Daily Archives: January 9, 2021

This year, organisations have had to adapt and evolve to the challenges of the pandemic at a pace and scale never seen before. Disruption is widespread and the constant challenge is to try and find smarter ways to get things done.

IT complexity can inhibit innovation

Digitally-connected organisations can move at a faster pace, however the complexities of IT systems can also inhibit innovation. Deploying a modern infrastructure can be a real struggle, due to the maintenance cost and management complexity of existing systems. This complexity places a heavy burden on IT operations teams. They are now asked to move faster, manage increasingly complex IT environments, and accommodate new development approaches and technologies.

What is automation?

No matter the complexity of your environment or where you are on your IT modernisation journey, an IT operations automation strategy can help you improve existing processes.

Automation is the use of software to perform tasks in order to reduce cost, complexity, and errors. IT automation uses repeatable instructions to replace an IT professionals manual work. This could be a single task, groups of tasks, or even a complex orchestration of tasks. Its key purpose is to help overburdened staff regain control and shift their focus from tedious day-to-day matters to strategic initiatives. IT automation can help staff better perform their tasks and increase job satisfaction.

Getting started on your automation journey

Red Hat considers not just the automation technology, but the people and processes across the organisation. While automating your network may seem like a daunting task, you can start small and make incremental changes at your own pace. Focus on solving the contained, tactical problems your teams face every day. As you move forward, evaluate progress by developing success criteria and specific goals for the organisation. A phased approach can keep people and processes aligned across the integration.

Automation in practice

The British Army, as with many frontline services, depends on its IT to run smoothly, and this is particularly important for its Information Application Services (IAS) Branch. Based in the UK, this team delivers software applications, hosting, and web services to the British Army. By deploying Ansible automation software, all of the IAS IT environments including development, test, preproduction, and production remain consistent.

Faster, more agile service delivery

IAS IT administrators can access Ansibles user-friendly interface to deliver software and updates across environments with minimal manual effort. Upgrades that previously took a day and caused system downtime of several hours each month can now be performed in less than two hours with high availability, scheduled to minimise user disruption. Emergency patches that previously took around three days can now be implemented in three or four hours. Overall, change delivery is now typically 75 per cent faster.

With automation, you can save time and costs, increase quality, improve employee satisfaction, and meet the growing demands and needs of your stakeholders and citizens.

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Automation in the public sector - FutureScot

Throughout the pandemic, logistics has become the center of attention well beyond the e-commerce world. Consumers running out of hygiene supplies; shortages of food on the shelves at their local grocery stores; difficulties reserving a reasonable time slot for online food delivery these have brought heightened visibility into logistics for consumers, industry professionals, and venture capitalists, alike. This global realization that effective logistics is now more critical than ever in society has made it apparent that meeting customer demand and managing growth requires improved efficiency in the supply chain. Automation is no longer a choice, it's a necessity.

As companies look for ways to keep up with increased demand, a smart approach is to add automation into an existing system. At this time of digital transformation, companies look to cutting edge technologies that they can embed into their existing operations to provide short-term improvements. Unfortunately, incremental upgrades in the system for processes that were not designed for automation often cause unforeseen problems, subsequently leading to blaming the new technologies for these significant issues. Traditional hardware components and methods, however, rarely mesh well with new technologies. The key to solving this problem is stepping back and looking at the overall system as a whole to really gain the most out of these new high-tech products.

However, this concept is not new visualizing automation in warehouses has been going on for around 30 years. What is new is the rate of innovation and the level of automation now available. Today, automation can impact the heart of your core business with new technologies that can automate picking, pack-outs, and even front-door delivery. It requires team effort to ensure that you can meet customer demands without disrupting your supply chain.

A brilliant example of team effort and the steps it takes to meet customer demands is in the 2019 movie, "Ford v Ferrari." This film depicts the American automaker Ford putting together a winning formula consisting of a powerful driving machine, a skilled driver and a team that was fully in tune with the need for all parts to work seamlessly together in order to get the most out of the Ford GT40. To be victorious required synchronizing different variables -- from the race car designer to the ownership team and talented pit crew; the right wheels and engine; to the driver who knew how to handle the track properly. All these came together to make the Ford GT40 program a success a true team effort.

