Daily Archives: August 4, 2022

Covid-19: Why a coming drop in NZ’s vax rates is good news – New Zealand Herald

Posted: August 4, 2022 at 2:45 pm

Stats NZ review today released its review into a Ministry of Health population dataset widely criticised for under-counting vaccination coverage among Mori and Pacific people. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

New Zealand's Covid-19 vaccination coverage rates are about to drop yet that's something being welcomed by experts who've long called for finally-announced data improvements.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed it's changing the way it reports on vaccination rates, following a new Stats NZ review into a population dataset widely criticised for under-counting coverage among Mori and Pacific people.

That dataset was called Health Service Utilisation 2020, or HSU 2020, which captured all people who'd used the health system in 2020 with an age cut-off at June 30 that year.

Because it had been known to undercount Mori in particular a group that used health services less frequently, and sometimes misclassified under other identities experts have questioned whether ministry reporting accurately reflected actual coverage rates among Mori.

That was a major worry - given Mori and Pasifika people were more than twice as likely to be hospitalised with Covid-19 and one singled out in a critical December finding by the Waitangi Tribunal.

In May, the Herald's data team revealed similar issues with the HSU data, finding the ministry's total of "fully vaccinated" people over the age of 12 95.2 per cent to be higher than the figure produced using Stats NZ's December 2021 population estimates, which came to 91.8 per cent.

Today, Public Health Agency's deputy director-general Dr Andrew Old announced the ministry was making several improvements to its dataset which itself was to be replaced next week with an updated set for 2021.

This would add 233,000 people to the pool, resulting in the two-dose coverage of the eligible population aged over 12 falling from 95 to 90 per cent.

Among Mori, coverage rates will drop from 88 per cent to 83 per cent, and for Pacific peoples, from 97 per cent to 89 per cent.

But Old pointed out this didn't mean the total number of vaccinations had dropped.

"Put simply, it's the same number of people vaccinated, but we're now dividing that by a bigger number."

Along with being refreshed every six months, there'd be two other key changes to the ministry's vaccination dataset.

Someone who'd had two doses would now no longer be considered "fully vaccinated", but had received their primary course while the reporting would also reflect peoples' current ages, rather than that at the time of their last vaccination, which would give more information about booster eligibility.

With one exception, Old said the ministry had either implemented the improvements suggested in Stats NZ's review, or was in the process of doing so.

That report, which investigated the methodology behind the ministry's wider HSU dataset, confirmed issues with ethnicity differences in the HSU.

"Careful examination" was needed to see whether the lower representation of Mori was down to systemic issues or "genuine reporting choices" by people using services.

It also flagged issues with age-based counting in the 2020 HSU, although noted these would be addressed in the updated set.

While the review acknowledged HSU came with limitations, it also noted its advantages.

One was a "consistency of reporting" of Mori and other ethnic groups in the numerator compared with the population denominator including in vaccination rates.

"This use is consistent with Stats NZ's advice that customers should validate the consistency of the numerator with the denominator when undertaking calculations by ethnicity."

Mori health researcher Dr Rawiri Taonui said the review and the ministry's new changes didn't address all of his concerns namely with how Mori deaths and hospitalisations were being presented but he was nonetheless happy to see progress.

"It's good to see this update because, at the end of the day, the HSU is two years out of date and it should have been updated annually."

Covid-19 modeller Dr Dion O'Neale similarly welcomed today's announcements particularly that there'd be six-monthly updates.

But he questioned why this hadn't been done earlier and why those 233,000 extra people hadn't been gradually added to the vaccination coverage dataset as they were discovered, rather than all at once.

"There were some easy wins that could have been made along the way that didn't require revising the entire HSU, which would have meant our numbers were up to date at the time."

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Covid NZ: Why long-term Covid restrictions are less effective than advertised – Stuff

Posted: at 2:45 pm

In the middle of a major Covid outbreak, mitigations such as masks stop infections and help save lives. But over a longer period of time, the maths suggest the effects of public health controls may be much less pronounced. KEITH LYNCH explains.

The above may sound troubling.

But everything you're about to read is informed by the key statistic that defines the trajectory of a Covid outbreak, the Reproductive (or R) number. You've likely heard this mentioned over the past two years. It came up frequently at last year's 1pm press conferences when Delta infiltrated Auckland.

A simple rule of thumb defines Covids future: when the R number is above 1, an outbreak is growing. When its below, its fading.

READ MORE:* Covid-19 NZ: The coronavirus pandemic will never really be over (but it is changing)* Covid-19 NZ: What's going on with the current Omicron wave?* Covid-19 NZ: Why the rising tide of cases doesn't tell the whole story

There are several iterations of R. R0, or the basic R number, outlines how many people, on average, an infected person would pass the virus on to in a population with absolutely no immunity.

This number is important because it tells you just how infectious a disease is and therefore how difficult it is to control. The first iteration of Covid was thought to have an R0 of about 3. Delta's was thought to be about 6.

R0 also tells us what proportion of a susceptible population needs to catch the virus before a Covid wave subsides, University of Auckland computational biologist Dr David Welch explains.

This brings us back to population or herd immunity, a term you likely heard in 2020.

As the Mayo Clinic in the US outlines: Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected not just those who are immune.

Permanent herd immunity is not possible with Covid, because our protection against infection wanes over time.

But Covid waves end once enough people are infected and (for a period at least) the virus has nowhere to go.

I'll illustrate how this dynamic works using an example from Welch.

"If R is 2 at the start of an outbreak, meaning each case on average transmits to two others, by the time half of the population has been infected and has recovered, the virus will only transmit to one other.

"That is because it tries to infect two people but finds that, on average, one has already recovered and cannot be reinfected. In this example, the R number is now effectively 1 and infections will start to fall."

