MAY, 202519THE IMPACT OF AI AND MACHINE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY IN REVOLUTIONIZING MANUFACTURING PRACTICESDatafication: We progress from digitization to digitalization to datafication, where we investigate business processes and transforms the process into quantifiable data to track, monitor, and analyze. To do this effectively, we have set up an enterprise-wide Data & AI council, which involves senior members from all the functions to help identify key processes critical to the business and have the process owners work on critical data definitions, data lineage, and data sources. Although this is not technology-specific, it helps to set a good foundation for the organization moving forward. Teams across Jabil are learning how to use data effectively to enable "Data to speak, data to act."AI/ML: Collected data that is not used effectively is a waste of resources. We leverage AI/ML/deep learning to extract value out of the swarm of data we collect each day from our factories and work processes to help deliver business insights, automate tasks, and advance system capabilities. Our AI/ML strategy spans from using AI algorithms to improving our inspection process in the factories. By using advanced data analytics to derive algorithms or new business models, we can gain new insights and intelligence for our business. We're also developing our knowledge database and combining it with Generative AI technology to merge the insights from our self-healing manufacturing line (ready in April 2024) with the know-how of our workforce to continuously train our AI models and guide our technicians to take action.SAP S4: When Jabil migrated from SAP ECC to SAP S4 Hana in January 2022, we were able to offload the technical debt that came from 20-plus years of over-customization and subsystems that were peripheral to the legacy SAP system. The Hana database also brought about greater speed in data processing and a simplified data structure. Nevertheless, the benefits of SAP S4 migration should not be just about solving technical issues but about bringing new value for the users through new ways of report creation, enhanced user experience, increased productivity, and the ability to leverage new functionality to transform the processes. We are still in the continuous improvement process to better leverage these functionalities and are bringing the users along in the transformation journey.Automation: Process automation through the use of robotic process automation (RPA) tools has helped us automate many back-end office and repetitive tasks in various functions. Many functional teams who are using the RPA bots also try to "humanize" the bots and treat them as part of the (digital) workforce, measuring the performance of these bots to ensure we obtain the maximum ROI. To navigate the challenge of interpreting the complexity in the decision-making process, it is crucial that organizations first have a clear strategy of how they plan to leverage AI/ML in the company. At Jabil, we took a customer-first approach, and we deliberated from the onset. How we leverage AI/ML is about solving a business problem or providing deep insights to realize a step-change improvement in safety, quality, delivery, and cost. Interpreting and understanding such systems, communications, and engagement with stakeholders is critical to ensure we are working on what matters to the business most.In light of the challenge of ensuring scalability and adaptability across diverse manufacturing operations, what strategies can manufacturers employ to optimize the implementation of AI and machine learning solutions?Once we knew what our "North Star" looked like, we were able to clearly break down obstacles within the People, Process, and Systems categories and develop solutions to take us to the next level. Some of these were:Focus on people at the heart of transformations by taking an employee-first digitalization approach. Many people are familiar with the saying, "AI will not replace people, but the people who can use it will." With that in mind, the human factor is a major lever for transitioning and tapping into opportunities that come with AI/ML.Our industry-certified internal courses, in partnership with industry experts and local universities, have allowed us to grow our pool of subject matter experts by ensuring that technological know-how is retained and expanded through customized application-based upskilling. Additionally, as engineers and technicians take business-related modules, they promote diversity in the workplace in the form of business differentiation and innovative decision-making.Enhance industry ecosystem through public-private initiatives: In many of our locations, we partner with leading equipment providers and government agencies to build a strong manufacturing ecosystem. We must continue to actively partner with academia to create the next generation of talented professionals.Amidst concerns regarding workforce reskilling and upskilling, how can manufacturers effectively foster collaboration between human workers and intelligent machines in manufacturing processes?There are seismic shifts with the convergence of technologies across operations, information technology (IT), and supply chains, creating a data-driven environment that enables us to deliver the future of Jabil's manufacturing. We need to embrace a work environment that is expected to blend advanced technology and digital skills with uniquely human skills to yield the highest level of productivity. The rise of advanced technology can replace the manual or repetitive tasks many jobs entail. This frees up space for skills that are uniquely and essentially human, or so-called "soft skills,"
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