So, how does this apply in a warehouse? Ask yourself, "Who is my team now?" Your team is beyond your four walls. When we think about going through a digital transformation, these are the three most critical parties involved and scenarios that typically take place:

1) You and the warehouse/logistics division that are investing in the new technology and putting resources into it. You know that automation is about being lean, and you are prepared to implement process improvements such as Kaizen to get the most out of automation.

2) The companies that are developing breakthrough products. You must work hand-in-hand with your innovation partner to ensure that your needs are being included in their roadmap.

3) The integrators (sometimes the technology companies themselves) who are in charge of meeting your needs with the available solutions. When a core step is affected, the limitations of the technology may not allow your expectations to be met, and integrators are crucial for bridging the gap between what the technology can provide and what you need achieved.

At this point, integrators play a critical role. Working with older systems while adapting newer technologies is not an easy task. The result is that projects take longer, and both the customer and the technology provider go through multiple iterations. Each party shares responsibility in the success of these projects.

Take for example one of the most successful case studies of digital transformation ever seen from our previous generation: Kiva Systems. Kiva was created by Mick Mountz (now board member at RightHand Robotics) after he experienced the burden of fulfilling customer expectations by relying on legacy technology for a growing industry while working at Webvan. What Mick and the Kiva team did was not just integrate autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) into an existing solution, he also analyzed the problem and developed a solution that completely changed how logistics and warehousing industries were thinking about automation. AMRs have been around since the 1950s, but until Kiva introduced their solution to the market, they had never been used the way they are today.

Since then, the pace of digital transformation has accelerated dramatically. Computing power and the evolution of vision systems, along with advancements in machine learning, opened up all-new possibilities that were not conceivable a decade or so ago. Right now, the challenge is not about developing components to solve these problems. Today's innovators must build a solution for a complete overhaul of the legacy systems, so that the industry can get the most out of these breakthrough technologies.

Major players in the industry are looking at this problem by taking a step back just like Kiva did 20 years ago. Large ASRS (automated storage and retrieval systems) companies such as AutoStore and ASRS integrators such as Element Logic are considering the capabilities that are needed to utilize these newer technologies at full capacity. Additionally, automated piece-picking, which is what RightHand does, is a growing market that ASRS companies are looking into for additional support within their systems. As the warehouse landscape improves for these breakthrough technologies, integration will be faster and continuous.

Successful automation is defined by how well exceptions are handled, and that requires a complete solution rather than small fixes. For example, an exception could be dropping an item during transfer. With a well-thought-out product in place, the automated piece-picking system would be able to detect this issue and either resolve it automatically or notify the site operations team to assist. These types of systems would consist of a flexible, nimble gripper connected to a robot arm, enhanced with vision capabilities and enterprise-level artificial intelligence software, integrated and designed to detect and address such issues effectively. New innovations and upgrades in these systems are now more widely available thanks to rapid technology developments. With the right system in place, exceptions can be minimized and easily resolved, leading to higher overall equipment efficiency a key metric for automation systems.

At the macro level, companies that are undertaking digital transformation would benefit more by doing a complete overhaul with buy-in from every team member. For a successful transformation, vendors and integrators must align around continuous improvement processes, including KPIs and timelines. At the micro level, your choice of partner is as important as the solution they are providing.

Now more than ever, implementing automation in warehouses is critical for a business to sustain itself, keep up with increasing demand, and manage growth. For warehouse professionals who are contemplating how to automate their systems, remember to apply lean processes and make it a team sport that is the recipe for success.

