Monthly Archives: April 2021

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Survey: 2 in 3 IT Workers Say Automation Aided Productivity During COVID-19 - Nextgov

Hot on the heels of his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden announced his plans to strengthen the US manufacturing sector in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

Dubbed the Made in America executive order, it outlines the various ways Biden intends to fuel economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic, including investing $300 billion in R&D and advanced technology, while creating a whopping 5 million jobs in manufacturing. To many, these two things seem at odds with one another, considering the anti-human reputation that has plagued technology (specifically, automation technology) since the first Industrial Revolution. Its a distrust that persists: Who could forget Trumps plans to bloat factories with human workers, without as much as a whisper about tech/automations role in the sector?

But Bidens aim to both invest heavily in tech and job creation isnt some idealistic future dreamed up in a political war room. I believe he is on to something that critics and sceptics may be too afraid to admit: automation tech is the catalyst for economic growth in our country.

In fact, arguments against automation largely ignore the past; any glance in the history books will prove that it has in fact been fueling the economy since its inception. Lets first consider the heart of the issue: job growth. Back when computers were first introduced in offices, they displaced some clerical staff, but over time they also led to the introduction of an entirely new professional category of technical roles like computer technicians and IT professionals.

Fast forward to today, and technical occupations are the fastest growing labour category in the US. Plain and simple, automation creates more jobs than it destroys. Indeed, this was a projection made by the World Economic Forum several years ago, noting that by 2022, automation will lead to the creation of 133 million new jobs despite a loss of 75 million. In fact, employment in total will continue to rise even if automation disrupts specific industries.

Automation also powers product innovation in a way no other tech capability can by completely changing the economics of how things get made. Thanks to the proliferation of advanced tech like computer vision, machine learning, adaptive robotics and software on factory floors, manufacturing is no longer a clunky and expensive process requiring a massive financial investment or heavy equipment.

Tech investment in the space has powered smaller, nimbler factories that can quickly and easily spin up and scale new products or adjust existing ones. Over time, barriers to entry will continue to lower, so that anyone with a good idea can turn that idea into a tangible, marketable product. When more people are given the tools and the opportunity to engage in the manufacturing process, it opens the door to higher quality products and boundless innovation.

Job growth and innovation aside, tech investment in manufacturing has several other important economic advantages. At its core, automation is a productivity booster: McKinsey predicts automation could raise productivity growth globally by 0.8 to 1.4% annually. This increase in productivity results in a number of positive outcomes: higher output, which results in higher margins for companies; higher wages for employees; and lower prices for consumers.

Automation also has the unique power to monetize a previously unprofitable sector. Consider the example of the washing machine: The introduction of the common appliance created a profitable business out of what was previously a household chore (unpaid time cleaning clothes), as washing machine manufacturers and laundromats took off and created a booming industry.

In many industries, the loss of jobs to automation primarily impacted unpaid workers, with minimal (if any) negative impact on overall employment across the country. For example, within the agriculture industry the majority (82%) of the 7 million farmers who lost jobs to automation between 1950 and 2000 were unpaid family workers. Meanwhile, the loss of unpaid work in this industry had zero negative impact on overall employment in the country: By 2000, the number of employed persons in the country (137 million) far exceeded that same category in 1950 (59 million. Automation in agriculture has also been critical to increasing productivity to meet the needs of a growing population. In sum, automation is a powerful economic stimulant (so powerful, in fact, that some estimate itll add $1.2 trillion to US GDP over the next five years).

Trumps idea that the health of the manufacturing sector should be measured only by the number of humans working in factories was gravely misinformed. While both Trump and Biden prioritized job creation in their manufacturing policies, its Biden who rightly acknowledged technology as the mechanism to achieving this goal. Tech investment and job creation arent mutually exclusive goals; rather, tech/automation is the catalyst to enable meaningful job growth in a sector ripe for change, while also stimulating the economy at large.

