The Smarter Country: How Digitisation Is Reinvigorating Australian Manufacturing

Since opening their doors in 1991, the people at Integra Systems have seen many radical changes occur within Australia’s manufacturing sector. They’ve seen the era of offshoring, and they’ve seen the massive transformation that’s accompanied the shutdown of large scale manufacturing, particularly in terms of the motor vehicle industry. 

“All through, we've tried to lead the way with a range of different adjustments,” admits Erika Hughes, Commercial Director at Integra Systems. “Now, we're part of the era of digitisation. We see ourselves as pioneering the digitisation movement with Industry 4.0, and pioneering the circular economy movement in manufacturing.” 

As she bluntly assesses, “Technology and digitisation is Australia’s opportunity to supercharge its manufacturing capability.” 

The concept of circularity in manufacturing has been around for some time; however, it’s a movement that’s yet to fully take hold here in Australia. At Integra, not only is circularity seen as servicing a need to take urgent action against the harmful effects of climate change, but it’s also a necessary element for the ongoing growth of Australia’s manufacturing capabilities. 

The push for Integra to create a factory paperless environment – along with their highly successful transformation to a low-volume, high variability manufacturing model – has been the key driver behind the business and the way they work with their clients. It has also forced them to be smarter about how they attack designing and manufacturing, positioning them perfectly to embrace circularity. 

“We call it ‘design for manufacture’,” explains Erika. “We design for the ease of deployment of transportation. All of those design cores, which we've been involved in – as well as our innovative use of our machinery – have been the key driver behind who we are and what we are, and how we've been able to very, very quickly move into new eras without having to go through enormous change.”

“From a supercharging point of view, we know that digitisation and technology, and embracing smarter ways of designing and manufacturing to reduce environmental damage, are the next logical steps in how the industry has transformed itself over a long period of time,” Erika continues. “But, as well as Industry 4.0, digitisation and circular economies, there'll be a bunch of other actions that are going to take place with manufacturers, that are going to stimulate more smarter forms of manufacturing rather than the old-fashioned churn-and-burn approach.”

Having adapted and overcome numerous challenges over the years, Integra Systems sees this ‘happy collision’ of technology and sustainability in manufacturing as a major opportunity. As well as driving more efficient factories, this creates strong employment growth opportunities. With the right investment, argues Paul Hughes, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Integra Systems, the transformation doesn’t need to be the widespread replacement of people with artificial intelligence and robots.

Directors Erika Hughes & Paul Hughes

"You've got to be throwing money at high-tech,” Paul remarks. “You have to invest in smart design, high-tech, automated manufacture where possible but upskilling your people at the same time is the way we've got to go. When you get smarter with your automation, it actually leads to hiring more staff." 

Investment in tech-savvy youth is another way in which technology and digitisation is benefiting Australian manufacturing. Part of Integra’s success comes from backing quality education and training for the emerging generation of engineers and designers. It’s also about understanding that today’s workforce has a stronger, more comfortable relationship with technology, making digitisation easier to embrace.

“We have some of the best education facilities in the world here in Australia, says Paul. “There is the capacity here to build up the skills required to drive the manufacturing market where it needs to go. So, you've got opportunities for employment at all levels, if you can be smart about how you do it."

“New employees don't need to be shown how to use a computer,” adds Erika. “Some organisations and industries are almost scared of Industry 4.0 and digitisation and turning everything paperless, but today’s workforce are already trained in digitisation because they use digital technology all day, every day. To deploy that throughout your manufacturing facility — whether it be a touchscreen, facial recognition or gesture control, or whatever it is —  is to create a digital environment where people can monitor things in a digital format. They're used to it already, even if they are unskilled."

Erika attributes the development of a strong, young workforce within Integra as being a strategic pillar within the business. She and Paul say that effectively tapping into the know-how of young workers has helped them remain agile, as well as drive the business in the right direction.

An important element of the company’s integration of design into their manufacturing processes can be attributed to the fact that all of Integra’s designers have worked in the manufacturing plant. 

“We’re not just talking a two month or three month cadetship,” Erika clarifies. “We’re talking about a couple of years in the facility.”

The reasons for this underscore Integra’s approach to the next frontier of manufacturing. They believe that time spent at the coalface enables their designers to better understand how to design for manufacture more intuitively through the hands-on experience with clients.

“A client knows what they want,” Erika continues. “They know their customer base better than we ever will. So, by giving designers manufacturing know-how as well, they know we're honestly committed to their professional development.”

“They say that you can’t put old heads on young shoulders, and there's a massive place for experience, but experience may need to be in the form of commercial know-how or entrepreneurialism, or process-driven, because I think that a lot of this new stuff that's coming through is going to be driven by the younger workforce.”

“Not only will you see buying behaviours change as these generations come through,” says Erika. “You're also going to see the way they expect their employer to be performing, and what their employer offers them in terms of life-long learning and career progression. If they're in an environment that offers them some fun forms of interaction – and, often, digitally is the way that's done – you'll start to see higher employee engagement, because they're enjoying their employment more, because they can see their employers are relevant and, as employees, they’re empowered and valued for what they do because they can see their contribution is making a big difference."

As Paul sees it, “We believe that if employers in manufacturing can start thinking along those lines, as well as investing in machinery that is high-tech – because the higher tech machinery you get, the lower cost of production you can gain – then you start to see the ripple effect and it helps build resilience."

“It's the way we've chosen our people,” says Erika. “It's the way we work with governments, and the way we work with universities and the way we handpick people who match our values. Our people are the change. Our people make the change. The management team can create the strategic direction but the guys that work with us are the real drivers behind how we go about it."

"And if you put the right tools into their hands,” concludes Paul, “then they'll push those tools to the limits and really get good results."