Welcome to Enabling Automation! The first episode of this season 2 is "The foundation of automation". Join our season 2 host, Simon Drexler, as he discusses with special guest, Ben Hope.When looking to start automation for the first time or looking at levelling up the amount of automation in your operation, the first thing to look at is ROI. Does it make sense for your business financially? For small or mid-sized businesses looking to start their automation journey or scale up, the biggest barrier is cost. Assembly automation is highly customized and costly. Are there areas of your assembly that can utilize a standardized platform? Starting with conveyance as your primary platform can help with standardization. When you standardize one piece of technology, your understanding increases and can help speed up the adoption of automation in your organization.The most impactful choice you make when designing a system is the foundation of the assembly process. Conveyance is the first step in the design of any system as it brings the product through the assembly process and can easily be built upon. Starting with conveyance gives you a better understanding of the process and helps build a better automation system with stronger performance.Building familiarity and understanding of the process has become easier in recent years. Hardware emulation and simulation tools are on the rise. Industry 4.0 made way for the concept of the digital twin. The digital twin enables engineers to conceptualize and simulate processes and makes implementing continuous improvements and optimizing processes easier.The idea that automation is only for big corporations has started to change. Standardization is key to opening the door for more businesses to start their automation journey. Starting with conveyance will allow your business to begin the automation process and leave room to scale up.Listen to the podcast on the following platforms: - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Qxhx1hk18w6ACqgPeAOsm?si=1bc5742027d04e2f - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-foundation-of-automation/id1703651289?i=1000625178648 - Overcast: https://overcast.fm/+BBYs0Vt2eA - Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/63e2da85-de40-447e-aaaf-6fca18358cec/episodes/625a6c96-d822-48da-be3e-ac5e0a2e5647/enabling-automation-the-foundation-of-automation - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrUuh8cKyEI&list=PL1amIhdccgLUh7TbNYEANqxd1WIXb4uDd&index=12 For more information, visit: https://atsautomation.com/the-foundation-of-automation/ Contact us: https://atsautomation.com/contact-us/ In this monthly podcast series, join industry leaders from across ATS as they share and discuss the latest industry trends, new innovations, and more! ATS is an industry-leading automation solutions provider to many of the world's most successful companies.Timestamps