
• Collaborative – part of team
• Environmentally Conscious
• Innovative
• Realistic
Millennia's have the characteristics for success!

28.
Millennials are ideal- Looking for meaning in their work
29
Measuring the real value of every person in the operation

29.
Millennial’s are ideal – Team-based, collaborative, desiring to
know their work contributes to the bigger picture

30.
Millennials are ideal – Tech-savvy, collaborative, networked,
multitasking, balancing work/home life
Not Your Father’s Automation Industry!

31.
Millenniels Want a Career with Meaning
 Help solve world energy
 Help provide clean water
 Help solve world hunger
 Help clean and sustain the environment
 Help meet chemical & mineral needs
 Help provide material goods
It would be difficult to find a career with greater impact!