In the above example, the R is 2. If it were 6 or 8, a whole lot more people need to be infected before you reach that temporary immunity tipping point. (Well get back to this.)

R doesnt tell us how deadly a virus is. If a virus imparted no symptoms at all it wouldn't matter how infectious it was. But that's clearly not the case with Covid.

Putting a number on Omicron subvariant BA.5s R0 at this stage of the pandemic is close to impossible as its spreading in populations with some immunity. A number of those I spoke to for this piece suggested Omicron's R0 wasn't that far off Deltas.

Four Australian academics recently published a piece where they estimated BA.5s R0 was in the range of 6 to 10. (In recent weeks, a claim that BA.5 had an R0 of 18.6 did the rounds. This isnt true.)

No.

What we can better determine these days is Re. This tells us how many people an infected person passes the virus on to in real-world conditions where spread is constrained through immunity or public health measures that change behaviour (such as masking or gathering limits). So you start with R0 and end up with Re.

This number changes over time.

Unsplash/Stuff

Long-term Covid restrictions are likely to be much less effective than many people think.

Back in March 2020, New Zealand knocked the Re below 1 by shutting the borders and locking down. Therefore, Covid was eliminated.

However, no country, other than China, has been able to knock the Re below 1 for sustained periods and avoided large outbreaks since the emergence of the Omicron variant.

You may be asking: how did New Zealand manage to keep Delta cases well under wraps over Christmas 2021 if it has a comparable R0 to Omicron?

The answer boils down to immunity. Omicron and its offspring may well be more transmissible than Delta, but its key advantage is its ability to sidestep our immune response.

The reason New Zealand enjoyed a relatively normal Christmas in 2021, even though Delta was in the community, was primarily down to mass vaccination reducing the spread of the virus.

Omicron spread like wildfire a month or so later (despite tighter restrictions) because it could evade that vaccine-induced immunity.

Imagine on one side there's the virus (defined by its R0) and on the other there's our efforts to fight back.

Ideally, countries want to stop a virus like Covid in its tracks, which means pushing the R number below 1 via public health measures. Just like we did in 2020, using lockdowns and closed borders.

We did the same around Christmas 2021 without lockdowns, with vaccination subbing in likely keeping R well below 1.

The game changed entirely with the emergence of Omicron and its ability to evade the protection against infection (but thankfully not serious illness) brought on by what was previously our best player vaccination.

This has led to an unpleasant Covid paradox. We are currently relying on infections to stop infections.

As Professor Michael Fuhrer of the School of Physics at Monash University in Australia puts it: An infection wave isn't like an ocean wave (once you dodge it, it is past) the infection wave ends because of infections.

This is the reality of 2022 we had hoped vaccine-induced immunity would take the place of millions of infections to keep Re close to 1.

As I mentioned, Omicron's high R0 means A LOT of people need to be infected before an outbreak settles down, and the Re falls below 1.

This dynamic has prompted a number of experts to point out that, over longer periods of time, public health measures now have a limited impact on Covid spread.

But at the same time others (internationally and in New Zealand) continue to call for a high suppression strategy to fend off Covid-19.

The argument goes: if we wear masks, isolate when were sick and breathe cleaner air, the horrors of this pandemic can be somewhat squashed.

Yet, as Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Adam Kucharski points out, it'd be good for the public to know what these appeals actually mean.

Kucharskis opinion is that many proposals for suppression (where Omicrons R number is pushed below 1 and Covid dies out) are actually just mitigation (where the R number decreases but remains above 1).

I know this appears awfully academic. It's not. If the R number cant be pushed down below 1, Covid will continue to spread until a proportion of the population is infected.

I didnt say that.

While we seemingly can't push the R number below 1 in the midst of an Omicron onslaught without infections, we can blunt it somewhat.

And again ... the higher the R0 or the more infectious a virus, the more people who need to catch it before you reach a level where enough are immune, and the virus has nowhere to go.

Ideally you want to infect as few people as possible to reach that point, particularly in a wave like this winter where hospitals are under severe stress.

One way is to gradually infect people, doing the best job of flattening that curve as you can, up until you reach that threshold, Dr Stephen Kissler, an infectious disease expert from Harvard University, tells me.

And the complete opposite strategy is to let it rip where you have a big surge, and eventually youll reach that (temporary) herd immunity threshold, but youll actually surpass it.

If a wave peaks at a lower point, fewer people are infected as it retreats.

In both of these scenarios, the population achieves the immunity threshold, but the former means far fewer people are infected, which, of course, results in fewer hospitalisations and deaths.

Flattening the curve essentially means restraining the Re as close to 1 as possible.

This can be done by bringing about immunity through vaccination or other via public health measures. Masks certainly have a role to play in any Covid duel.

How effective are masks then? Covid modeller Professor Michael Plank, of the University of Canterbury, pointed to a study from May looking at data from six continents that found (realistic and good) mask wearing could lead to a 19% drop in R.

Key takeaway: when were in the midst of a major wave, public health measures including masking can reduce sickness and save lives.

Over a longer period of time, the maths tell us the effects of public health controls are likely much less pronounced.

If countries cannot push the R number below 1 for a long period of time that is, they can only mitigate, not suppress, Covid then infections are essentially being delayed, not avoided.

Those New Zealanders who have evaded Covid so far aren't home and hosed. They are depending on their behaviour, of course more likely to catch it in the next wave.

Now, you might be screaming at me, saying, Keith! The R number only reached about 1.3 during the recent BA.5 wave. Surely we can knock off a measly 0.4.

But youre forgetting something. The only reason the R number hasnt been higher in recent weeks was because of all our immunity.

Ill explain this dynamic.

Imagine New Zealand achieved the impossible and managed to eliminate Covid again and keep it out for several years.

