Daily Archives: November 13, 2021

News and Commentary.

On Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 10:00am ET, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), the Chairman of the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, held a hearing titled Our Changing Economy: The Economic Effects of Technological Innovation, Automation and the Future of Work, to look at the impact that technology like drones, robots, and technology advances in automation and digitization will have on the American economy and workers nationwide. Will automation create jobs, or more unemployment and wage stagnation?

Its not a new problem, and since Part 107 regularized the commercial use of drones, many opponents to the new advancements like drone delivery, warehousing, inspections, and more have cited job losses as a major concern.

Its a fair point.

Will automation create new jobs, or create unemployment?

Professor Daron Acemoglu, MIT Institute Professor, points out that job losses due from automation tend to have an outsized impact on people with lower levels of education, and those already disadvantaged. This is not, however, a new development: Automation is not a recent phenomenon. The beginning of the British Industrial Revolution was marked by rapid advances in automation technologies in the textile industry, and automation played a major role in American industrialization during the 19th century, he says in written testimony.

However, Acemoglu points out that some automation creates jobs and as long as technology is focused on reducing costs and improving productivity, the whole workforce benefits. (He contrasts this type of beneficial automation like precision agriculture with what he calls so-so automation the hated automated customer service line, for example.)

not all automation technologies are created equal. Those that reduce costs and boost productivity generate a set of compensating changes, for example, expanding employment in non-automated tasks, says Acemoglu.

Shawn G. DuBravac, PhD, of theAvrio Institute, is even more positive about the impact of automation on the workforce. Technological innovation both complements and displaces workers, but it creates more opportunity than it destroys, he testifies. DuBravac makes the point that most automation technologies are used in conjunction with workers not instead of them.

We know that technological innovation displaces American workers. But we also see how it complements work. Increasingly, there are few jobs not touched in some way by technology.

It seems every week there are reports of individuals being saved with the help of drones and, behind each one of those, a drone operator. In fact, drones are being used to complement many types of work. In just the last few weeks, drones have been used by animal control officers to count deer in Sioux Falls, to map the composition of debris located in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and to make numerous engineering inspections safer and more efficient.

Is Limiting Automation the Answer?

Limiting the development of automation technologies like drones and robotics is certainly not the answer to concerns about shifts in employment. Not only is it an impossibility akin to conquering the Hydra, these technologies provide significant life-saving benefits to communities that should not be checked.

And, says Brent Orell, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, limiting the use of technology isnt the answer to protecting workers. In light of an increasingly automated economy, the solution is not to attempt to constrain technological change or alter its course, but rather to build up the workforce to be capable of working with technology as well as the flexibility and adaptability required as technological change continues to run its course.

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.For drone industry consulting or writing,Email Miriam.

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Will Automation Create More Jobs than it Eliminates? - DRONELIFE - DroneLife

The digital imperative is becoming even more urgent as the world emerges from the pandemic. Consumers and employees want their digital experiences to be even faster and more personalized than ever before. Against this backdrop, digital transformation will remain a major priority for organizations in 2022 and beyond and automation will become increasingly critical to their ability to deliver.

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Paul Crerand is Field CTO, EMEA at MuleSoft.

In fact, according our research 96% of IT and business decision makers say automation will significantly benefit their organization in the future. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is one of the most common examples of these capabilities already in use by todays organizations. Deloitte found 93% of business leaders expect to be using RPA by 2023. However, these leaders efforts to automate more processes will have only limited impact if they are not scaled beyond a series of disparate use-cases.

Rather than taking a case-by-case approach to automation projects, organizations should be looking to expand its use across the entire enterprise known as hyperautomation. This can be achieved through the reuse of key processes and the deployment of multiple, integrated technology capabilities such as low-code platforms, machine learning engines, and RPA solutions. The benefits of hyperautomation are far-reaching, from freeing up employee time from manual work and enabling them to create more connected customer experiences, to fueling the rapid launch of new digital products and services.