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RightHand Robotics exec: Automation is no longer a choice, it's a necessity - Business Insider - Business Insider

Summary

Rockwell Automation held its 29th Annual Automation Fair as a virtual, online event: Rockwell Automation Fair at Home. The event attracted around 40,000 registered attendees, with more than 25,000 of those attendees taking the virtual tours. As always, the event provided a great opportunity for customers to learn, network, and keep informed about new products, technologies, and services.The company held virtual tours of its Rockwell Automation Experience, which featured the digital engineering experience and the digital thread experience in addition to an extensive products and technology showcase. More than 65 companies from Rockwell Automations PartnerNetwork program participated in the exhibit hall. Other highlights of the event included a dedicated track for the companys Process Solutions Users Group (PSUG) a Digital Strategists(DX) track, a Bold Conversations track (about the need for diversity and inclusion), and opportunities for participants to accumulate professional development hours by participating in virtual hands-on labs and technology sessions.

As a general theme, the event focused on letting the companys customers know whats next in industrial automation and digital transformation.

In his opening keynote, Blake Moret, Rockwell Automations Chairman and CEO, commented: Its been a year of challenges like weve never seen before, but its also been a year of opportunities to increase resilience, agility, and sustainability.

According to Mr. Moret throughout the pandemic and all this change, Rockwell Automations strategy has remained the same: bringing the Connected Enterprise to life. Its about expanding human possibility, turning what-if into what is, and providing real value to customers.

He also mentioned how Rockwell Automation has been working with companies such as Roche and Johnson & Johnson to help with the pandemic. For example, when Roche needed to quickly transform three plants to manufacture COVID-19 antibody test kits, Rockwell Automations engineering experts worked collaboratively with Roche using the Pharma Suite MES software solution. Johnson & Johnson needed to change its production setups to enforce social distancing requirements and worked with Rockwell Automation and robotics to create a safe working environment for J&Js employees.

According to Mr. Moret, Rockwell Automation helps its customers improve resilience by minimizing supply chain pain points; supporting traceability to help ensure safe, high-quality products; providing technology to support remote operations and monitoring and help organizations re-shore/near-shore their manufacturing to be closer to their customer markets. The company supports increased agility via flexible manufacturing, including using precision motion control to add control from one packaging format to another with software to schedule production down to an economical lot size of one. And when it comes to sustainability, Rockwell Automation is committed to a carbon-neutral future, including increased energy efficiency and recycling for the circular economy.

When it comes to the Connected Enterprise, Rockwell Automation practices what it preaches. The company uses this strategy across its own manufacturing and internal supply chain to gain experience and help solve real-world challenges related to macroeconomic conditions, manufacturing resilience, avoiding unplanned downtime, and improving manufacturing processes. Ernest Nicolas, Senior Vice President, Integrated Supply Chain, provided a virtual tour of Rockwell Automations manufacturing plants and supply chains from around the world and explained how its own experience has helped customers.

Chris Nardeccia, Senior Vice President, Software and Control and CIO, discussed the importance of information management and digital transformation. According to Mr. Nardeccia, the company is in a unique position to understand customer challenges and apply learning to their journeys. He believes that it is important for companies to accelerate their digital maturity and take advantage of advanced technologies.

The company released updated FactoryTalk AssetCentre software, designed to help its users more efficiently manage plant-floor devices and protect against unscheduled downtime. This latest software release helps users to more easily manage device firmware and expands disaster-recovery support to several new devices. Users can see product safety advisories, release notes, and product notices from a centralized location. The updated FactoryTalk AssetCentre software now also provides disaster-recovery support for more Rockwell Automation managed switches, overload relays, drives, and CompactLogix and ControlLogix process controllers. In addition, expanded integration between the AssetCentre software and ThinManager thin client software allows companies to limit user access to specific files.

Rockwell Automation announced the release of a set of new capabilities for FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by PTC. This software suite offers integrated Industrial IoT, edge-to-cloud analytics, manufacturing execution system (MES), and augmented reality (AR) capabilities to support digital transformation. New enhancements to InnovationSuite include FactoryTalk Edge Gateway. This enhances the fidelity of operational technology (OT) data with contextualization using the Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Smart Object capability and packages it to a configurable data model that can be mapped to upstream IT applications to support visibility into the enterprise.

