Business 4.0
Dr. oec. HSG Dr. phil. Jörn Lengsfeld ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. oec. HSG Dr. phil. Jörn Lengsfeld is a German economist, management expert and communication scientist. He holds research doctorates from the University of St. Gallen (doctor oeconomiae) and the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Erfurt (doctor philosophiae). Learn more about him and his work on his website, joernlengsfeld.com, or contact him at mail@joernlengsfeld.com.
12 | IMD
AUGUST 2022
The Future of Automation and Labor: Coboting Versus Lights-Out Manufacturing
A
utomation has always come with reshaping labor. Each step in the evolution of automation has led to a redistribution of tasks between man and machine. The overall direction has been transferring ever more tasks to the machines. Now there are two trends on the horizon and they seem to be very different in this regard: Coboting versus Lights-out Manufacturing. What are those? Where will they lead us? And what are the implications for the future of work?
What Is Lights-out Manufacturing? “Lights-out Manufacturing” is a form of production, which is characterized by end-to-end automation that allows for a manufacturing process without the need for direct human intervention at the production site. The term alludes to the notion that fully automated processes could also function in the dark, as no human presence is required. This notion also led to the coining of the term “Dark Factory”. Of
