Avoiding the Pitfalls of Innovation:
Investing in Automation Solutions Built to Last
"It’s more important than ever to make smart investments in equipment that balances innovation with longevity."
Introduction: Balancing Innovation with Strategic Investments
Technology is evolving at lightning speed, reshaping industries and fueling growth like never before. Global spending on technology is expected to reach $4.5 trillion by 2024, growing at an annual rate of 5-6%, highlighting the increased adoption of digital technologies across industries.
If you’ve attended any of the more significant trade shows in our industry, such as Automate or IMTS (IMTS 2022 – Year of the Cobot), you’ve seen how many new devices are coming to market. According to the latest information, there will be over 30 new cobot manufacturers in 2024. Furthermore, the industrial automation market alone is projected to grow from $175.98 billion in 2021 to $355.44 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 9.8%. The collaborative robots market is growing even faster—expected to increase from $1.2 billion in 2021 to $10.5 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 41.8%.
Amid these exciting advancements, one crucial question emerges: Are these technological investments both strategic and sustainable for the long term?
As businesses chase cutting-edge technologies, they must ensure these solutions align with operational goals and deliver lasting value. Otherwise, they risk investing in systems that quickly become obsolete, incur excessive maintenance costs, or fail to deliver the expected return on investment–ultimately jeopardizing productivity, profitability, and their competitive edge in an increasingly fast-paced market.
The Challenge: Avoiding Innovation Traps
Investing in automation solutions is a delicate balance. Ideally, the industry would provide solutions that run for decades with minimal need for replacement. However, the capitalistic nature of our market hungrily demands innovation at all costs. In light of this push and pull, businesses must tread carefully when considering what purchases and investments to make into new technology. While new tech promises improved efficiency, adopting unproven systems can lead to operation risks, costly downtime, and long-term inefficiencies. Conversely, relying on the limited support that often accompanies outdated systems stifles growth and compromises productivity, especially when manufacturers shut down.
Needless to say, we understand balancing the desire for new, cutting-edge technology with the need for longevity can be challenging. In this article, you’ll discover our approach to navigating the need for durability amid ongoing industry pressure to innovate. To help showcase these differences, we’ve provided real-world examples to showcase the pros and cons of innovation vs durability. By the end of, you’ll have a clear understanding of the risks and rewards of both, empowering you to take the next step towards long-term success for your operation.
The BLISS PRESS and the Pitfalls of Durable Equipment
Early in my career, I encountered a BLISS PRESS, a machine first put into production in 1908. (If you want to read an awesome article on the history of BLISS, check this out). Hearing the repeated churning of hundreds of units being made per minute was fascinating as a green controls engineer. Over 100+ years later, it was still spitting out products at lightning speed, proving its extraordinary durability.
While long-lasting equipment tells the story of innovation done right, it also presents substantial pitfalls when operational support is needed. With the manufacturer closing its doors in 1947, supporting the machine became an on-going challenge. While some hand-drawn renderings were being digitized by Cleveland Automation Systems™, most operational knowledge was passed down as communal information among the team.
Balancing Innovation and Longevity in Automation Investments
While we agree with the principle of maximizing ROI on machinery through long-term use, the return on outdated machinery quickly becomes irrelevant once operational efficiency is compromised. The ultimate crux for the BLISS PRESS was the lack of operational support, creating a bottleneck and significantly slowing production. Updates were needed, and operational troubleshooting was essential. Yet, few resources existed to innovate effectively.
This presents a common problem: knowing when to invest in new equipment, even if existing machinery is still functional.
If you wait too long, you end up relying on machinery with no available support or documentation, risking costly downtime and prolonged production delays. This can put businesses in a precarious situation, forcing them to scramble when navigating operational challenges with outdated tools. On the other hand, investing in automation solutions too early, especially in unproven or unsupported technologies, can also be risky. Early-stage technologies often come with hidden dangers, including limited reliability, insufficient support, and the potential for the provider to shutter operations altogether, leaving businesses stranded with unusable systems and sunk costs.