The company recently expanded its relationship with Microsoft to help accelerate digital agility from edge to cloud by integrating this unified data model with PTCs ThingWorx IIoT Solutions Platform and Microsoft Azure IoT Hub. In addition, FactoryTalk Analytics now offers an array of simplified data science and other new capabilities.

Rockwell Automation released a new communication module developed with its Encompass Partner, HMS Networks. The new module is designed to improve CENTERLINE 2100 and CENTERLINE 2500 motor control center (MCC) integration into Modbus TCP networks. This includes existing distributed control systems (DCS) that use Modbus TCP as the communication protocol, making it particularly significant for the heavy process industries.

The companys motion business introduced an expansion to its Kinetix line of servo drives with its new Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5300 servo drive. This is an integrated, CIP Motion solution for machine builders looking to help increase performance and leverage a single design environment for control and motion. The new drives are designed for diverse machine applications, such as electronics assembly, packaging and converting, printing, and web (CPW). Like other Kinetix integrated motion drives, Kinetix 5300 leverages Studio 5000 as a single design environment. This allows machine builders to program all their drives in this one design environment and reuse code across drives.

Rockwell Automation launched a new brand at Automation Fair at Home: LifecycleIQ Services. It represents a full suite of professional services across the customers lifecycle from digital consulting to cybersecurity to workforce support. LifecycleIQ Services combines the companys deep domain knowledge and technology. For example, the company has technical experience and specific cybersecurity services to address complex security challenges in IT/OT environments. These services can help customers adopt a more proactive cybersecurity approach. As more companies connect their plants to remote workers and partners, Rockwell Automation can help manage those connections and provide secure remote access.

LifecycleIQ Services can also help companies address their unique workforce challenges and gaps by assessing needs, identifying priorities, and creating workforce development programs. Rockwell Automation uses remote support capabilities and augmented reality technologies to help companies interact virtually with support engineers, strengthen skills with virtual training, and provide remote safety and security services.

Rockwell Automation has also been busy over the past few years acquiring new companies, forming new partnerships, and enhancing older partnerships to help fulfill the promise of the Connected Enterprise.

For example, Rockwell Automation acquired privately held Avnet Data Security, LTD, an Israeli-based cybersecurity provider and Oylo, a privately-held industrial cybersecurity services provider based in Barcelona, Spain. Avnets IT cybersecurity expertise, complements Oylos OT cybersecurity expertise and allows Rockwell Automation to accelerate its global delivery capability in this rapidly developing market and expands the offering of cybersecurity services available to the industrial market.

Rockwell Automation acquired privately held, Kalypso, LP, a US-based software and consulting firm with customers in the life sciences, consumer products, and industrial high-tech sectors. Kalypso offers a suite of consulting, digital innovation, enterprise technology and business process management services that help enable the transformation of product design and development, production management, and client service models.

Rockwell Automation acquired ASEM, a leading provider of digital technologies for industrial PCs and software. Based in Italy, this acquisition will help Rockwell Automation further expand its reach in Europe. At Automation Fair, ASEM exhibited visualization and control hardware and software and Industrial IoT gateways that can integrate smart devices, control platforms, and design and operational software on a single network.

Rockwell Automations Blake Moret and Jim Heppelman, President and CEO of PTC also announced an extension of their already successful partnership. The company also announced an extension of its partnership with Microsoft, including co-innovation of cloud-native solutions.

Simulation software supplier, ANSYS, provides an end-to-end solution for design, automation, production, and lifecycle management. Rockwell and ANSYS will partner to help customers design simulation-based digital twins of products or manufacturing processes. The goal is to enable customers to use simulation to design and test products to accelerate development, reduce testing time, and improve product quality.

As Mr. Moret commented, While these technologies and digital twins and engineering simulation may have been optional a decade or two ago, in todays environment, they are necessities. Its about bridging the chasm between engineering and manufacturing. Its about solving problems such as unpredictable downtime, quality issues during assembly, and launch delays challenges that have existed for decades.

