Category Archives: Automation

On Oct. 12, France Media hosted theThe Future of Multifamily Advertising is Here: How Automation is Transforming Housing webinar, sponsored by Conversion Logix. A growing need for marketing automation in the industry means organizations are looking for improved tools and technology.

Curious about how to mesh Google ads and social media video ads, retargeting campaigns, website experiences, virtual tours, emails and more into a coherent marketing approach for multifamily? Want to learn more about engagement personalization? Hear how to prepare your organization for marketing automation and make the most of the data you collect. Watch this brief webinar for tips, tricks and tech.

The multifamily marketing landscape continues to evolve, says Crystal Banegas, new business development manager at Conversion Logix. She explains that as the world of marketing technology expands, marketers need to evolve as well to best take advantage of time-saving, personalizing technology that frees marketers to look at their advertising strategically using real-time data to personalize (but not pester) leads.

Register to listen. A copy of the webinar presentation may be downloaded here.See a list of major topics covered below:

Webinar sponsor Conversion Logix is a marketing and technology company dedicated to generating leads, appointments, and sales for multifamily housing, student housing, and senior living operators. For more information visit, conversionlogix.com.

Listen to hearwhat paneliststhink about multifamily marketing automation and how best to implement it.

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Webinar The Future of Multifamily Advertising is Here: How Automation is Transforming Housing - REBusinessOnline

TEMECULA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applied Statistics and Management Inc.s (ASM) flagship software MD-Staff increases efficiency to drive tangible outcomes for medical service offices, according to KLAS Research published in the Credentialing 2022 report. Yearly, KLAS Research interviews healthcare professionals about numerous areas connected to increasing efficiency and improvement on their vendors ability to provide guidance on best practices and the strengths and weaknesses in their credentialing solution. To assess how successfully vendors are keeping their promises, this report examines three key predictors of efficiency: the usage of automation, robust credentialing workflows, and vendor partnership/guidance.

ASM customers frequently report being fully paperless thanks to MD-Staffs electronic application tools, virtual committee capabilities, and robust connections with outside databases. Strong functionality and automations have helped organizationssignificantly reduce turnaround times, reported KLAS in the Credentialing 2022 report. ASM is ahead of the curve when it comes to providing guidance and best practices to help drive efficiency.

Participants report processing times for initial appointments for providers have been significantly reduced from 90 days to less than 30 days! Implementing automated workflow capabilities with reappointments and peer reviews has drastically cut time and errors in maintaining up-to-date records for patient safety.

Backed with over 40 years of innovation, MD-Staffs capabilities with documentation autofill, license verifications, and their Virtual Committee solution have streamlined the credentialing process with healthcare facilities saving time and expenditures. ASM continues to invest in streamlining the online processing of primary source verification for credentialing and onboarding providers. MD-Staffs automation eliminates the redundancy of routine tasks through customizable workflows performed with a click of a button. Automated primary source verifications, drag-and-drop privileging, and a source of truth database are why MD-Staff is top-ranked in credentialing and why five of the leading hospitals in the nation have selected MD-Staff as their credentialing solution!

Numerous spreadsheets, laborious data entry, and painstaking monitoring of multiple payer, state, and national databases have previously been necessary for credentialing management, resulting in considerable inefficiencies and costs, said Nick Phan, Executive Vice President of ASM. The KLAS Credentialing 2022 report affirms our belief that the combination of an innovative software and personalized service generates happy customers.

Discover more about ASM and MD-Staff products at http://www.mdstaff.com.

About ASM

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Temecula, CA, Applied Statistics & Management, Inc. (ASM) is dedicated to the development and support of software solutions that leverage the latest technologies and methodologies for the healthcare industry. ASMs flagship product, MD-Staff, is the most advanced credentialing, privileging, and provider information management platform available. Used by over 2,000 facilities worldwide, ASM provides integrated, credentialing solutions to provide medical facilities a single-source database for provider information. Our products are designed to eliminate redundancy by automating and managing credentialing, privileging, OPPE, FPPE, and peer review processes.

