How to reduce production costs in times of staff shortages? Robotisation in Poland as an answer to industrial challenges

Estimated reading time: approx. 8 minutes

TL;DR

• Staff shortages in many Polish companies are forcing the search for solutions to reduce production costs.
• Robotisation in Poland is still at a lower level than in Western countries, but it is growing dynamically.
• Investment in robots can significantly accelerate the payback in companies suffering from staff shortages.
• Proper implementation of automation requires a well thought-out strategy, integration and staff preparation.
• Properly planned robotic processes can increase productivity, improve quality and achieve greater stability in production.

Table of contents

• Impact of staff shortages on Polish industry
• Robotisation in Poland - current status and prospects
• Robotisation as an answer to labour shortages
• Examples of robotisation applications in Polish companies
• How to successfully implement robotisation in an industrial plant?
• Staff management in the face of automation
• Practical lessons - does robotisation really reduce costs?
• Summary
• FAQ

Introduction

Robotisation in Poland has been steadily accelerating in recent years, but we still have quite a distance to catch up with European leaders such as Germany or Asian countries (e.g. South Korea). Many companies in our country are struggling with rising labour costs and, in addition, staff shortages hamper the development and safety of production processes. In this article, we will answer the question: whether robotisation in Poland will help companies face these problems and how to assess its profitability in terms of costs and return on investment. We will also discuss what to pay attention to when planning the implementation of industrial robots and why proper planning of the automation process is the key to success.

In the article you will find:
- Overview of the industrial staffing situation in Poland.
- Data on the level of robotisation in our country.
- Analyse costs and return on investment in the face of staff shortages.
- Examples of the use of robotisation in various industries.
- Tips for successful implementation of robotic systems.

We invite you to read on - whether you own a small plant or manage a medium-sized manufacturing company.

Impact of staff shortages on Polish industry

Progressive problems in recruiting skilled staff are affecting both large factories and smaller plants. According to forecasts by European institutions, by 2030 the labour market in Europe could lose as many as 2.1 million workers. Poland is no exception: many people are leaving the industry due to the nature of repetitive, physically demanding jobs. This translates into a decrease in the number of available hands for work and a shortage of specialists in fields relevant to the development of new technologies.

Effects on production processes

1. Lower efficiency: Fewer staff to operate equipment results in slower production rates.
2. Increase in overtime costs: When people start to be overloaded, the company has to pay for extra work.
3. Declining quality: Overworked staff can generate more errors, which translates into more complaints and material losses.
4. Limited innovation: In the face of staff shortages, it is more difficult to set up R&D teams, resulting in slower introduction of new solutions.

The role of demography in shaping the labour market

The average age of the manufacturing workforce in Poland and European countries in the region is steadily increasing. In some sectors, it is even 45-50 years. The departure of experienced workers means a loss of know-how and the need to train new people. In an era of a global market and increasing competition, the timing of the introduction of fresh staff becomes crucial.

As a result, the question is increasingly being asked: how can we reduce production costs and effectively compensate for the staff deficit? One possibility is to move towards automation and robotisation, which can significantly assist companies in stable growth.

Robotisation in Poland - current status and prospects

Globally, the number of industrial robots being installed is growing rapidly, with Asian countries leading the way. In Europe, the leader is invariably German industry, which boasts a ratio of 397 robots per 10,000 employees. In the Asian powerhouse band, the ratio even reaches over 1,000 robots per 10,000 industrial employees.

Poland compared to other countries

The robotisation rate in Poland is estimated at around 78 robots per 10,000 employees. Despite the increasing number of new installations per year, we are still lagging behind developed countries. Factors behind the factors slowing us down include:

• Limited budgets of small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Low awareness of the benefits of robotisation.
• Barriers to selecting staff to operate and maintain new technologies.
• Investor caution in the face of economic instability.

At the same time, figures from the International Federation of Robotics show that in 2023 the number of new robots in the world once again broke a record, exceeding 500,000 new installations. This is a clear sign that globally the automation process is gaining momentum.

Key sectors investing in robotisation

• Automotive and aviation: There, robots are responsible for welding, assembly and quality control of highly complex components.
• Food industry: Automated solutions support the sorting, packaging and labelling processes.
• Electronics: Scale and precision are important in this industry, which is why robotic production lines are particularly widely used here.
• Metallurgy and processing: The robots excel at palletising, grinding and handling heavy components.

Robotisation as an answer to labour shortages

Staff shortages are forcing organisational change: companies are faced with the need to implement more efficient technologies, otherwise they risk falling production and losing the competition. Robotisation becomes a natural ally here - taking over the most onerous, repetitive tasks that do not bring employees satisfaction or competence development.

Advantages of implementing robots in times of labour shortages

1. Reducing labour costs: The robots operate without interruption and do not generate overtime costs.
2. Stable quality: Automated workstations maintain repeatable accuracy, thereby reducing the risk of production waste.
3. Flexibility of scale: When demand grows, it is easier to add more robotic positions than to bet on a large number of recruitments in the short term.
4. Ability to redirect people to tasks requiring creativity and higher-level skills.
5. Improving occupational safety: Robots can undergo fully automated processes in environments containing hazardous substances or components.

Costs and ROI - is it even worth it?

The basic question when implementing robotisation is: when will the investment pay off? In practical terms, the return on investment (ROI) can occur in as little as 1.5-2 years - especially in companies with pronounced seasonality, high production volumes or in situations where employee turnover is high and overtime rates are rising.

For example, if you are considering robotising welding tasks, it is worth examining a detailed ROI calculator such as
ROI calculator - Welding robotisation.

Enriching your analyses with financial simulations and assessments of the implications for daily productivity allows you to make decisions with greater confidence.