There are also significant cost savings to be gained. Gartner forecast that, by 2024, hyperautomation will allow organizations to lower operational costs by 30%. All of this is crucial in todays digital world, through enabling organizations to keep pace with competitors and offer valuable experiences and services to their customers. However, organizations chasing these outcomes often underestimate just how difficult it is to lay the necessary foundations for hyperautomation.

The shift to digital-first customer and employee experiences has created an explosion of data from a broader array of disparate systems than ever before. All this needs to be connected to enable the effective analytics and data-driven insights that power hyperautomation.

Unfortunately, much of this data is locked up in silos the result of many organizations continuing to rely on custom code and point-to-point integrations. These integrations result in tight couplings between systems, and are complex and time-consuming to build and manage. This undermines business agility, making it difficult to quickly and easily draw out the data thats needed to drive automated decision-making.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of IT and business decision makers also point to data security and governance concerns as hindering automation. This threatens to put a handbrake on innovation and, if left unresolved, could seriously hinder the rollout of hyperautomation. Its clear that many organizations' current integration strategies are not sustainable. Organizations need a new approach, one which allows greater agility and enables them to implement hyperautomation at scale across the entire enterprise.

One of the most effective ways to build a foundation for hyperautomation is to harness APIs. With APIs, organizations can quickly and easily draw the information they need from disparate systems scattered across the enterprise, and bring it together wherever it is needed. This ensures automation engines can access all of the data thats needed to make the right decision, at the right time, and trigger the appropriate response through the organization's systems.

Using a centralized platform to manage their APIs can make this process much easier, enabling organizations to unlock and integrate data from anywhere whether it resides in an on-premises database, or in the cloud. These platforms also enable IT teams to set effective controls and access policies, so they can manage, monitor, secure, and govern their data at the scale hyperautomation demands. Adding low-code or no-code tools to this mix will also allow self-serve capabilities to be rolled out, so business users can help drive their own automation initiatives. With this approach, organizations will be far better placed to enjoy the benefits of hyperautomation.

Today, automation is a fundamental driving force for the modern digital enterprise. As automation evolves into hyperautomation over the coming years, it will shift from being a nice to have to a prerequisite for success and continued innovation. Those that act now and put in place the API strategies that facilitate enterprise-wide automation will be the future leaders of their industries.

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Using API integration to turn automation into hyperautomation - TechRadar

Automation can be the answer to a whole host of manufacturing and operations questions. But deciding what, how and when to automate is not straightforward, says Liz Salter at IfM Engage.

The benefits to using automation in manufacturing often outweigh the challenges, especially when it can increase efficiency and production and help manufacturers to be more competitive. But if youre a business that thinks you are ready to automate, it is wise to step carefully. Thinking through the process of automation and its impact beforehand, and exploring the potential downsides, means you will be able to make better informed decisions and save yourself a host of issues later down the line. People are often keen to shout about the benefits of automation and hear them describe quick wins or low-hanging fruit but longer-term direction that will have significant impact needs deep consideration.

Yes, there are some classic benefits such as reduced labour costs, increasing consistency of processes and increased production rates but there are also many challenges that should be considered when implementing automation on the factory floor. Some of these concerns include deciding what to automate, finding skilled employees and the impact on your existing processes.

Consider how likely a solution is to succeed. There are many kinds of digital solutions available on the market today, with many solution providers ready to compete for your custom. Making a list of your short- and long-term needs and identifying automation solutions that match them is a sensible first step which will help you ensure youre meeting a need which actually exists. The Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring project, based at the IfM, is a good place to start if youre a small- to medium-sized company looking for low-cost off-the-shelf solutions. We can help you to identify a process or a part of production to automate that doesnt cost the earth and allows you to try out small-scale digital solutions that wont disrupt your core operations.

Machines may be efficient, but they dont have the versatility or creativity of human beings. It doesnt take much to mean they stop working properly, whereas human workers can apply ingenuity and imagination to get around the problem. Be wary of costly machines that do a highly specific job. If production were to shift, a human worker is more adaptable than a large piece of kit that no longer fits into your plans.

Dont underestimate the implementation challenges that come along with automation. Its crucial to consider the job that workers are currently doing. More often than not, the job includes subtleties such as detailed quality checking which wont be able to be done via automation. Think carefully about what the job involves and the value which is added by a human being. Most people arent lucky enough to work off a green field site but have an existing factory, so its also important to look at existing legacy equipment and kit to work out how well, or not, automation systems can integrate.

Impact on current processes Its important to consider the effect of automation on your current processes. Ask yourself: How will automation impact your product?

And what will your customers think? Automation involves the same task being done on repeat so there is naturally a level of product personalisation that cannot be achieved in the same way.

The reliance on automation creates more demand for skilled maintenance and service technician jobs. For example, when equipment runs into problems, it needs to be back up and running as quickly as possible. Do you have access to these skills, and the resources to fund them?

Automated equipment can involve a high level of cost and can sometimes require a higher level of maintenance than with a manually operated machine. The cost of developing and deploying both the hardware and the software for automation should be considered. Do you have the in-house expertise to understand the products and processes?

Implementing automation successfully It is never too early to consider the potential automation can offer you and your business. But preparing for and considering some of the challenges posed by automaton will require consideration of the entire business processes, as well as the culture of the whole organisation.

At IfM Engage, our tried and tested automation assessment tool, backed by research from the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge and applied by industry experts, is helping manufacturers make confident manufacturing automation decisions. This supports company decision-making and helps firms take the longer-term view of automation.

Liz Salter, Industrial Associate, IfM Engage will be hosting a masterclass at Digital Manufacturing Week on Making the right automation investment decisions on Wednesday 10 November. The session will introduce a systematic approach to decision making and show how this informs good equipment sourcing choices.

Find out more about how IfM Engage can help you consider your automation investment decisions.

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What, how and when to automate - The Manufacturer

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Workato, an enterprise software company that offers an automation platform for businesses, has more than tripled its valuation to $5.7 billion after its latest funding round.

The company said on Wednesday it had raised $200 million in a funding round led by technology-focused venture capital firm Battery Ventures. Insight Partners, Altimeter Capital and Tiger Global also participated in the round.

Workato's latest funding, which brings total capital raised so far to over $421 million, comes nearly 10 months after the previous round, which was at a valuation of $1.7 billion.

The pandemic has supercharged the enterprise software industry, as businesses double down on their digital strategies due to remote working and seek to automate core functions.

Mountain View, California-based Workato offers its over 11,000 customers a platform to automate their critical business processes, which it says is more efficient than them having to deploy a variety of tools for the same.

The company said it has nearly doubled its customer base in the last 12 months, with additions like Stitch Fix (SFIX.O) and GitLab Inc (GTLB.O). Chip and software company Broadcom Inc (AVGO.O) and restaurant software maker Toast Inc (TOST.N) also use Workato's services.

Workato said it intends to use the latest capital to invest in its products and also to expand further in the United States, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and APAC (Asia Pacific). The company added it will open additional data centers in APAC and add support for regional languages.

Automation technology startup UiPath Inc (PATH.N) raised $1.34 billion when it went public in April this year. Other companies like ActiveCampaign, a cloud software platform that provides automation tools, also raised funds at a $3 billion valuation earlier this year. read more

(This story corrects number of customers to 11,000, not 7,000, in paragraph 5 after official correction from company)

Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Jane Lee in San Francisco; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Enterprise automation software firm Workato valued at $5.7 bln in latest funding - Reuters

Automation tools are thriving in all kinds of industries across the world for providing smart functionalities efficiently and effectively. The global tech-driven market is leaning towards automation to boost productivity without any potential error. Organizations have started adopting automation tools in different sectors such as sales, accounting, marketing, and many more. The implementation of artificial intelligence in the accounting department has helped organizations to drive profitable growth in the financial sector in the last few years. Lets explore some of the top automation tools for accounting available to use in an organization.

