A Reality Check in the Pearl River Delta: Why Hardware Is Not Always the Solution

Last week, we visited an SME in the Pearl River Delta (Greater Bay Area) to gain first-hand insights into the current manufacturing situation.

The visit confirmed an important realization:
Many “cool” automation tools—such as robots or camera systems—often miss the real problem. There is little value in investing in an expensive robot if it ends up gathering dust because the rest of the production process is simply too slow.

Instead, the focus should be on the often-overlooked low-hanging fruits:
shopfloor data collection (BDE), office process automation, basic machine monitoring, and clear, transparent reporting.

A small company that masters these digital fundamentals is often more efficient and more profitable than one that blindly invests in costly hardware without a solid process foundation.