Fortunately, Biden is also taking the appropriate measures to ensure displaced workers can successfully transition to new roles through an investment in high-quality training programmes. One year into the Great Lockdown, and with a new president at the helm, I believe were (finally) on the right track.Source: World Economic Forum

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New manufacturing jobs and automation aren't mutually exclusive. Here's why - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

ABB Group, a multinational firm specialising in robotics and automation, has provided groundbreaking technology to a home for people with disabilities in Australia.

ABB's KNX solution is supporting first-of-its-kind accomodation Casa Capace, enabling residents to live independently thanks to its automation technology.

Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plans to provide housing for 28,000 people with disabilities. To help realise this, the Australian government invited the commercial property sector to design suitable homes, which have historically often felt more like hospitals than places to live.

Property investors DPN decided on "Casa Capace" as the name for the project, which roughly translates as "capable home". They chose ABB i-bus KNX as the solution to deliver the dwellings' automation technology.

There are currently two dwellings, each with six bedrooms. The homes are fully compliant with NDIS design requirements, featuring oversized doors and corridors and open-plan spaces to allow for mobility devices. They also have customisable fittings such as supports in ceilings to accommodate hoists, and adjustable kitchen benches, sinks and basins for wheelchair usage.

Electrical doors, lighting, blinds, heating and cooling in each room are all controlled by ABB i-bus KNX automation. It can adjust the height of benches, raise blinds and switch lights off in the morning, and turn on the TV and dim lights in the evening.

These are controllable via an app, voice activated through Siri, or on the residents device. "Casa Capace residents in wheelchairs can navigate the home with ease thanks to a voice control function allowing them to open and close doors. Height adjustable benchtops in the kitchen and laundry are accessible from a standing or seated position, enabling residents to to do their chores independently" Schiemann says.

There is even an accessible garden that is 600mm high, making gardening from a wheelchair possible.

The project has been a great success. DPN Group Managing Director Sam Khalil, commented: We wanted to create a designer home that anybody would walk into and say, I would love to have this as my home, and not to be able to tell that its been built as a disabled-care home in any way.

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ABB's automation delivers first-of-its-kind disability home | Technology & AI - Healthcare Global - Healthcare News, Magazine and Website

MINNEAPOLIS, April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Parqa, a digital marketing agency specializing in the staffing and recruiting industry, has hired Toby Hoskins as Director of Technology & Automation. In this role, Hoskins will be responsible for launching Parqa's first ever martech division to help provide best-in-class strategic services and solutions to our clients, as technology and automation platforms begin to have exponential impact on staffing firms across the globe.

"Three years ago, we included in our five-year vision that we wanted to be seen as the leader in technology and automation for the staffing industry, so having Toby join our team is an incredibly exciting milestone for me personally, and for Parqa," said Jared Hummel, Chief Operating Officer at Parqa. "The evolution of digital transformation was accelerated by the events of 2020 in the staffing industry, and a true martech leader has yet to emerge to take advantage of the transformation over the next decade. Toby brings an incredibly solid background with his experience at very large organizations strategizing, managing and executing complex automation and technology solutions. On top of that, Toby is a proven competitor that we believe will build a division of our business that will leave an imprint on the industry for years to come."

Hoskins joins Parqa as an experienced and forward-thinking marketing automation and technology professional with a passion for delivering the highest quality work. He has worked in the marketing automation and marketing technology fields for more than 10 years within Fortune 500 companies as well as mid-size companies. Toby brings an analytical and creative mind to demand generation and marketing automation that drives consistent results. He can connect data through multiple marketing technologies to drive scalable growth and revenue through best practice marketing automation strategies. Toby graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with a degree in Speech Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. In addition, he is a member of the Minneapolis Downtown Next Generation Lions Club.

"I am looking forward to joining Parqa to help drive innovative marketing automation strategies and technology for our partners," said Hoskins. Parqa is paving the way in the industry, and I am excited to be a part of that. I highly value organizations that focus on building a great culture through core values, and it was immediately evident through the interview process that Parqa was an exact fit. I am excited to begin!"

Parqa is a digital marketing agency that serves staffing and recruiting firms throughout North America. Parqa focuses on helping companies build their brand credibility, increase online visibility and generate leads through their proven process. For more information, please visit http://www.parqamarketing.com.