The problem would then be that in 2026 wed essentially be starting afresh with Covid. When Covid came back, the R number would once again be about 5 or so not 1.3 because our collective protection against infection would have vanished.

Of course, in real life we wont lose all our immunity in one clean homogenous block; itll wane unevenly over time.

Yet the quandary remains the same: we are now essentially reliant on immunity at this point mostly brought on by infections to get Omicrons R number down.

Numbers from Plank help illustrate the dilemma.

Lets say the current iteration of Omicron has an R0 number of 5. Across a population this means 80% will need to be infected to get the Re back to 1, Plank says. (And if immunity only lasts about a year, 80% will need to get infected each year.)

Now imagine New Zealand masks up very well and manages to bump the R number down to 4 (a 20% drop). An R number of 4 still means 75% of the population need to be infected every year to push the Re back down to 1.

Plank uses the following (admittedly imperfect) analogy.

It's a bit like being strapped to a pole with a bungee rope. Walking forward gets you further away from the pole but not as much as you'd like because some of your energy gets taken up in stretching the rope.

If Omicron's R0 is actually 8, then 87.5% need to be immune to bring Re to 1. Then a 20% reduction from mask wearing takes the R to 6.4, meaning 84.4% of people need to be infected. Therefore, a 20% reduction via masking has even less of an impact.

This, as Plank outlines, is where the maths of endemic infectious disease is quite cruel in the face of attempts to reduce the average prevalence of a highly infectious pathogen: some of the benefit of the intervention gets sucked up in compensating for the reduced level of immunity.

British Covid modeller James Ward put it like this: Actions taken to reduce transmission (ie lower R0) may have surprisingly weak effects on total infection rates. This is because they reduce infections, but also mean that more people are then susceptible, which pushes infection levels back up.

The net effect is still a reduction in total infections, but a much smaller one than youd expect.

Lets take a break for a moment here. I want to make a few things clear: masks and mitigations still have an impact.

Wearing a mask, particularly a good one, will reduce the chances of you catching Covid over a particular period of time.

As public health expert Professor Michael Baker pointed out in a recent interview with Stuff: If people isolated perfectly and wore masks perfectly, the pandemic would stop. If everyone did them well, the pandemic would stop or would trickle along at a very low rate.

At the same time we need to acknowledge people dont behave perfectly.

Baker also makes the following very valid point: While masks are imperfect, we have to use all the tools because we have limited options.

When taking a birds eye view of Covid battle strategy, we cant lose sight of the realities for New Zealanders who could get seriously sick or die. But at the same time, at a population level New Zealand should be aware of what the maths tell us about the future.

It would, of course, be much better to knock the R number below 1 via masking, working from home, better sick leave, ventilation and vaccination. And some will make the argument we can do that.

Baker also makes the argument that mitigations bring other benefits for example, suppressing the flu, which is significantly less transmissible than Omicron yet still kills a lot of people.

It may be that the cost-benefit equation of masking or ventilation still makes sense particularly in specific high-risk places like rest homes.

It may be that the reduction from 80% of people getting infected to 75% getting infected as in Planks model above is worth the cost.

It may also be the case that delaying some Covid infections, even if its only over a relatively short period, is beneficial particularly if new vaccines or treatments are imminent, Welch says.

And we know masks and other mitigations can certainly flatten larger peaks, protecting the health system.

But its becoming increasingly challenging to make the case that such measures will have a transformational impact on Covid that theyll push the R number below 1 in the long-term given what Covid now is and what weve seen around the world.

So while masking may not be very onerous in a population, public health professionals and politicians will need to ask is it worth spending huge sums on, say, ventilation if it turns out it will only reduce spread by, say, 20%. Maybe it should be spent somewhere else?

Fuhrer put it this way in a recent social media post: Suggesting there's some simple magic bullet with negligible impact to normal life, and all we need to do is care enough to do it, is highly misleading.

The reality is pushing Re below 1 is a bit of a red herring, Plank says. Right now, yes, its below 1 but again only because of immunity.

The key issue is that the longer Re stays below 1, the harder it gets to keep it there because there is less and less immunity in the population. The bungee starts pulling you more and more strongly back towards the pole.

So where does that leave us?

With a necessity for immunity. And right now thats being brought on by infection. Itd be much better if it was brought on by improved and regular vaccination.

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Harley Boulton, one of New Zealand’s early heart patients farewelled – Stuff

Posted: at 2:45 pm

MARK TAYLOR/Stuff

Gloria Boulton talks about her husband Harley

Harley Boulton exceeded everyones life expectancy expectations after being one of New Zealands early heart operation patients.

The 79-year-old died in Hamilton on July 10, after 55 years of marriage to Gloria.

Harley was one of the first Kiwis to have heart surgery in 1964, when he was operated on by the late Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes at Greenlane Hospital.

Harley had undiagnosed rheumatic fever which resulted in the pericardium around the heart setting like concrete when he was 20-years-old.

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Hed previously led a normal life which saw him pig hunting and swimming at Taumarunuis Olympic pool.

He spent nine months in hospital waiting for the operation, with Harley describing himself as one who could no longer move like a young man, but like someone who was 100-years-old.

Having been given a 50-50 of success, Harley went under Barratt-Boyes knife, he was on the table for 7 and a half hours to have the calcium build-up removed from around his heart.

The operation cut across the chest rather than down the chest as it is done these days.

It wasnt until Harley was in his late 60s, having since moved to Hamilton, that he found out the extent of the operation and the unexpected run of life none of the medics thought hed be able to achieve.

And his heart was being held in the correct position by strings of sinew.

supplied

Harley Boulton worked on all types of diesel vehicles over the years

Gloria, who he met at the start of 1967, said the pair were married by the end of year and she soon had to look after him.

If he did anything juddery he would be sick in bed, so I wouldnt let him mow the grass, cut the hedge or dig the gardens, I took over all that too.

I liked it when he cooked meals, he would cook beautiful meals, and run me a bath after I had finished working outside.

Harley worked on diesel vehicles as an engineer, which took the family to the Cook Islands for three and half years, as well as Papua New Guinea and a stint in Fiji.

He was sent over to the Cook Islands to design and build a garage for all land vehicles attached to the new airport. Which included two fire engines and a rescue boat.

He had to fix anything that had a diesel engine, Gloria said.

He started getting sick at 40 year-old, and he was in and out of hospital. Eventually it was found the sinews holding his heart in position were breaking, meaning the heart was slipping out of position.

Harley never grew tired of fixing things. Gloria said he had a Morris 1948 car which he gradually put together in Hamilton.

It was called a cruiser, air conditioned - the top went back, and he had a winder and the windscreen went out. Its now in a museum in Auckland - because old cars like that you need to keep maintaining them.

The couple have five children: Timothy, Shane, Phillip, Keren and Terepai, along with 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

We had his 79th Birthday on the July 6 and the kids did a really lovely job, sat us like King and Queen, and they started discussing their memories of Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands where we had lived together.

Boulton was farewelled in Hamilton on July 27.

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8 Automation Strategies to Optimize End-to-End Business Processes – Robotics and Automation News

Posted: at 2:43 pm

Are you looking for ways to optimize your end-to-end business processes? If so, youre in luck! This blog post will discuss seven automation strategies that can help streamline your operations. By automating these processes, youll be able to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Business automation is the technology-enabled automation of complex business processes. It can streamline a companys operations and reduce the need for manual labor, thereby improving efficiency and lowering costs.

It can automate various tasks, including data entry, product order fulfillment, invoicing, and customer service. In recent years, business automation software has become increasingly prevalent as companies strive to improve their bottom line.

While business automation processes can provide many benefits, it is essential to note that it is not a silver bullet; certain risks are associated with its implementation.

For instance, if not properly managed, it can lead to disruptions in business operations and cause employee dissatisfaction. Nonetheless, when used correctly, it can be a powerful tool for organizational efficiency.

Many different types of business automation tools are available on the market today. Here are ten of the most popular:

1) Audio to Text Automation Tools

Audio-to-text automation tools have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they offer a convenient way to transcribe speech into written text. These tools use powerful speech recognition algorithms to convert spoken words into text and are constantly improving in accuracy.

Additionally, they can be used to transcribe meetings, lectures, and other audio recordings. While audio-to-text automation tools can be beneficial, they are not perfect. Some common errors include mis-recognizing words, incorrectly punctuating dialogue, and mis-transcribing numbers and symbols.

For these reasons, it is vital to proofread any transcript generated by an automated tool. However, audio-to-text automation tools can save a lot of time and effort, and they are essential for anyone who needs to transcribe speech into written text.

Many audio-to-text automation tools are available on the market today. One of the most popular options is happyscribe. You can convert audio to text with Happy Scribe six times faster than in real-time, offering high accuracy.

Happyscribe offers many features that make it an appealing option for those looking to automate their audio transcription process. For example, it provides several language options, making it a versatile tool for those whose audio files are in different languages.

2) Task Management Software

This software helps you manage and automate tasks by providing a central place to track all your to-dos. Task management software is essential for anyone who needs help staying organized and keeping track of their to-dos. Individuals or teams can use it, and it offers many features that make it a versatile tool for task management.

Trello is one of the most popular options for task management software. It is a flexible tool that can be used for various purposes, including project management, event planning, and personal organization.

Trello offers many features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a task management tool, such as creating custom boards, adding labels and due dates to tasks, and attaching files to tasks.

Asana is another popular option for task management software. It offers similar features to Trello, including creating custom boards, adding labels and due dates to tasks, and attaching files to tasks.

Asana also offers several features that make it unique, such as the ability to create subtasks, set dependencies between tasks, and track the progress of projects.

3) Lead Generation Software

This software automatically helps you generate leads by scanning the internet for potential customers and contacting them with personalized messages. Popular lead generation software includes HubSpot and Pardot.

HubSpot offers a number of features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a lead generation tool. For example, it provides the ability to create custom contact lists, send personalized emails, and track the performance of your campaigns.

Pardot is another popular option for lead generation software. It offers similar features to HubSpot, such as the ability to create custom contact lists, send personalized emails, and track the performance of your campaigns.

However, Pardot also offers a number of unique features, such as the ability to segment your leads by interests and behavior and create dynamic content that changes based on what you know about your leads.

4) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

This software helps you manage customer relationships by providing a central place to track all customer data. Salesforce is a popular CRM software with several features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a CRM tool.

For example, it offers the ability to track customer data, create custom reports, and manage customer relationships.

Zoho CRM is another popular CRM software that offers similar features to Salesforce. However, Zoho CRM also offers unique features, such as creating custom fields, workflows, and dashboards.

5) Marketing Automation Software

This software helps you automate your marketing tasks by providing you with a central place to track your marketing campaigns. Marketo is a popular marketing automation software with several features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a marketing automation tool.

For example, it offers the ability to create custom campaigns, track the performance of your campaigns, and automate email marketing.

HubSpot Marketing is another popular marketing automation software that offers similar features to Marketo. However, HubSpot Marketing also provides the ability to create landing pages, A/B test your campaigns, and use artificial intelligence to optimize your campaigns.

6) Social Media Management Software

This software helps you manage your social media accounts by providing a central place to track your social media activity. Hootsuite is a popular social media management software with several features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a social media management tool.

For example, it offers the ability to track your social media activity, schedule posts, and measure the performance of your campaigns.

Sprout Social is another popular social media management software that offers similar features to Hootsuite. However, Sprout Social also provides features, such as creating custom reports and using artificial intelligence to help you manage your social media accounts.

7) Content Management Software

This type of software helps you manage your website content by providing you with a central place to track all of your content. WordPress is a popular content management software with several features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a content management tool.

For example, it offers the ability to create custom posts, track the performance of your website, and manage your website content.

Drupal is another popular content management software that offers similar features to WordPress. However, Drupal also offers unique features, such as creating custom modules and using artificial intelligence to help you manage your website content.

Content Management Software helps you keep track of all your digital assets in one place while still providing flexibility with editing tools and multiple user permissions. Approval workflows ensure smooth collaboration between team members during revision history.

7) Data Management Software

This type of software helps you manage your companys data by providing you with a central place to track all of your data. Popular data management software includes MongoDB and Cassandra.

MongoDB is a popular data management software that offers a number of features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a data management tool. For example, it offers the ability to create custom databases, track the performance of your data, and manage your companys data.

Cassandra is another popular data management software that offers similar features to MongoDB. However, Cassandra also offers a number of unique features, such as the ability to create custom columns and use artificial intelligence to help you manage your companys data.

8) Financial Management Software

This type of software helps you manage your companys finances by providing you with a central place to track your financial data. Popular financial management software includes QuickBooks and Xero.

QuickBooks is a popular financial management software with several features that make it an appealing option for those looking for a financial management tool. For example, it offers the ability to create custom reports, track the performance of your companys finances, and manage your companys finances.

Xero is another popular financial management software that offers similar features to QuickBooks. However, Xero also offers many unique features, such as creating custom invoices and using artificial intelligence to help you manage your companys finances.

As you can see, many different types of business automation tools are available on the market today. Each tool has its unique set of features and benefits that can help your business become more efficient and productive.

In conclusion, there are many ways to automate your business processes to optimize efficiency. Using the tools weve outlined in this blog post, you can streamline your operations and improve your bottom line.

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How automation is transforming security and compliance – VentureBeat

Posted: at 2:43 pm

Presented by Vanta

Security is more than a threat mitigator its a growth enabler too. Catch up with this VB On-Demand event to learn how an automated security and compliance improves your security posture, helps meet SOC 2, HIPAA, or ISO 27001 regulations, gets you compliant fast, and more.

Watch free on demand here.

Cyber criminals are getting smarter, their attacks are continuously evolving, and their successes are leaving marks. Assaults are scaled effortlessly, from the one-to-one text phishing attempts on employees who post about new jobs on LinkedIn, to the unprecedented campaign against the Costa Rican government that brought much of their infrastructure to a standstill, resulting in losses of $125 million over 48 hours.

Whats notable is the sophistication, says Kaitlin Pettersen, VP of customer experience at Vanta. The seeming legitimacy is improving. Theyre getting smarter. Theyre getting more strategic, and the financial and reputational cost of these data breaches is high.

Customer trust is easily lost, but not easily won back and that directly impacts your bottom line. Globally, fines for GDPR violations are huge, but smaller companies are also facing financial consequences for violations. The CCPA in California opens the door to lawsuits from customers whose data was involved in a breach. The cost per incident may not be huge, but multiplied across all of a companys customers, it adds up rapidly. Combined with the reputational hit, its a blow to your trajectory as a company.

On top of risk protection, compliance and security is also great for business, in that it helps attract and retain customers, she adds. For instance, SOC 2 certification is the most sought-after security framework for growing SaaS companies, demonstrating an organizations ability to effectively safeguard the privacy and security of customer and client data.

It can seem daunting, especially for smaller companies without specialized roles dedicated to security issues, but automation and technology are now available to lift the burden, and make it much easier than it used to be to prevent attacks and fines.

It takes a combo of security or the ongoing practices and policies that you put in place to care for your customers data and protect the integrity of your business and compliance. That, and the associated standards, is what demonstrates your great security posture, especially as more standards emerge.

The old adage is perhaps overused, but the best defense really is a good offense, Pettersen says. Standing up and maintaining good security practices and staying compliant will mitigate risks and keep businesses protected from attacks and hefty fines. But thats a lot easier said than done.

As threats continue to grow, an increasing number of businesses, and certainly larger enterprises, view compliance and security as table stakes for doing business with any partner or vendor.

Building good security posture and being able to demonstrate that will enable businesses to thrive, and really empower them from an economic perspective in good times and bad, because its helping to build trust quickly and easily in prospects and customers, says Petersen. And leveraging automation to get there faster and more effectively will help small, medium and large businesses win more and larger deals.

A security and compliance platform like Vanta decreases the burden of security and compliance by pairing an automated compliance platform with a guided audit experience, from onboarding to final reports. It integrates with the commonly used cloud services, identity providers, task trackers and more to automate the complex and tedious work of gathering evidence for security audits, and runs hourly checks on a system to ensure compliance stays in place.

Centralized organizational security helps companies properly onboard and offboard employees, remediate issues from failed tests, and manage policies and documents in one place. It offers visibility into employee-related tasks like background checks and security training. With two-way task tracker integrations, it can discover, assign and resolve issues as they happen. Continuous monitoring catches activity out of line with security policies anywhere in the organization. And a dashboard offers updates in real time, identifying where a companys security posture and compliance stands.

Your security and compliance partners and vendors should be providing you with helpful content and resources, Pettersen says. Its the responsibility of companies like Vanta to provide you with a product that enables you to do this better and more successfully, but to also help you understand what a good security posture is, what it means to mitigate risk, and why compliance is so crucial to successful businesses.