About KLAS Research

KLAS has been providing accurate, honest, and impartial insights for the healthcare IT (HIT) industry since 1996. The KLAS mission is to improve the worlds healthcare by amplifying the voice of providers and payers. The scope of our research is constantly expanding to best fit market needs as technology becomes increasingly sophisticated. KLAS finds the hard-to-get HIT data by building strong relationships with our payer and provider friends in the industry. Learn more about KLAS at klasresearch.com.

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MD-Staff Automations Increase Efficiency to Drive Tangible Outcomes, According to KLAS Research - Business Wire

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the worlds largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, and Cognite, a global leader in industrial data software, today announced a strategic partnership to further unlock the value of manufacturing data and accelerate technological change for the industry. The partnership combines Rockwells FactoryTalk software offering of next-generation edge connectivity to plant assets, operations management applications, and industry-tailored analytics with Cognites leading Industrial DataOps platform, Cognite Data Fusion, to create an industrial data hub ready for enterprise-wide scaling.

With one of the largest footprints in industrial automation, Rockwell products create and process data worldwide. The partnership between Rockwell and Cognite will bring to market a unique, unified, edge-to-cloud industrial data hub that makes operational, engineering, enterprise, and visual data understandable and comparable for manufacturing across industries. The offering will transform raw data into high-impact applications for real-time decision making and improved workflows that ensure safe, productive, and sustainable operations. With Cognites proven success in the Energy industry, this partnership will further enhance the edge-to-enterprise capabilities from Sensia, Rockwells joint venture with Schlumberger.

Manufacturers of all sizes struggle with getting access to, and value from, their data. A unifying information hub can provide a single source of truth for all manufacturing data without a major investment in proprietary and costly platforms, says Rockwells Brian Shepherd, senior vice president of Software & Control. The bigger a company is, the harder it is to pull data together from all the different sources and then get meaningful analytic insights affordably. Our partnership with Cognite will directly address these challenges.

We are excited to partner with Rockwell Automation to expand their FactoryTalk offerings and further enrich the data central to their applications, says Girish Rishi, CEO of Cognite. Our mission at Cognite - to foster the development, operationalization, and scale of industrial Hybrid AI solutions - is echoed in this partnership. We look forward to working with Rockwell Automation to accelerate the industrial adoption of applied analytics and digital applications.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 25,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit http://www.rockwellautomation.com.

About Cognite

Cognite is a global industrial SaaS company that was established with a clear vision: to rapidly empower industrial companies with contextualized, trustworthy, and accessible data to help drive the full-scale digital transformation of asset-intensive industries around the world. Our core Industrial DataOps platform, Cognite Data Fusion, enables industrial data and domain users to collaborate quickly and safely to develop, operationalize, and scale industrial AI solutions and applications to deliver both profitability and sustainability. Visit us at http://www.cognite.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Rockwell Automation and Cognite Form a Strategic Partnership to Develop a Unified, Edge-to-Cloud Industrial Data Hub Offering for the Manufacturing...

We are pleased to welcome Enterprise Automation as the newest member of our partner program.

IRVINE, Calif. (PRWEB) October 19, 2022

Enterprise Automation (EA), a Tetra Tech Company, North Americas leading automation and digital transformation consulting services provider today announced the company has become a Registered Partner for Parsec.

We are pleased to welcome Enterprise Automation as the newest member of our partner program, said Joe Scoufis, Director of Channel Development for Parsec. We think of our partners as an extended part of our team, and Enterprise Automation helps ensure we can bring the highest level of service and support to our customers worldwide.

As a Registered Parsec Partner, EA provides implementation services for customers and has access to a variety of benefits, including Parsec support resources. Within the Registered Partner program, Enterprise Automation has completed the TrakSYS Comprehensive Training program to enhance their technical knowledge and better support their clients.

Its always exciting when we expand our product offerings to bring the best solutions to our clients, and weve partnered with Parsec to do just that. Parsecs TrakSYS MES software gives us the platform upon which to build powerful, flexible, and scalable solutions for virtually any manufacturing challenge faced by our customers, said Joberto Lee of Enterprise Automation. We look forward to passing along the value we gain from this new partnership to our manufacturing sector clients and continuing to prove our subject matter expertise through strong project implementation.

In qualifying for partnership with Parsec, Enterprise Automation was required to:

Parsecs TrakSYS is a next-generation MES software with out-of-the-box functionality designed to provide the monitoring, measuring, reporting, and analytics needed to run a manufacturing operation more effectively. TrakSYS offers many benefits to a manufacturer through real-time data gathered from equipment, allowing users to increase efficiency, quality, and performance at their facility.

About ParsecParsec is the developer of TrakSYS, a leading real-time manufacturing operations management software platform. Manufacturing companies worldwide rely on Parsec for flexible and configurable software to manage and execute manufacturing operations across the value stream more effectively. Without production disruption, TrakSYS helps manufacturers to significantly improve asset utilization and efficiency, increase capacity with no new capital equipment, reduce production costs, decrease lead time, and improve profitability. With measurable ROI, TrakSYS delivers the bottom-line results that manufacturing companies are looking for. To learn more about Parsec, please visit http://www.parsec-corp.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

About Enterprise AutomationFounded in 1998, Enterprise Automation, a Tetra Tech company, is a CSIA certified industry leader in industrial automation consulting and control systems integration in the water / wastewater, manufacturing, life sciences, material handling, and power & energy industries. With a strong focus on delivering reliable, sustainable, high-quality control systems solutions and integrations tailored to the specific needs of each client, EA engineers ensure that clients high expectations are met. For more information, visit Enterprise Automations website, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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Enterprise Automation Has Achieved Registered Partner Status with Parsec for TrakSYS - PR Web

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hillstone Networks, an innovative and accessible cybersecurity solution provider, today announced that its Hillstone iSource solution has been recognized as Overall Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) Platform of the Year in the 6th annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program conducted by CyberSecurity Breakthrough, a leading independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global information security market today.

Hillstone iSource provides extensive visibility across all pertinent threat data from device endpoints, applications, networks, and security devices. The platform delivers comprehensive threat visibility. With the ability to take input from Hillstone's other security product suites, as well as third-party sources, Hillstone XDR provides wide visibility across the enterprise infrastructure. Users can collect and correlate data from any source to detect, triage, investigate, hunt, and respond to threats.

Additionally, Hillstone iSource has rich threat and anomaly detection capabilities. Hillstone utilizes advanced behavioral analysis and AI/ML in conjunction with rule-based approaches to spot common vulnerabilities and exploits while detecting new threats, blocking them before they can do damage. It stops every stage of an attack by detecting indicators of compromise (IOCs) and anomalous behavior, as well as prioritizing triage support with incident scoring.

Hillstone iSource also increases SOC productivity by consolidating policy management and monitoring, investigation, and response across network, endpoint, and cloud environments in a single view. With different visualization options, it improves situation awareness, offering single glance understanding of the security health of the organization with comprehensive reporting.

We are so pleased to accept this award from CyberSecurity Breakthrough. iSource embodies our vision of helping our customers see, understand, and act on threats. We set out to develop a more efficient security operation that delivers intelligence, simplicity and peace of mind, said Tim Liu, co-founder & CTO, Hillstone Networks. Hillstone iSource reshapes the security landscape by building a more cyber resilient infrastructure protection solution. It can map out the assets you have in place and consolidate previously siloed data from those endpoints to maximize effectiveness. It is malleable and flexible enough to tackle the post-breach era, and provides contextual and application awareness to logging data.

The mission of the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work and success in a range of information security categories, including Cloud Security, Threat Detection, Risk Management, Fraud Prevention, Mobile Security, Email Security and many more. This years program attracted more than 4,100 nominations from over 20 different countries throughout the world.

Todays enterprises deal with a boundless threat attack surface filled with multi-layer and multi-stage threats and with a threat landscape that is rapidly changing, and new threats and tactics constantly popping up, the most important thing for security solutions is for them to be adaptable, said James Johnson, managing director, CyberSecurity Breakthrough. iSource represents a breakthrough new approach to cybersecurity with powerful security operation efficiency. This platform allows users to comprehensively see by connecting all devices, understand through its Machine Learning-enhanced threat correlation analysis engine, and act using its cyber kill chain methodology. Congratulations to the Hillstone team for their well-deserved 2022 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award.

Hillstone iSources out-of-the-box configuration and rules are designed to provide immediate value and detect advanced threats. Custom rules and fine-tuning controls are available to adapt the solution to unique characteristics of the corporation. To learn more, read this white paper.

About Hillstone Networks

Hillstone Networks innovative and accessible cybersecurity solutions reshape enterprise and service provider security, enabling cyber resilience while lowering TCO. Providing comprehensive visibility, superior intelligence, and rapid protection to see, understand, and act against cyberthreats from edge to cloud, Hillstone is favorably rated by leading analysts and trusted by global companies. To learn more visit http://www.hillstonenet.com.

About CyberSecurity Breakthrough

Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in information security and cybersecurity technology companies, products and people. The CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards provide a platform for public recognition around the achievements of breakthrough information security companies and products in categories including Cloud Security, Threat Detection, Risk Management, Fraud Prevention, Mobile Security, Web and Email Security, UTM, Firewall and more. For more information visit CyberSecurityBreakthrough.com.

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Hillstone Recognized for Security Automation Innovation in 6th Annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards Program - Business Wire

4 Ways To Achieve Workplace Safety Through Automation

A safer workplace can lead to healthier workers, lower injury costs, less stress and higher employee retention.

As the manufacturing industry has become more competitive, many manufacturers have turned to automation to improve their efficiency and productivity while cutting costs in the long run. Automation reduces repetitive tasks, provides greater uptime and improves the quality of products.

On top of that, automation can also contribute to worker safety in multiple ways. A safer workplace keeps workers healthy, reduces the costs of injuries, creates a stress-free environment and helps with employee retention. Here are some ways automation can make your plant a safer place.

Automating the High-Risk Production Tasks

Automating production processes is one of the central parts of creating a smart factory. CNC machines, robots, turn-over machines, conveyors and others are widely used to improve productivity and efficiency.

Most plants tend to run manufacturing processes which feature some hazardous conditions for the workers. It might be working close to a large lathe machine or using machining tools (like a drill) that can cause severe injuries when they break down or get mishandled. For such tasks, automation becomes a safety investment which might also improve efficiency as a byproduct.

With automation for high-risk tasks, the workers stay away from hazardous conditions, and the chances of incidents and injuries get reduced.

Energoinwest Serwis achieved that by switching from manual to robotic welding in their bucket teeth manufacturing process. The main issue with manual welding was harmful fumestheir workers were endangering themselves every day with exposure to ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

They installed two robots that are programmed to weld bucket teeth, and equipped their workstations with extraction hoods that prevent welding fumes from spreading. That way, their workers could perform the remaining tasks in a safer environment.

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4 Ways To Achieve Workplace Safety Through Automation - Occupational Health and Safety

No more jostling forklifts in the warehouse. When you no longer have to consider this, you are getting close to what Deprez Handling Solutions has in mind when it offers automation solutions to customers in the potato, onion, and carrot sectors. "We never simply propose a single solution; we offer a total solution," says business manager Johan Deprez.

Internal logistics and storage are what this Dutch company specializes in. "We design and build a lot of techniques and machines ourselves, but when we see an existing solution on the market for a certain task that perfectly meets our client's needs, we don't go and reinvent the wheel. We'll implement a third-party machine in the total package we propose to our customer. Together, we then consider which supplier's machine best meets the client's requirements. For example, many excellent scrubbers are already available for the potato sector, our largest customer. We're not going to copy them. We only design a machine ourselves if we think we can create added value," explains Johan

Crate logistics Maestro"So, our trademark is, by no means, developing individual machines," adds his son, Jeroen. "Even though, years ago, we built the Maestro, a very high-performance crate logistics machine. This mobile machine receives a stack of empty crates, unstacks them, fills them non-stop, at 100 to 150 T/h, and stacks the full crates neatly two or three high. