No automation deployment goes perfectly. Even with careful planning, experienced partners, and a prepared team, things will occasionally not work the way you expected. In this episode, the Formic team talks honestly about what happens when automation misfires — and more importantly, how the manufacturers who succeed respond when it does. The difference between an automation success story and a robot graveyard isn't whether problems occurred. It's how they were handled.

The episode walks through the most common causes of early-stage automation hiccups: operator errors during the learning curve (unplugged cables, wrong recipes loaded, boxes moved mid-process), workflow friction between humans and machines that weren't fully anticipated, and the natural adjustment period any team goes through when something new is introduced. The key steps for recovery are clear — resist assumptions, map where the breakdown is actually occurring, involve your operations team, stay patient with employees, and lean on your automation partner to diagnose and resolve issues quickly. Rarely is the fix a wholesale reset. More often, it's a small, smart adjustment that restores momentum and builds knowledge for the next phase.

Key Takeaways:

• Problems in early automation deployments are normal — what matters most is how quickly and calmly you respond when they happen
• The most common culprits aren't equipment failures — they're human learning curve issues: wrong recipes, moved boxes, unfamiliar interfaces, and operator habits carried over from manual processes
• Resist the urge to blame the technology first — map the breakdown systematically to determine whether it's a technical limitation, a workflow gap, or a training issue
• Your frontline team often spots friction points first and has practical ideas for fixing them — involve them in troubleshooting, not just in operation
• A strong automation partner shoulders the diagnostic and remediation work — if they're not doing that, you have a partner problem, not a technology problem
• Imperfect automation beats perfect inaction — every hiccup is a learning opportunity that makes the next deployment faster, smoother, and more successful

Automate Now is written by the Formic team — Saman Farid, Danijel Lolic, Molly Garrison, Brooklyn Kiosow, and Shawn Fitzgerald — and edited by Brooklyn Kiosow. Formic helps U.S. manufacturers automate for the first time through Full Service Automation: no large upfront investment, no in-house robotics expertise required. If this episode made you think about where automation could work in your facility, start the conversation at formic.co.

0:00 Intro — Hiccups Are Normal
0:52 Don't Make Assumptions
2:12 If You're Not Going It Alone
3:15 Embrace the Learning Curve
3:55 Key Takeaways