To learn more about what compliance standards your business requires, how to mitigate security risks while ensuring continuous compliance, how automation is changing the game and more, dont miss this VB On-Demand event.

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What are the Benefits of Semi-Automation in Materials Testing? – AZoM

Posted: at 2:43 pm

Companies eagerly anticipate the introduction of automation to make specific developments in their business, such as reducing costs and creating a more efficient and safer work environment.

Automation can be applied to a number of different processes, from the test labs to the production line. Fully automated materials testing systems are available for testing hundreds of specimens without the need for an operator and can be run overnight.

These systems, however, are not always the best solution for all test labs. Many labs lack the testing volume to make a sound return on investment of a fully automated system. Or, rather than testing material coupons typically associated with an automated system, they may be conducting component testing. For these customers, a semi-automated testing system may be a better option for both their application and budget.

Introducing asemi-automated XY stageto a testing system offers numerous benefits to the lab:

AT2 Automated XY Stage Throughput & EfficiencyPlay

Video Credit:Instron - Europe

Throughput is one of the key metrics in a test lab. The data the lab generates is critical to the overall success of the company; the results may be implemented in product development projects or to verify product quality as it exits the production line. Delays in testing may have detrimental effects on important company targets, such as time-to-market for a new product or distribution deadlines.

The time it takes to run an actual test is fixed, whether the system is automated or manual. Test time is often controlled by international standards such as ISO, ASTM, and EN standards, or by internal company test procedures.

The part of the process that can cause a significant increase in the overall test time are the steps that occur between test-to-test.

First, the tested specimen must be removed, and it should be checked that no remnants are left behind. Then the operator must set up the next specimen carefully, making sure it is correctly positioned and aligned. This process will take time, which can varydepending on how complex the test is as well as the users experience.

These are the areas the time between tests - where a semi-automated system can make a significant contribution to lab throughput.

One example of how an XY stage can improve throughput is to assess the data from benchmark testing performed on springs used in a surgical tool. Fifty specimens were manually run, which took nearly 16 minutes.

The operator-led tests were run one immediately after another, with no breaks or diversions. Typically, an operator who is running tests manually has regular interruptions, such as breaks, meetings, or conversations with colleagues, where testing is put on hold.

Image Credit:Instron - Europe

Using the semi-automated XY system, those same fifty tests only took around 8.5 minutes. The XY system made it possible to test 46% more specimens in the same amount of time. This extra time could benefit several areas of the entire process such as time-to-market, hitting engineering project milestones, or releasing a product for distribution.

Image Credit:Instron - Europe

Customers using an XY system can optimize throughput even further by having several test fixtures available.

While one batch of specimens is being tested, the operator is able to prepare the next batch by placing all the specimens to be tested into the fixture. This reduces downtime between tests significantly, as the operator can set up a new sample on the XY system quickly and then immediately press start.

Backlogs can also be worked through more efficiently, providing faster turnaround on data that is required for R&D projects and on production lines.

While the XY stage enhances lab throughput, it also improves efficiency by giving the operator more time to perform other tasks. The use of automation means the operator is free to walk away from the system and conduct other value-added tasks, such as completion of test reports, data analysis, or measuring and preparing the next batch of specimens for testing.

The benchmark data from the spring tests demonstrates that in addition to boosting the lab throughput by 46% during an 8-hour shift, the operator will theoretically have an additional 3.5 hours of time that would otherwise be consumed when manually running tests. These 3.5 hours is time that can be used much more efficiently.

There are a number of factors that have an impact on repeatability. Specimen placement is crucial: if the specimen is not properly aligned or is at an angle compared with the loading line, this will cause variations in the results.

While there are tools available to aid specimen alignment, operator experience is still crucial in this area, and time and care still must be taken to prepare a specimen. The XY stage has the capacity to position test components or specimens with enhanced repeatability.

Image Credit:Instron - Europe

When specimens are inserted and manually aligned, the operators influence on the test results can be particularly noticeable when multiple operators with different levels of experience are running tests on several systems or even across multiple labs. This is compounded when testing numerous points on small components.

The integrated chips displayed in the image above are extremely small. Ensuring that these parts are properly tested in the center and at the same 4 points around the edge can be a challenge when manually preparing the specimens.

An XY system with a well-designed fixture can circumvent such challenges relative to specimen placement and consistency of test locations. An XY stage supplies repeatable test locations from sample to sample, ensuring that the generated data is comparable.

According to OSHA evaluations, companies in the U.S. pay around $1 billion in direct worker compensation each week, which does not include additional costs related to disturbances in the lab.

If an operator is away on medical leave, the labs throughput will likely be reduced due to less staff. If the injured operator knows how to run a specific system or test, that loss of expertise will impact the labs capacity to meet its customers requirements. Also, lab accidents can have a negative impact on user confidence when operating the equipment.

Reducing the need for operator interaction when using an XY system improves safety, as the operators hands rarely need to enter the test space. It also provides improved ergonomics as it eliminates the repetitive motion that is required when manually loading specimens.

Using the XY system means some of the testing challenges around specimen alignment and test points can be removed;thus, operators with less experience can be trained more effectively, making the system easier to use. Moreover, these operators will be more confident when it comes to running the system, reducing overall disruption in the lab.

Semi-automated systems, such as the XY stage, can offer labs where a fully automated system is not the best solution a series of benefits throughput, efficiency, repeatability, and safety.

The XY stage enables testing labs to introduce automation on a smaller scale that is well-suited for several different applications, including medical devices, such as vials and syringes, and electronic devices and components.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Instron - Europe.

For more information on this source, please visit Instron - Europe.

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Combating The Labor Shortage With Automation – e3zine.com

Posted: at 2:43 pm

Companies that put off urgently needed young talent by using manual processes and outdated software particularly in accounting are shooting themselves in the foot.