Examples of robotisation applications in Polish companies

In the context of combating staff shortages and production costs, robotisation is becoming particularly attractive in industries where repetitive processes can be easily translated into machine operation. Some examples of applications:

Robotisation of welding

Robot welding means that repeatable, high-quality welds can be achieved. For example, in automotive or white goods, the repeatability of the process reaches up to 99.9%, and productivity increases significantly. If you would like to find out what such a solution might look like, you can see our offer:
Robotisation of welding.

Robotisation of packaging

Automatic stacking of products in cartons or on pallets reduces manual labour costs and speeds up production line handling. In the food industry, which is often characterised by fast production cycles, a high capacity for continuous operation is extremely important.
Robotisation of packaging may be the key to success here.

Repeatable production

In companies where reliability is key with batch mode dominating, robots selected for a specific purpose, such as assembly or laying, are proving crucial. Any drop in crew productivity directly translates into profitability, and robots can fill the gap left by missing workers:
Robotisation of repetitive production.

How to successfully implement robotisation in an industrial plant?

Simply deciding to buy a robot is not enough - a thoughtful approach to integrating and configuring the workstation is essential. Proper planning ensures a smooth transition from a human-powered work model to a hybrid model, where part of the processes will be taken over by the machine.

Step by step

1. Identify processes to automate: Select the areas most prone to staff shortages, costly and repetitive.
2. Define budget and ROI plan: Take into account the cost of purchasing the robot, integration, training and possible modifications to the production line.
3. Select a supplier and integration partner: Bet on a reliable company that not only sells the robot, but also maintains and trains the team in its use.
4. Develop an implementation schedule: Define milestones showing when the robot will be fully ready to take over specific tasks.
5. Conduct monitoring during the inception phase: Measure performance indicators and make any adjustments.

The importance of proper systems integration

The success of robotisation depends largely on the robot interacting appropriately with existing production lines, ERP/MES systems and, increasingly, with advanced vision systems or artificial intelligence algorithms. Joint coordination ensures a continuous flow of information and real-time production optimisation.

Michale Automation supports companies in the robot selection and integration process, drawing on its experience in machine building and production lines. As an official distributor
SIASUN robots, we can also offer proven and flexible solutions in the area of robotics.

Staff management in the face of automation

The rise of robots in industry often raises concerns among workers about job cuts. However, the practice of companies that have undergone intensive technological transformation shows that automation does not always mean redundancies. Tasks that until recently were performed manually are often being reprofiled so that employees can focus on challenges that require control, creativity or expertise.

HR strategy - the key to success

• Recruitment processes: Robot operators and automation engineers are being sought more frequently.
• Internal training: Educating staff from the ground up, so that existing employees can gain new professional competences.
• Continuous improvement of skills: Maintaining an advanced fleet requires regular workshops, certifications and practical training sessions.

Practical lessons - does robotisation really reduce costs?

1. Increased productivity and fewer errors
   The robots can run 24 hours continuously, with repeatable operations at a very high level. The reduction in waste and complaints increases as the machine's algorithms improve.
2. Return on investment in as little as 1.5-2 years
   Staffing costs and additional working hours give way to the constant operation of the robot, which in the medium to long term translates into a lower unit cost of the product. For companies where staff shortages have led to downtime, robotisation eliminates the costs associated with declining production.
3. Increased safety and attractiveness of the workplace
   People are relieved of particularly hazardous, repetitive and physically tiring activities. Personnel are left with more developmental and engaging tasks, which can have a positive impact on team morale and reduce turnover.
4. Stability and building market advantage
   In a situation of competition for an employee, a company with a higher degree of robotisation is undoubtedly less likely to disrupt production. Customers are more likely to sign long-term contracts with a company that maintains stable quality and productivity.

Summary

Poland's labour shortage is leading to rising costs, limits on the scale of production and increased competition for specialists. Robotisation in Poland addresses these challenges - taking over tedious, repetitive or high-precision processes is an opportunity to radically reduce unit costs and reduce the risk of plant downtime.

It is worth bearing in mind, however, that with faulty planning and insufficient analysis of automation processes, costs when installing and subsequently maintaining a robot can be high. The key is to map your needs well, choose a reliable partner and implement system integration correctly.

Given the scale of the potential benefits, more and more companies are opting for a gradual but consistent robotisation of every stage of production - from pre-processing to packaging to service and maintenance of equipment
(and more in services section).

For many, automation and robotisation is the future of industry. It makes it possible not only to reduce costs, but also to increase product quality and team motivation. Entrepreneurs who recognise the opportunities in time and invest appropriately in this area will gain a market advantage in Poland and abroad.

Do you have additional questions? Find out more about the solutions offered by Michale Automation and find out which will work best for your facility. Go to
our services section and learn about the details of robotisation in different areas of production.

You are also welcome to contact us - as an official distributor of
SIASUN robots We have extensive experience in implementing robotic workstations and integrating them into existing production lines. We are happy to advise you on how to select the right tools and how to guide your company through the automation process.

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FAQ

How long does it take to implement robotisation in a company?
The implementation time depends on the scale of the project and the degree of integration with existing processes. For simpler applications, it can be a few weeks, and for more complex ones, even a few months.

Will robotisation affect job losses?
Mostly no. Robotisation takes over repetitive and physically taxing tasks, giving people the opportunity to develop into more creative and specialised tasks.

Can small and medium-sized companies afford robotisation?
Yes. Technological advances and greater availability of equipment are making it increasingly common for even smaller plants to opt for robotisation. However, it is worth carefully analysing the costs and potential benefits.

How to measure the profitability of robot investments?
The primary measure is the time to return on investment (ROI), which under favourable conditions can be 1.5-2 years. However, it is crucial to take into account all implementation, service and training costs.