Virtual simulation on the front-end of production allows users to better leverage the entire digital thread. Once a machine or production line is running, manufacturers can create a digital twin of their manufacturing process to create and test virtual what-if scenarios.

Rockwell Automation acquired Emulate3D in 2019, an engineering software developer whose products digitally simulate and emulate industrial automation systems. By using simulation models to help improve systems planning and decision-making, followed by emulation trials that test the control system before installation, Emulate3Ds software enables customers to virtually test machine and system designs before incurring manufacturing and automation costs and committing to a final design. Rockwell Automation added Emulate3Ds technology to its digital design portfolio to deliver solutions to automotive, logistics, material handling, and other industrial applications. Software is sold as Emulate3D by Rockwell Automation, as part of the companys FactoryTalk DesignSuite.

Rockwell Automation announced an agreement to acquire Fiix, a privately-held, AI-enabled computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) company. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Fiixs cloud-native CMMS creates workflows for scheduling, organizing, and tracking equipment maintenance. It connects to business systems and helps it drive data-driven decisions. The addition of Fiix aligns well with Rockwell Automations digitalization software strategy. It also helps enhance the capabilities of the companys Lifecycle Services business.

Rockwell Automation Fair at Home was all about the Connected Enterprise and, accelerating digital transformation, and whats next for industrial automation. While participation for this online event was virtual, the company still did a good job of getting its points across.

This virtual event made it apparent that even during the pandemic, the company has continued to pursue its aggressive adoption approach to the digital transformation through new acquisitions, new technologies (such as digital thread and digital twins), and new products, services, and more.

ARC Advisory Group clients can view the complete report at ARC Client Portal .

If you would like to buy this report or obtain information about how to become a client, pleasecontact us

Keywords: Rockwell Automation Fair 2020, Digital Engineering, Cybersecurity, ARC Advisory Group.

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Rockwell Automation Fair at Home - What's Next for the Connected Enterprise and Automation - ARC Advisory Group

Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. (NYSE: AIT) in Cleveland has made an acquisition that the company says will grow its automation offerings.

Applied Industrial has acquired Gibson Engineering Co. in Norwood, Mass., for an undisclosed amount. Gibson provides automation products, services and engineered solutions with a particular focus on "machine vision, motion control, mobile and collaborative robotic solutions, intelligent sensors and other related equipment," according to a news release. The company has more than 40 associates.

"We are pleased to announce the addition of Gibson Engineering and the continued expansion of our next generation automation offering and footprint. Gibson is a leading provider of emerging automation technologies across the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets," Applied Industrial president and CEO Neil A. Schrimsher said in the release. "They bring established customer and supplier relationships, along with an experienced team highly regarded for their technical and engineering expertise that aligns with our growth strategy, market focus and value proposition."

Schrimsher also said Applied Industrial had completed three acquisitions in the past 16 months, expanding its automation offerings. The company is a distributor and technical solutions provider of products in spaces such as industrial motion and fluid power.

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Acquisition grows Applied Industrial's automation offerings - Crain's Cleveland Business

Seamlessly converting manual processes to active automation flows at the click of a button, the new capability speeds up time to value and boosts operational efficiencies

NICE (Nasdaq: NICE) today introduced new AI-based Robotic Process Automation (RPA) capabilities that fast-track the time to value by rapidly operationalizing optimal process automation opportunities. Available as part of NICE RPA version 7.4 is the new Click to Automate feature, that instantaneously transforms recommended process sequences into live operational automations. This enables businesses to rapidly expand existing process automations, improve efficiencies and strengthen organizational resilience even during unpredictable market conditions. Additional capabilities enable tighter human-robot collaboration via smarter, visual-based automation discovery and a more customizable development process per employee needs.