The gender pay gap is not the only chasm that exists in most countries. The divide between baby boomers and Generations X, Y, and Z could seriously threaten the financial performance of companies if they do not take action now. On each side of this divide we find some very different attitudes and expectations when it comes to work culture, work-life balance, digitalization, and career paths.

On one side, there is the 17-year-old digital native who seems to spend eight hours a day on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram and who wants to start a career, ideally in the commercial department and preferably in your company. However, if your company still does things the old way, with manila envelopes, stamps, and paper trays, it is unlikely to be a match made in heaven. Admittedly, few companies are quite so analog these days, and SAP or other ERP systems have become the norm. But if your IT department thinks that Fiori is a kind of ice cream rather than an innovative system for designing intuitive user interfaces, your new hire is unlikely to feel at home.

ERP user interfaces that are ten years older than the new recruits who use them will fail to impress. Such new recruits will become even more critical in the coming years, when the entire baby-boomer generation is set to retire. In Germany, for example, in 1965, 1,325,386 babies were born, around twice as many as in 2005, when there were only 686,000 births. Most Western countries have a similar age structure.

As a result, demand for qualified young personnel now massively exceeds supply, leading to dramatic transformations in the job market an imbalance that will only grow over the next few years. Career starters will be picky about where they work, especially if they are well educated. And they will not want to join companies where work processes are monotonous, manual, and old-fashioned.

To find qualified staff to fill administrative roles, companies will need to have more to offer than the clichd foosball tables, baskets of fruit in the morning, and latte macchiatos made of hand-roasted kopi luwak beans from a fully automatic coffee machine. These perks are all well and good, but they are not enough. What really matters is the daily work culture, and this is reflected in the tools staff are expected to work with.

It is worth taking a closer look: How are processes designed, how user-friendly are the tools? Would a digital native want to work with them? It is important to try to see things from this perspective, rather than sticking with the way things have always been done. Companies with a high degree of automation enable their staff to focus on more meaningful activities. At the same time, automation can at least somewhat compensate for staff shortages. Furthermore, intuitive, user-friendly software and simplified processes will be loved by new hires and long-standing employees alike.

However, digitalization projects should not be imposed top-down by the IT department. This is an approach that has caused many IT projects to fail. Instead, future users at all levels should be involved from an early stage as part of a strong feedback culture. Only employees who feel appreciated and know that their own needs and ideas will be incorporated into the future working environment will be motivated. And this applies to everyone, whether they are boomers or members of Generation X, Y, or Z.

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CommerceIQ Launches New Revenue Recovery Automation to Reclaim Shortages and Chargeback Deductions and Improve Profitability – Business Wire

Posted: at 2:43 pm

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CommerceIQ, the leading Retail Ecommerce Management Platform, today announced the launch of its new Revenue Recovery Automation offering, part of its single platform that combines intelligent automation and shopper insights to drive omnichannel profitability. With CommerceIQ Revenue Recovery Automation, brands can recover at least one percentage point of profit in their Amazon business within four months by automating recovery of shortages and chargeback deductions.

Building a profitable ecommerce business on Amazon can be especially difficult in todays environment, and companies can not afford to leave any money on the table, said Guru Hariharan, CEO of CommerceIQ. We are excited for our customers to discover the benefits of CommerceIQs new Revenue Recovery Automation software, which can help them combat shortages and chargebacks to reclaim significant profits for their ecommerce businesses.

In an analysis of CommerceIQ data, companies could be losing one to five percent of their total shipped cost of goods sold (COGS) annually on Amazon because of two main issues errors in shortages and chargebacks. This can lead to a potential loss of millions at a time when competition, inflation, and supply chain issues are further straining profitability.

CommerceIQ Revenue Recovery Automation software uses machine learning to help uncover the root cause and permanently stop sources of revenue and profit leakage. It automatically disputes erroneous shortage and chargeback claims, driving profit growth. The platforms shortage control dashboard and chargeback portal establish a single source of truth, allowing customers to visualize their data, analyze and identify issues, and automatically take action. Key platform benefits include:

Early customer adoptions of CommerceIQ Revenue Recovery Automation have seen positive results. One customer, a Fortune 500 food company, integrated its Amazon business with CommerceIQ, leading to $1.9M revenue reclaimed in 90 days by automatically filing triple the disputes, leading to 1% reclaimed COGS. The company's resolution rate more than doubled from over this period, reducing costs and enabling teams to focus on more valuable work.

CommerceIQ is confident its Revenue Recovery Automation software can improve Amazon profit margins by at least 1 full point within four months, and is offering a limited-time money-back guarantee. Visit here to learn more about this exclusive offer.

To find out more about how your business can benefit from CommerceIQ Revenue Recovery Automation, check out the ebook Boosting Profit by Recovering Revenue at Amazon.

About CommerceIQ

CommerceIQ is a leading Retail Ecommerce Management Platform, unlocking profitable market share growth for consumer brands through intelligent automation. Its unified platform applies machine learning and automation across marketing, supply chain, and sales operations to help brands boost share-of-voice (SOV), minimize out-of-stock (OOS), and prevent revenue leakage. With worldwide retail ecommerce growth expected to reach $7.4 trillion in 2025, mastering operational scale and unit economics through retail ecommerce channels is essential. Nestle, Colgate, Whirlpool, and more than 2,200 consumer goods leaders use CommerceIQ as the single source of truth for their retail ecommerce. CommerceIQ has raised $200 million from venture investors including Softbank, Insight Partners, and Madrona Venture Group. For more information, visit https://www.commerceiq.ai/

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15 benefits to using Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting – Robotics and Automation News

Posted: at 2:43 pm

Die casting is a process that has been used for many years to create products from metal using die casting mould. It is often used when there is a need for mass production of parts, as it can be done quickly and relatively cheaply.

