Manufacturing Robotic Entities: How Droids are Made

Our customers are manufacturers. They make all kinds of things: automotive parts, life-saving medical devices, cell phone batteries, evenfrozen french fries. And our software solutions enable them to manufacture these products in an ever-changing market landscape. If we have recognized anything in the last year, it is that we should be prepared for anything…and here at QAD, we are looking at the world around us and asking ourselves if we are, in fact, prepared for anything.

Is there something more we can do to support manufacturers in their journey to adapt to changes anddisruptionsin the market? Are there new industries we can support as the world (and maybe beyond) prepares to change and evolve?

With this mission in mind, we are excited to announce that we are expanding our scope to serve a new and exciting market…Galactic Droid Production. *Although, I should note that we will likely start with a pilot in domestic production until we figure out the whole galactic trade agreement thing. We have our legal team working on this now.

What are Droids?

'Droid', a term trademarked by LucasFilms by the way, is a fictional robot with AI capabilities and can often be found as a lovable sidekick to some of our favorite Star Wars characters. However, when they are not on the side of the powerful Jedi forces, you can find them as less lovable Droid soldiers in the Clone Army.

It's true, we haven't seen a surge in Droid production just yet, but given the advancements in technology, specificallyartificial intelligencein the past year, we're fairly certain that something like this is on the horizon.

How are Droids Made?

As far as how they are made, it looks likeinjection moldingmight be involved, but we're really not sure about all the technology just yet. Manufacturers looking to enter this market will likely need well-Integrated Supplier Managementcapabilities and strong supplier relationships. They might need help in the areas of sourcing materials (once we figure out exactly what Droids are made of!) and global trade compliance. I'm not even sure what the trade regulations are on the planet of Tatooine - are you?

They are definitely going to need flexible and adaptableDigital Manufacturingsolutions. Something that will grow with them as the market grows and changes - a real next-generationERP solution. They will need access to real-time data anytime and anywhere - for example, aboard the Death Star or the Millennium Falcon.

We can anticipate a great fluctuation in customer demands for these manufacturers. After all, customers on the Dark Side are going to have very different expectations from their Droids, right? Not every Droid will be an R2-D2 or a C-3PO. It will be vital to haveComplete Customer Managementcapabilities in order to better respond, fulfill quality products on-time and exceed the customer's expectations and satisfaction with timely service. Establishing best practices will be key as the customer market expands beyond our planet and galaxy. We can only assume the workforce will as well.

I would imagine a robustQuality Management Systemwill be key also. Droid manufacturers can't run the risk ofproduct defects or inefficiencies. Thehidden cost of poor qualitycan be as much as 40% of a manufacturer's operational cost. I'd venture to say the cost is even higher when your customer is someone like Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Republic (aka Darth Sidious). You really don't want to fail to meet his expectations.

I'm sure I'm missing some of the core capabilities needed to manufacture Droids. Maybe there's a Protocol Droid that can make a list or develop a manual for me?

Happy Star Wars Day!

If you haven't picked up on the theme by now, I've completely geeked out in celebration ofStar Wars Daytoday, May 4th. I obviously jest about QAD's expansion into the Droid production market, but stranger things have happened. And a galactic war calling for the need of a Droid army could one day be a reality. Rest assured, if it does, QAD will be there to support your manufacturing needs.

May the Fourth Be With You.