Smarter automation discovery and developmentClick to Automate takes the benefits of Automation Finder, NICEs AI-infused automation opportunity discovery tool, to the next level. Following Automation Finders capture and display of all the recommended process sequences, the Click to Automate capability seamlessly and rapidly builds the process automations with NICEs Automation Studio design tool. The result is end-to-end working automations, including the logic and connectivity elements. NICEs attended and unattended robotic workforce then manages the full execution of these processes in complete collaboration with each employee, at scale.

Additional enhancements included in NICE RPA version 7.4 include:

Visually inspired automation discovery: With NICE RPA's Automation Finder, business analysts can now get a visual snapshot of the employee's screen together with clustering of the different process sequences, variations and their respective scores. This provides business analysts with a holistic understanding of the real-life processes employees regularly execute. With these rich, practical insights, the analyst is equipped to make an informed decision about the optimal processes to automate, allowing for more efficient automation development, higher user adoption and improved results.

Customized attended automation development: The callout builder within NICE's Automation Studio enables enhanced customization of callouts, a critical element in the successful deployment and uptake of attended automation. As a result, developers can personalize the way NEVA, NICE's attended automation offering, communicates and interacts with employees, allowing them to better relate to and connect with attended robots at work. The user-friendly drag and drop interface with built-in intelligence allows automations to be created with ease and speed, as well as resonate with the unique culture of the organization and its people. This ensures connected, productive human-robot collaborations in the virtual and physical workplace.

Unified connectivity for accelerated automation development: With a unified connectivity layer, automation developers can seamlessly access all applications across different technologies from a single interface. This ensures faster development and time to value for organizations and enables employees to benefit from the process automations more quickly.

"What businesses need right now are solutions that will accelerate the efficiency of their business, maximize the value of every process automation and empower employees to do more from any location and at any time," Barry Cooper, President, NICE Enterprise Group, said. "The new capabilities in NICE RPA version 7.4 power agility across the automation lifecycle including intelligent, optimal process discovery, instantaneous operationalization of process automations and stronger employee collaboration. We believe this helps organizations ensure business continuity, boost their bottom line and enhance both employee and customer experiences."

Story continues

About NICENICE (Nasdaq: NICE) is the worlds leading provider of both cloud and on-premises enterprise software solutions that empower organizations to make smarter decisions based on advanced analytics of structured and unstructured data. NICE helps organizations of all sizes deliver better customer service, ensure compliance, combat fraud and safeguard citizens. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, are using NICE solutions. http://www.nice.com.

Trademark Note: NICE and the NICE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE Ltd. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NICEs marks, please see: http://www.nice.com/nice-trademarks.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including the statements by Mr. Cooper, are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of NICE Ltd. (the "Company"). In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "believe," "expect," "seek," "may," "will," "intend," "should," "project," "anticipate," "plan," "estimate," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those described herein, including but not limited to the impact of changes in economic and business conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; successful execution of the Companys growth strategy; success and growth of the Companys cloud Software-as-a-Service business; changes in technology and market requirements; decline in demand for the Company's products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; difficulties or delays in absorbing and integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel; loss of market share; an inability to maintain certain marketing and distribution arrangements; the Companys dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners;, cyber security attacks or other security breaches against the Company; the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, refer to the Company's reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210106005358/en/

Contacts

Corporate Media Christopher Irwin-Dudek, +1 201 561 4442, chris.irwin-dudek@nice.com, ET

Investors Marty Cohen, +1 551 256 5354, ET, ir@nice.com Yisca Erez +972 9 775 3798, CET, ir@nice.com

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NICE Breaks New Ground in Robotic Process Automation with Innovative AI-Driven Click to Automate - Yahoo Finance

30-second summary:

Its no secret that the pandemic has radically altered the ways in which consumers shop, forcing brands to rethink how they can deliver a superior customer experience when sales are largely shifting to ecommerce. Across industries, retailers continue to experience increased demand through their online channelsa demand thats expected to become the new norm.

PwCs 2020 Global Consumer Insights Survey found that 86% of surveyed consumers intend to continue shopping online and by phone even once social distancing measures are removed.