Microsoft Dynamics GP is one of the top automation tools for accounting in 2021 for being the mid-market business accounting software. This automation accounting tool uses a Microsoft SQL server to store real-time financial data in the Dexterity programming language. It is well-known for being a part of the Microsoft Dynamics suite of intelligent business applications. This automation tool is a financial accounting system to meet the requirements of different types of businesses across the world. It is built on the affordable as well as a highly scalable platform of this hi-tech company. Microsoft Dynamics GP provides automation to e-commerce, supply chain, CRM, and many more.

Xero is known as one of the top automation accounting tools for a business to connect with a bank, accountant, bookkeeper, and many other accounting applications. The implementation of artificial intelligence in accounting helps in multiple functionalities such as paying bills, claiming expenses, connections with banks, accepting payments, tracking projects, bank reconciliation, managing contacts, and many more. The pricing plans are affordable with the utmost safety and security and 24*7 online support.

Zoho Books is a well-known automation tool for accounting to drive the growth of the financial sector efficiently and effectively. This automation tool helps to manage finances, automate business workflows, as well as work collectively with all departments in an organization. It provides end-to-end accounting and automation on the regular mundane workload for employees to focus on other important areas of the business. There are different kinds of features for receivables, payables, inventory, banking, timesheet, contacts, and reports.

ScaleFactor helps to implement artificial intelligence in accounting for eliminating different types of barriers to a financial clarity of a business. It helps to keep accounting accurate, reliable, and secure with certified accounting experts for a piece of financial advice. This automation tool provides hassle-free daily bookkeeping, time-efficient, easy-to-use tools, and many more. It is well-known for offering virtual bookkeeping software to find transactions across multiple accounts and automatically categorize the bulk.

QuickBooks is one of the top automation tools for accounting to provide the best for the accounts department of a business. There is GST accounting software to create and send professional GST invoices, GST reports, and many more other functionalities. An accountant can manage books anytime through multiple devices with artificial intelligence in accounting.

NetSuite is a popular unified business management suite that encompasses ERP or financials and e-Commerce for over 27,000 customers across the world. It offers a modern and scalable solution to run all key back-office operations and financial business processes in the cloud. The NetSuite OneWorld is focused on delivering an integrated platform that manages multiple currencies, taxation rules, and reporting requirements in multi-subsidiary operations.

BlackLine is known for automating complex and repetitive accounting processes and allowing companies to work beyond record-to-report processes. This automation accounting tool has become a leading provider of cloud software to automate and control financial and accounting processes efficiently and effectively. Companies with not-so-sustainable traditional manual accounting processes leverage artificial intelligence in accounting to boost productivity without any potential error. It helps to unify data and processes by driving accountability through visibility.

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You Should Know Top Automation Tools for Accounting in 2021 - Analytics Insight

If youre looking for a way to take your Mac automation to the next level, FastScripts is one of the most powerful ways to do so. The app got a nice update today, bringing it to version 3, with a handful of notable new features and capabilities.

FastScripts is a popular macOS utility from Red Sweater Software that allows you to assign keyboard shortcuts to your scripts. One of the most notable changes with FastScripts 3 is support for parallel script execution. This is described as a fundamental change to the functionality of the application.

This update brings a fundamental change to the script execution infrastructure for the app, which will dramatically improve some workflows. Specifically, scripts are now run independently from the app and in their own application processes. This guarantees a consistent execution environment, and allows for an arbitrary number of scripts to run in parallel without impacting the performance of the app itself, or of other scripts being run.

In tandem with the new support for parallel execution, FastScripts now supports the standard AppleScriptprogress updating mechanism. Scripts that report their progress will have timing and text feedback conveyed to users by way of the FastScripts menu

Another notable update with FastScripts 3 today is Scriptlight Search:

When the Script Menu is opened, the search field is made active by default, so any typing will immediately filter the menu contents to scripts that match your search. If the top result is the script youre looking for, just press return to immediately run the script.

