Enable Integrated, Intelligent, and Interactive manufacturing with i-Automation! Concept

By Staff Report June 6, 2025 11:54 am IST

With a resolve to solve many different challenges at the production sites, Sameer Gandhi shares that OMRON strives to create solutions by synergising and advancing three approaches to innovation in automation—integrated, Intelligent, and Interactive with the i-Automation! Concept.

OMRON operates in over 100 countries. How do you ensure global quality and standards across diverse operational geographies, including India?  
OMRON Automation ensures global quality and standards across its operations through standardised processes, localised adaptations, and rigorous quality control measures. It follows a “Quality First” approach, prioritising safety and reliability in its products and services. It actively engages with the customer to develop a customised solutions blueprint while ensuring quality risk management and product safety to meet customer expectations.

The company follows internationally recognised standards like ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) across all locations.  While its core technologies and key products are developed in Japan, ensuring consistency in design and performance, it allows localised production and testing to meet global standards while complying with local regulations and industry-specific certifications. All the products meet applicable country-specific regulatory requirements, including BIS certification in India.

We have also enforced strict supplier audits to ensure raw materials and components meet its quality benchmarks. 

OMRON is a global leader in automation. What innovations or technologies are you focusing on to support seamless manufacturing across geographically dispersed facilities?
With a resolve to solve many challenges at the production sites, OMRON strives to create solutions by synergising and advancing three approaches to innovation in automation. These are integrated (advanced control), intelligent, and interactive (advanced human-machine collaboration) technologies, which are summing up our i-Automation! The concept for manufacturing.

We also deploy AI-powered robotics for precision assembly and predictive maintenance, while smart factory solutions enable real-time monitoring and analytics. These innovations help ensure consistent quality and operational excellence, regardless of geographical location. 

These are some of the endeavours that help reinforce OMRON’s commitment to intelligent and sustainable automation on a global scale. 

How have you evolved your supply chain strategy post-COVID and amidst geopolitical shifts?
We have evolved our automation supply chain strategy by increasing production capacity, redesigning products to avoid hard-to-find components, and renegotiating with suppliers to increase allocated production volume, to name just a few. All of these efforts are starting to show significant results.

Can you share insights into how OMRON builds synergy with global OEMs and integrates its solutions into their ecosystems?  
OMRON Automation fosters strong synergy with global OEMs by integrating its advanced automation solutions into their ecosystems. We collaborate with OEMs through strategic partnerships to enhance manufacturing efficiency, optimise production processes, and drive digital transformation. A notable example is our recent “IT-OT” partnership with Cognizant, where we will combine our Operational Technology (OT) expertise, such as sensors, controllers, and robotics, with Cognizant’s Information Technology (IT) capabilities, including AI, IoT, and cloud solutions. This IT-OT integration will enable OEMs to achieve flexible and agile operational excellence while promoting sustainable manufacturing.

We also provide tailored automation solutions across the automotive, semiconductor, electronics, and life sciences industries. The i-Automation! concept seamlessly integrates robotics, AI-driven analytics, and smart factory technologies into OEM production lines. Another example is i-BELT, our data-driven service that enables manufacturers to harness real-time operational insights. By leveraging i-BELT, OEMs can improve productivity, reduce downtime, and enhance energy efficiency through predictive analytics and AI-powered automation.