Despite shopping in-store less and less, consumers maintain high expectations for the retailers they buy from. As they head into the new year, brands have the option of either evolving their online offerings in stride with consumers changing preferences or falling behind the competition.

The shift to online shopping may present some initial stumbling blocks to retail operations, but there are solutions for staying efficient, such as investing in automation and AI.

Automation technologies can help brands compensate for the in-person experience and effectively inspire greater customer loyalty than their digital channels had been able to achieve in the past.

Not only will the customer experience improve, but also that of employees who are hustling to keep up with influxes of customers ecommerce orders and service inquiries. When incorporated into retail operations, automation technologies deliver the following benefits to brands as they navigate the changing retail landscape for 2021 and beyond.

In the absence of in-store associates for consumers to discuss purchasing decisions with or talk through returns, retailers can expect the demand on call centers to be high, which can lead to long wait times that risk turning shoppers away if a representative is expected to be available for every request.

To avoid this risk, retailers can deploy an automation program equipped with chatbot technologies to field inbounds. Such technologies are capable of handling straightforward tasks like producing a return label based on a customers order information without the need for human intervention, and they can recognize when a situation needs to be elevated to employees.

With technology able to discern which scenarios warrant employees attention, customers receive attentive representatives who can resolve their issues sooner.

Deploying automation software to fulfill certain requests can also earn favor from customers; according to Windstream Enterprise, 68% of surveyed customers are more likely to shop at a retailer that offers automated returns versus ones that dont.

Should an issue be elevated to a human representative, automation can still support the interaction to facilitate productivity. Based on the initial information fielded by the chatbot, automation software can create prompts for the employee to guide and expedite the conversation.

Then, to cut down on call time further, automation can work in the background to pull relevant customer information for the retail employee so that time isnt wasted searching through files, giving both the customer and employee time back in their day to focus on other matters.

As customers shift their shopping to digital platforms, retailers need to ensure they have the internal tools in place for accommodating increased demand through those channels.

As orders flood in online, employees in fulfillment centers are tasked with processing accompanying influxes in paperwork, like invoice drafting and return processing, which can quickly become overwhelming. This is the exact type of process that automation can help with.

Capable of streamlining tedious processes such as fielding inbound inquiries and managing customer data, automation enables retail workers to work more productively in their roles.

For example, bots can work alongside employees to automatically input relevant customer information into an invoice, so that employees dont need to fill out the forms manually.

By ensuring customer requests are handled in an organized, efficient manner, automating back-office retail processes also prevents employee burnouta pressing issue given that, in a recent Monster survey, 69% of employees reported experiencing burnout symptoms (e.g., exhaustion, anxiety) while working from home.

Automation frees employees of tedious tasks so they can focus on the more strategic, creative, and customer-facing activities that keep individuals satisfied in their roles.

Especially while employees are away from traditional office resources, automated assistants can make it easier for employees to uphold standards of excellence despite disruption as their workloads will become more manageable.

With shopping largely online nowadays, brands have increased opportunity for collecting and actioning customer insights. With this data, retailers can finetune the online experience to accommodate consumers apparent preferences.

Automation and AI can be programed to comb through consumer feedback and identify common concerns, or those with demands that necessitate employee attention.

For example, with the right AI-enabled automation program in place, retailers will receive a notification from their platform to inform them of several customer issues regarding a specific product.

Using this data, the retailer can proactively address the issue before it becomes a larger customer service problemthus driving loyalty and preventing brand erosion. This setup enables retailers to keep a pulse on customers and prospects attitudes of the brand without dedicating hours of employees time to the task.

Instead, employees will have the time to leverage those insights to fuel loyalty programs and personalization strategies.

As the shopping experience continues to remain predominantly online, retailers run the risk of becoming overwhelmed with meeting shoppers evolving demands.

However, with the right solutionssuch as a combination of automation, chatbots, and AIto support day-to-day operations, brands can remain agile and profitable in fluctuating retail landscapes, dedicating their energy and resources towards responding quickly and strategically to market changes instead of tedious tasks that only slow them down.

