A Comparison of Robot Technology Management in Two Countries

This paper compares a recent study of robot technology management in the Australian manufacturing industry with a similar study conducted in Spain. The key areas of comparison include: Benefits derived from robots. Perceived shortcomings of the technology. Payback periods experienced. Relationship between the size of the organisation and level of benefit achieved. Worker's attitudes before the installation of robots. Intention to make further investments in the technology. The findings of the two studies are compared to determine the impact of the different manufacturing environments of the two countries on the experiences of the local organisations with the adoption of robot manufacturing technology. Some of the findings common to both studies were that benefits of robot technology included product quality and production flexibility, that attitudes toward the installations before installation were positive, that the majority of companies would acquire more robots in the future and that supplier involvement and project planning were important components of the effective management of robot manufacturing systems. Both surveys also found that the efficient use of the technology was effected by limitations in the capacity of the technology itself and the organisation's level of experience with the technology. The findings of the two studies agreed on the most important dimensions of technology adoption which includes: uses of the technology, performance, shortcomings and benefits, worker responses and financial returns. This suggests that the management of robot manufacturing technology has a set of common functional similarities which is independent of the manufacturing environments.