In recent years, however, die casting has begun to be replaced by a new process called Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting.

Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting is a process that uses robots to do the die casting instead of humans. This has many benefits over traditional die casting, including:

One of the main benefits of using Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting is the increased accuracy it offers. Because the process is done by robots, there is much less chance for human error, which means that parts produced using this method are less likely to be defective. This makes Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting a more reliable option for mass production of parts.

The use of robots means that the Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting process can be completed much faster than die casting done by humans. This can lead to shorter production times and lower costs.

The use of robots gives greater flexibility to the Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting process. This means that parts can be produced in various shapes and sizes, with different finishes.

This flexibility allows manufacturers to produce die casting parts that meet the specific needs of their customers. It also allows them to experiment with new designs and finishes, which can help them stay competitive in the market.

The flexibility offered by Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting is one of the main reasons why it is becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers. It allows them to produce high-quality parts quickly and efficiently, which helps them stay competitive in todays marketplace.

The use of robots reduces the risks associated with die casting, as there is no need for humans to be present during the process. This can lead to a safer working environment.

The use of robots can lead to reduced costs, as the cost of labor is eliminated. Additionally, the use of robots can help to reduce scrap rates and improve overall efficiency.

These factors can lead to significant savings for manufacturers, which can help them stay competitive in the market. In addition, the use of robots can help to improve the quality and speed of production, making it a more viable option for mass production of parts.

The use of robots can lead to increased productivity, as parts can be produced faster and with greater accuracy. This can free up time for other tasks to be completed, leading to a more efficient production process.

The use of robots leads to greater consistency in the Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting process. This means that parts will be of a higher quality and less likely to vary from one another.

The use of robots can lead to reduced energy consumption, as they are more efficient than humans at die casting. This can help to lower production costs and improve the overall sustainability of the process.

The use of robots can help to enhance the sustainability of the Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting process. As they are more efficient than humans, they can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts associated with die casting.

The use of robots can help to improve working conditions in die casting facilities. As there is no need for humans to be present during the process, there is less noise and dust, and the working environment is generally cleaner and safer.

The use of robots can help to improve the ergonomics of the die casting process. As humans are not required to be present during the process, there is no need for them to stoop, lift, or reach awkwardly. This can help to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

One of the benefits of Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting is the increased accuracy it offers for thin-walled parts. Because the process is done by robots, there is much less chance for human error, which means that parts produced using this method are less likely to be defective. This makes Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting a more reliable option for mass production of thin-walled parts.

The use of robots leads to greater dimensional accuracy in the Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting process. This means that parts will be of a higher quality and less likely to vary from one another.

The use of robots can help to enhance the surface finish of die cast parts. As they are more efficient than humans, they can help to produce parts with a smoother finish.

The use of robots can lead to increased productivity per hour in the Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting process. This means that more parts can be produced in a shorter period of time, leading to a more efficient production process.

The benefits of Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting are clear. By using robots instead of humans to do the die casting, many advantages can be enjoyed, including increased accuracy, speed, flexibility, safety, reduced costs, increased productivity, greater consistency, reduced energy consumption and enhanced sustainability.

These benefits make Automation in High-Pressure Die Casting a more efficient and sustainable way to produce parts from metal.

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BackBox Automation Platform enhances network security and performance for MSPs and MSSPs – Help Net Security

Posted: at 2:43 pm

BackBox released BackBox Automation Platform. This latest version adds cloud-based SaaS features to a platform with a largely on-premises footprint, and includes new capabilities that improve user experience, accelerate time-to-value, and deliver insights into usage and automation performance.

BackBoxs product release delivers scalability and onboarding for both managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs), as well as enterprise customers. The release expands capabilities for network inventory and adds cloud-based telemetry reporting based on system performance and inventory data into an easy-to-use executive dashboard.

Organizations around the globe rely on BackBoxs network automation solutions, including some of the largest MSPs and MSSPs in the world, said Andrew Kahl, CEO of BackBox.

We are aiming to change the way network automation tools are used to enhance network security, performance, and compliance. While many of our enterprise customers require an on-premises solution for network automation, especially when managing secure, closed, and OT networks, many other customers require a distributed approach to best manage their multi-cloud environments. This has been especially evident as weve worked to partner with our MSP, MSSP, and cloud-first customers. With this product release, we can better support our on-premises customers and offer new capabilities for customers managing hybrid environments., said Kahl.

The hybrid SaaS model of the BackBox platform allows for new features like the executive dashboard. Analytics on inventory and automation performance help customers quantify the business impact of network automation and inform their automation strategies. The dashboard will help both customers and MSP/MSSP partners better validate and justify their work while identifying common and recurring issues, and strategies for overcoming them.

This latest release and the upcoming releases we have scheduled for later this year are focused around improving capabilities of the product for MSPs and enterprise customers with a need to automate network security posture improvements, said Craig McDonald, Head of Product at BackBox.

We are also continuing to enhance our product capabilities around network inventory and cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM), as these have been key areas of interest amongst our customers. This latest release both advances our capabilities in these areas and positions us for rapid expansion of these capabilities throughout the remainder of the year and beyond., McDonald continued.

One new capability we are particularly proud of is a greenfield provisioning tool for MSPs. Weve worked with some of our largest MSP/MSSP customers to develop a new tool to accelerate their deployment and onboarding of client firewalls and other network infrastructure gear. This latest release of our automation platform includes several key capabilities required to connect the platform to the provisioning tool in the ways our customers want to use them. said McDonald.

With each new release BackBox adds support for new network devices. The platform currently supports different physical and virtual device types from over 180 different vendors including Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, f5, Juniper Networks, and Check Point.

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