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How automation can enhance the retail experience in 2021 and beyond - ClickZ

Despite the obvious disruptions caused by COVID-19, the future for manufacturing looks bright. According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) third quarter 2020 outlook survey, 66 per cent of manufacturer respondents are positive about their companys outlook over this year, with increases expected in sales, employment, production growth rate and wages. Here, Claudia Jarrett, country manager at industrial parts supplier, EU Automation, analyses how automation will make 2021 a very fruitful year.

The NAM report, which is revised each quarter to reflect the historical data, states demand and business disruptions the manufacturing sector faced in early 2020. For instance, real GDP fell dramatically by an annualized 31.7 per cent in the second quarter, the largest quarterly decline in the history of the series, dating back as far as 1947.

However, the latest Manufacturing Institute for Supply Managements (ISM) Report on Business, reveals that economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew significantly in October 2020. In fact, the overall economy saw a sixth consecutive month of growth, which is Americas strongest manufacturing growth in two years.

Displaying a willingness to adapt and a degree of resilience, manufacturers are implementing strategies which might turn into the winning formula for a successful 2021. So, lets see how this could be the case.

Advanced robotics

Many manufacturing plants have found themselves with emptied premises, due to shutdowns or to the necessity to stagger shifts or move part of their workforce to remote working. Plants, however, required the usual amount of upkeep and extra services, such as daily deep cleaning and extra maintenance for equipment pushed to its limit to meet spikes in demand or make up for lost productivity.

To do this while reducing on-site personnel, companies have increasingly turned to robots, with the consequence that stock prices for advanced robotics soared in 2020.

As a result, a study from theMPI Group reveals that 34 per cent of manufacturers have plans to incorporate internet of things (IoT) technology into their processes, while 32 per cent plan to embed IoT technology into their products. Therefore, this trend will likely continue in 2021, with companies purchasing advanced robots to automate routine tasks and comply to social distancing regulations.

Reliable supply chains

Remember the days when toilet paper and hand sanitizer were luxuries? During lockdown, people worldwide have experienced first-hand the consequences of complex supply chains that heavily rely on one geographical area.

To prevent this from happening again, manufacturers must seek to eliminate single-source dependencies by diversifying their supply chains in 2021. We will witness a shift from global to regional sourcing, with manufacturers sourcing raw materials closer to home and producing components, which were traditionally outsourced for manufacturing, in-house.

In addition, companies will also need to invest in inventory management solutions that provide visibility across all nodes of their supply chains, beyond their tier-one suppliers. In this way, manufacturers will be able to react quickly if one node is unable to fulfil an order.

This is where establishing a relationship with a reliable parts supplier is essential. Industrial automation parts suppliers, like EU Automation, deliver parts in quick turnaround, ensuring replacements can be sourced timely to prevent downtime and maintain supply chain stability.

Producing sustainably

Lockdown gave nature a chance to reclaim its spaces footage of wild animals cruising town centers undisturbed made headlines.

Next year, pressure from consumers and governments will push manufacturers to intensify their efforts to produce sustainably. Recent HIS Markit research shows that the pandemic has reinforced existing policies to decarbonize industry, with Canada, the European Union, the UK and China leading the way. In fact, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. renewable energy consumption has surpassed coal for the first time in over 130 years, meaning that sustainability will continue be at the core of investors agendas.

Now, an increasing number of global corporations are also advocating for sustainability. Apple, for example, announced in July 2020 that it is expecting to make all its supply chains and products carbon neutral by 2030. It is expected a growing number of companies will follow suit and launch similar initiatives in 2021.

Despite last years disruptions, manufacturings future looks bright. For those considering investing in automation technologies, rest assured as EU Automation has stood by manufacturers side during the most challenging moments of the pandemic and will continue to do so in the year of resurgence.

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A brighter future? Automation trends of 2021 | RoboticsTomorrow - Robotics Tomorrow