Lessons Learned from Failed Technology Investments: Ready Robotics
Take the case of Ready Robotics–a great company that, in my opinion, offered a pretty awesome product but is no longer in business. Why? They launched too soon and failed to keep up with the needs of their customers. Now, their clients are left without technical support, firmware updates to handle security threats, or software updates. These customers who invested thousands (or even millions) in their products are now left without a viable solution and a sunk investment. From our point of view, this is an unfortunate truth of industry innovation–while one business succeeds, ten others fail from an inability to keep up market demands.
This highlights the critical importance of not just investing in automation, but ensuring those investments are made into solutions that have been validated by the industry while still offering reliability, support, and durability. A misstep in this area can have long-term consequences, leaving businesses to deal with inefficiencies, rising operational costs, and a lack of viable alternatives.
Why Validating Automation Solutions is More Crucial Than Ever
In an era of increasing disruptions, like the recent dock strikes, making well-informed automation investments has never been more critical. Dependence on fragile systems or inadequately vetted technologies can leave businesses vulnerable to risks during such volatile times.
As a key example the October 2024 dockworker strikes significantly disrupted supply chains, leading to product shortages and increased costs. A strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) affected 14 ports along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, halting the flow of goods such as automobiles, food products, and consumer goods. Businesses with robust, dependable automation systems were better equipped to weather these disruptions, and were better able to maintain continuity while mitigating the impact of external crises.
Such disruptions highlight the necessity of validating all automation solutions before investing, and choosing systems that are designed for resilience and durability. Robust systems ensure operational continuity and mitigate the risks associated with external challenges like supply chain interruptions.
For end-users, this means adopting a strategic approach to automation investments. Systems must be verified to outlast their intended production lifecycle, ensuring they deliver long-term value. Education is critical in this process, and OEMs and System Integrators play a pivotal role in guiding clients through the complexities of different solutions. By helping clients weigh the pros and cons of available technologies, they empower businesses to make decisions that enhance long-term resilience.
The CAS Approach: A Trusted Partner in Automation Solutions
In an era of increasing disruptions, like the recent dock strikes, making well-informed automation investments has never been more critical. Dependence on fragile systems or inadequately vetted technologies can leave businesses vulnerable to risks during such volatile times.
As a key example the October 2024 dockworker strikes significantly disrupted supply chains, leading to product shortages and increased costs. A strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) affected 14 ports along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, halting the flow of goods such as automobiles, food products, and consumer goods. Businesses with robust, dependable automation systems were better equipped to weather these disruptions, and were better able to maintain continuity while mitigating the impact of external crises.
Such disruptions highlight the necessity of validating all automation solutions before investing, and choosing systems that are designed for resilience and durability. Robust systems ensure operational continuity and mitigate the risks associated with external challenges like supply chain interruptions.
For end-users, this means adopting a strategic approach to automation investments. Systems must be verified to outlast their intended production lifecycle, ensuring they deliver long-term value. Education is critical in this process, and OEMs and System Integrators play a pivotal role in guiding clients through the complexities of different solutions. By helping clients weigh the pros and cons of available technologies, they empower businesses to make decisions that enhance long-term resilience.
Future-Proof Your Operations with CAS
In a world where technological advancements are constant, it’s more important than ever to make smart investments in equipment that balances innovation with longevity. This is where the value of a trusted, experienced partner like CAS comes into play. We help our clients navigate these decisions, ensuring they invest in automation solutions that stand the test of time.
Learn More About Engineering Services, and let’s optimize your business for long-term success.
About the Author: Rylan Pyciak
Rylan Pyciak, CEO of Cleveland Automation Systems™, is a Systems and Control Engineering graduate from Case Western Reserve University. With expertise in PLCs, robotics, and industrial engineering, Rylan leads CAS in delivering innovative automation solutions. Passionate about mentoring future trades professionals, he combines technical knowledge with a commitment to fostering sustainable growth in manufacturing.
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