You can learn more about FastScripts and how to take advantage of all of its powerful features on the Red Sweater Software website right here. FastScripts is a free download with premium features disabled.

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FastScripts automation utility for macOS updated with ScriptLight search feature, more - 9to5Mac

400 attendees expected at first event in series of gatherings for automation professionals in Amsterdam on November 24

NEW YORK & AMSTERDAM, November 10, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UiPath, Inc. (NYSE: PATH), a leading enterprise automation software company, today announced the launch of a worldwide series of conferences for automation experts and practitioners with TOGETHER Amsterdam, the largest automation gathering in the Benelux region. Taking place on November 24 at the Amsterdam Theater, the event will bring together 400 automation professionals for a full day of panel discussions featuring UiPath experts, customers, partners, and notable guest speakers showcasing how automation is accelerating human achievement.

During the event, attendees will explore how an automation-first world is making digital transformation a reality for organizations. It will also highlight the achievements of UiPath customers and provide attendees with actionable insights to advance their journey to becoming a fully automated enterprise.

The TOGETHER Amsterdam agenda highlights include:

UiPath keynote addresses by UiPath SVP and EMEA Managing Director, Renzo Taal, who will share his insights on how organizations can best prepare for the future of work, focusing on ways to make todays workforce more skilled and more diverse by ensuring access to technology. UiPath VP of Product Management, Bogdan Ripa, will discuss how the UiPath Platform is enabling the fully automated enterprise while helping connect a fragmented technology landscape and deliver a walk-through of highlights of the UiPath 2021.10 product release.

Addresses and panels featuring UiPath partners Autimatic and Specialisterren who will take to the stage to illustrate their shared commitment to Automation for Good, and how automation enables the creation of professional opportunities for unemployed autistic adults. In addition, UiPath customers including KPN, Signify, Umicore, and ASML will take to the stage to share their inspirational automation journeys.

UiPath experts who will share practical advice and demos to enable attendees to engage with the UiPath Community, discover the innovations featured in the UiPath Immersion Lab, and gain insight into how UiPath is supporting organizations in varying industries.

Partners sponsoring TOGETHER Amsterdam include:

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Diamond sponsors: EY, Cognizant, Ciphix, Pegamento, Software One, and First Consulting

Ruby sponsors: Capgemini, Roborana, Incentro, Newdawn, Tacstone, and MVR & Partners

"TOGETHER Amsterdam is uniquely tailored to give attendees an experience unlike any other and help them become experts in automation strategy and implementation. UiPath, our customers, and our partners are making remarkable advances with applying automation to a huge variety of new use cases. Together, we are solving problems in imaginative ways," said Renzo Taal, SVP and EMEA Managing Director at UiPath. "We believe that an organization that is fit for the future is one where all automatable tasks have been automated and people can strive every day to reach their highest potential. We are excited to kick-start a world tour of automation conferences and bring together the burgeoning automation ecosystem."

For the health, safety, and well-being of all participants, UiPath is requiring all TOGETHER Amsterdam attendees to conform to local health and safety regulations. All attendees will be required to register into CoronaCheck-app by showing either proof of vaccination, a negative test result, or proof that they have recovered from Covid-19.

If you are a member of the press and would like to attend, please contact pr@uipath.com.

Additional locations, as well as future dates and times for upcoming events on the UiPath TOGETHER World Tour will be announced closer to event timing.

About UiPath

UiPath has a vision to deliver the Fully Automated Enterprise, one where companies use automation to unlock their greatest potential. UiPath offers an end-to-end platform for automation, combining the leading Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution with a full suite of capabilities that enable every organization to rapidly scale digital business operations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211110005316/en/

Contacts

MediaGeorgeta GheorgheUiPathgeorgeta.gheorghe@uipath.com

Investor RelationsKelsey TurcotteUiPathinvestor.relations@uipath.com

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UiPath TOGETHER World Tour Launches in The Netherlands with Largest Automation Conference in the Benelux - Yahoo Finance