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Parqa Hires Toby Hoskins as Director of Technology & Automation - Southernminn.com

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Automation Anywhere, a leader in robotic process automation (RPA), today announced early access to Automation 360, the company's unified, cloud-native, AI-powered automation platform on Google Cloud the industry's fast and easy way to get customers started on their RPA journey.

The cloud RPA solution, the first resulting from Automation Anywhere's recently announced collaborationwith Google Cloud, enables an easy, on-ramp to automation deployment and includes a web-based Control Room, Bot Creator, Bot Insightand choice of a software bot from the company's Bot Store,an online marketplace for enterprise grade, ready-to-deploy intelligent automation from a vast ecosystem ofseasoned developers, subject matter experts and Automation Anywhere partners.

Google Cloud customers can use Automation 360 to enable employees in the front-office, back-office, or any office to automate a wide variety of tedious, repetitive business processes. In doing so they can increase worker productivity and liberate employees to focus more of their intellect and creativity on higher-order business challenges and knowledge work.

"Our partnership illustrates the power of automation and the ability for our joint customers to begin using cloud-native, web-based RPA immediately to digitally transform their business," said Chris Riley, Chief Revenue Officer, Automation Anywhere. "Together, Google Cloud and Automation Anywhere offer customers a frictionless automation experience, and a fast, easy way to remove the cost and deployment barriers that might have previously prevented organizations from blazing the cloud RPA trail."

Research found in Automation Anywhere's recent report,Now & Next: State of RPA, shows that cloud RPA represents the future of the RPA market. According to the report, 67% of Automation Anywhere's new customers in Q3 2020 opted for cloud deployment, demonstrating that cloud is rapidly becoming the platform of choice for RPA deployment.

"Automation Anywhere on Google Cloud gives organizations an opportunity to streamline processes across applications running in the cloud as well as legacy, on-premises systems," said Avanish Sahai, Vice President, Partnerships at Google Cloud. "We're excited for customers to join this early access program and look forward to continuing our work with Automation Anywhere to help businesses quickly deploy and scale RPA capabilities on Google Cloud."

Automation 360 on Google Cloud is currently available by contacting Automation Anywhere at https://www.automationanywhere.com/solutions/google-cloud-platform.

About Automation AnywhereAutomation Anywhere is a global leader in Robotic Process Automation (RPA), empowering customers to automate end-to-end business processes with intelligent software bots AI-powered digital workers that perform repetitive and manual tasks, resulting in dramatic productivity gains, optimized customer experience and more engaged employees.The company offers the world's only cloud-native and web-based automation platform combining RPA, artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics, yielding significantly lower TCO, higher security, and faster scalability than legacy monolithic platforms.Its Bot Store is the world's first and largest marketplace with more than 1,200 pre-built, intelligent automation solutions. Automation Anywhere has deployed over 2.8 million bots to support some of the world's largest enterprises across all industries in more than 90 countries.

For additional information, visitwww.automationanywhere.com.

Automation Anywhere and Automation 360 are trademarks/service marks or registered trademarks/service marks of Automation Anywhere, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

SOURCE Automation Anywhere

http://www.automationanywhere.com

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Automation Anywhere Invites Customers to Begin RPA Journey on Google Cloud - PRNewswire

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OSARO, Inc., a global leader in the development and provision of advanced robotics automation, has announced a refined strategy and suite of products that offers complete, dedicated, and integrated solutions packages to meet customers specific needs for maximum productivity.

The upgraded suite of products, collectively called OSARO Solutions, integrates OSARO visual perception with powerful OSARO control software. OSARO combines its software and advanced machine learning with the services and industry expertise needed to deliver improved sight and skill to existing robot applications, while enabling new applications for the factories and warehouses of the future.

Each company, warehouse, or factory we work with has its own unique set of automation requirements and operational challenges, said Derik Pridmore, co-founder and CEO of OSARO. While we can offer software for each specific use-case, it became clear to us that providing dedicated and holistic solutions better serves our customers. Our customers success is our success.

OSARO collaborates with customers to optimize feature options and services to cost-effectively meet the customers specific automation requirements. Machine learning expertise allows OSARO Solutions software to automatically adapt to moderate task variations, thereby delivering higher productivity, improved supply chain resilience, and continuous flexibility.

Customer testimonials:

Konica Minolta, Inc. is a Japanese multinational technology company, with headquarters in Tokyo, and offices in 49 countries worldwide. Konica Minolta chose OSAROs software because of its ability to work with myriad forms and sizes in our production line. OSAROs software also correctly recognizes and distinguishes difficult materials, such as metal and resin. As a result of OSAROs unique capabilities, we were able to achieve a high target recognition rate, within a very tight production timeline, and we continue to look for opportunities to combine Konica Minoltas core technology with OSARO Solutions for future enhancements of our factory automation line."

Panasonic Connected Solutions Company is using OSARO software in automated food packaging solutions. Panasonic is a major Japanese multinational electronics company, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, and had revenues of $69B in 2019. We are using OSAROs software for its ability to properly detect challenging inventory items that use reflective, transparent, or flexible materials, and ability to easily handle frequent packaging changes. We look forward to developing a range of logistics and factory automation solutions using OSARO software supported by OSAROs systems integration partner Innotech, based in Yokohama.

Kyoto Seisakusho is a leading manufacturer of packaging machinery, with headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, which develops labor saving equipment for their customers and streamlines production in their customers facilities. The mission of Kyoto Seisakusho is to solve demanding challenges from customers with the highest possible technological competence. We are now testing robot applications with OSAROs robotics automation software and look forward to working together with factory and logistics customers.

About OSARO

OSARO designs and deploys robotics automation solutions in the materials handling industry using software-defined robotics. OSARO automation systems bring together advanced machine learning for object recognition with powerful control software that adapts to customer data and environments. The companys robotic piece-picking solution is optimized for grocery, cosmetic, and e-commerce markets, where key challenges include high SKU inventories, complex packaging, and fragile items requiring delicate handling. OSARO Solutions have been validated by the worlds leading retailers, system integrators, and third-party logistic companies.

For additional information, graphics, video and photos, please visit http://www.osaro.com and join us on social media: @osaroAI.

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OSARO Announces Expanded Corporate Focus with Integrated Products and Solutions for Industrial Automation - Business Wire

The semiconductor industry has been facing a severe supply crunch, driven by surging demand from the consumer electronics industry through Covid-19 and supply-side disruptions including a fire at a fabrication unit in Japan, the freezing weather in the southern United States, and drought in Taiwan. The auto industry is bearing the brunt of the shortfall, with OEMs including Toyota, Volkswagen, and GM having to scale back on production due to a lack of chips, and consumer electronics majors such as Apple are also beginning to feel the pinch. That said, there are a set of companies that stand to benefit from the current shortfall in chip production. For example, semiconductor players who have their own fab capacity stand to gain, as they could see higher price realization without seeing their costs escalate. Moreover, companies that produce tools and machinery for chipmaking should also benefit, as chipmakers expand budgets in order to add more production capacity. For example, Taiwans TSMC said it will spend about $100 billion over the next three years to boost capacity, while Samsung Electronics plans to invest $116 billion into boosting production by 2030. Our theme on Stocks That Benefit From The Semiconductor Shortage has returned 32% year-to-date, compared to a return of 12% for the S&P 500. Below is a bit more about some of the stocks in our theme and how they have been performing this year.

Applied Materials (AMAT) supplies equipment, services, and software used in the production of semiconductor and display products. The stock has been the strongest performer within our theme, rising about 56% year-to-date, driven by strong demand for semiconductor equipment, and increasing production complexity in the industry.

Brooks Automation (BRKS) provides automation, vacuum, and instrumentation equipment for markets including the semiconductor and life sciences industry. The stock is up by about 46% year-to-date as the company is seeing higher demand for its products from the semiconductor space driven by the trends such as the Internet of Things, 5G wireless technology, and machine learning.

KLA Tencor (KLAC) is another supplier to the semiconductor production space, focused on process control and yield management solutions. The stock is up by about 25% year-to-date, driven by the current chip shortage, and calls from the U.S. government to strengthen the American semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Intel (INTC), one of the largest microprocessor makers, is also likely to benefit from the current supply crunch as it operates its own fabs, unlike rivals such as AMD and Qualcomm who are dependent on third parties. The company also recently indicated that it was in talks with companies that design chips for carmakers to produce their chips at Intel foundries. The stock is up 18% this year.

Want upside from growing digitization post-Covid-19 but dont want to pay a big premium for tech stocks? Check out our theme on Value Tech Stocks

See allTrefis Price EstimatesandDownloadTrefis Datahere

Whats behind Trefis? See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs ForCFOs and Finance Teams|Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams

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Applied Materials, Brooks Automation: Stocks That Benefit From The Semiconductor Crunch - Trefis

New User Interface for Enterprise Legal Management, Contract Lifecycle Management and Workflow Solutions Maximizes Productivity for Corporate Legal Departments and the Businesses They Serve

HOUSTON, April 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Onit, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise workflow and artificial intelligence platforms and solutions, including enterprise legal management, contract lifecycle management and business process automation, today introduced a new look and feel for its products. The enhanced design allows corporate legal professionals, Onit App builders and business collaborators in departments such as compliance, sales and IT to create, collaborate and get more done in fewer clicks. Video is available here.

When paired with Onits no-code platforms, Apptitude for workflow automation and the AI-based Precedent for business intelligence, the intuitive experience enables corporate legal to build business solutions, gain greater user adoption and maximize productivity.

With Onit, its about working the way you think. Were making it easier with every new product enhancement and experience for in-house counsel to practice law and offset inefficiency. Our new look serves the same mission, making it even simpler to navigate and complete tasks so that our customers can focus on higher-value contributions, said Eric M. Elfman, CEO and co-founder of Onit.

Onit Process Builder A Visual Interface for Onit App BuildingA crucial, complementary feature to Onits new look is Process Builder. Introduced last summer as part of its workflow platform Apptitude, Process Builder allows users to build and manage business logic and workflows with a visual interface. Builders configure logic by dragging and dropping actions and groups of actions exactly where they need to go, meaning corporate legal can quickly build Apps without relying on or waiting for technical resources. To date, more than 5,500 Apps and 130 solutions have been constructed on Apptitude, covering use cases for business continuity, trade association approval and management, fund management and more.

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Onit also hosted its Hack the House competition last fall, where five teams of Onit Fortune 500 customers, industry partners and staff experts built Apps in the span of three weeks. The Apps helped overcome challenges related to diversity, IP, compliance and more. You can read more about the Apps and the business needs behind them here.

Onits new look is now available. Customers can reach out to their account managers to learn more or view the video here. To schedule a demo, visit here.

About OnitOnit is a global leader of workflow and artificial intelligence platforms and solutions for legal, compliance, sales, IT, HR and finance departments. With Onit, companies can transform best practices into smarter workflows, better processes and operational efficiencies. With a focus on enterprise legal management, matter management, spend management, contract lifecycle management and legal holds, the company operates globally and helps transform how Fortune 500 companies and billion-dollar corporate legal departments bridge the gap between systems of record and systems of engagement. Onit helps customers find gains in efficiency, reduce costs and automate transactions faster. For more information, visit http://www.onit.com or call 1-800-281-1330.

Media inquiries: Melanie BrennemanOnit(713) 294-7857Melanie.brenneman@onit.com

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b99a5fc2-a89b-4abe-9f15-00f2539692c8

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Onit Releases a New, Modern Look for Its Workflow Automation and AI Platforms and Products - Yahoo Finance

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- The global chip shortage is going from bad to worse with automakers on three continents joining tech giants Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. in flagging production cuts and lost revenue from the crisis.In a dizzying 12-hour stretch, Honda Motor Co. said it will halt production at three plants in Japan; BMW AG cut shifts at factories in Germany and England; and Ford Motor Co. reduced its full-year earnings forecast due to the scarcity of chips it sees extending into next year. Caterpillar Inc. later flagged it may be unable to meet demand for machinery used by the construction and mining industries.Now, the very companies that benefited from surging demand for phones, laptops and electronics during the pandemic that caused the chip shortage, are feeling the pinch. After a blockbuster second quarter, Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri warned supply constraints are crimping sales of iPads and Macs, two products that performed especially well during lockdowns. Maestri said this will knock $3 billion to $4 billion off revenue during the fiscal third quarter.Its a fight out there and you have to be in daily contact with your suppliers. You need to make sure that youre important to them, Nokia Oyj Chief Executive Officer Pekka Lundmark said Thursday on Bloomberg Television. When there is a shortage in the market, it is things like how important you are in the big picture, how strong your relationships are and how you manage expectations.Meanwhile, companies that supply chips are reporting surging sales and pledging to invest billions to expand capacity as they struggle to keep up with demand. Qualcomm Inc., the worlds largest smartphone chipmaker, said demand for handsets is surging back as life returns to normal in some markets that had been locked down by the Covid-19 pandemic.STMicroelectronics NV, a key chip supplier for carmakers, said profit for its auto and power unit jumped 280% in the first quarter. CEO Jean-Marc Chery credited a surprise rebound in demand as well as the industrys adoption of new, digital features that require more chips for the latest wave of supply chain constraints.Samsung, which is both a producer and user of chips, said Thursday that component shortages will contribute to a slide in revenue and profit this quarter at its mobile division, which produces its marquee Galaxy smartphones.The shortfall of critically needed semiconductors has forced the entire auto industry to cut output, leaving thin inventories at dealerships just as consumers emerge from Covid-19 lockdowns. In just the past week, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc, Volvo Group and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. have joined the list of manufacturers idling factories.The second quarter is going to be worse for automakers than the first quarter, said Song Sun-jae, an analyst at Hana Daetoo Securities Co. in Seoul. The chip-shortage problem could end up lasting longer, maybe into next year.Beyond Apple, whose high-specification iPhones and aggressive demands typically place it at the front of the line, the dearth of chips threatens to dampen a nascent rebound in the entire smartphone market. Worldwide shipments surged an estimated 27% to 347 million devices in the first quarter, aided by a plethora of new models and Chinas swift post-pandemic recovery. A shortage of components such as app processors could sap that momentum over the rest of 2021.Covid-19 is still a major consideration, but it is no longer the main bottleneck, Canalys Research Manager Ben Stanton wrote Thursday. Supply of critical components, such as chipsets, has quickly become a major concern, and will hinder smartphone shipments in the coming quarters.At Ford, the shortage will likely reduce production by 1.1 million vehicles this year, CFO John Lawler said on a call with reporters. The carmaker expects a $2.5 billion hit to earnings due to scarce chip supplies.Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk earlier this week called the chip shortage a huge problem. NXP Semiconductors NV said its expecting supply to be tight all year and warned constraints for the auto industry could extend into 2022.There are too many uncertainties about when chip supplies will improve, and thats making it difficult for automakers, said Lee Han-joon, an analyst at KTB Investment & Securities Co. in Seoul. For semiconductor makers, the auto industry isnt really seen as one of their key customers and thats putting the carmakers in a much tougher position in securing supplies.(Updates with Caterpillar in the second paragraph.)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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Rockwell Automation, Inc. to Host Earnings Call - Yahoo Finance

Rockwell Automation (ROK) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.41 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.15 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.43 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 12.09%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this industrial equipment and software maker would post earnings of $1.92 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.38, delivering a surprise of 23.96%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Rockwell Automation, which belongs to the Zacks Industrial Automation and Robotics industry, posted revenues of $1.78 billion for the quarter ended March 2021, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.27%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.68 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Rockwell Automation shares have added about 7.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 11.5%.

What's Next for Rockwell Automation?

While Rockwell Automation has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

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Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Rockwell Automation was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.97 on $1.74 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $8.94 on $6.88 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Industrial Automation and Robotics is currently in the bottom 6% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free reportRockwell Automation, Inc. (ROK) : Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research

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Rockwell Automation (ROK) Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates - Yahoo Finance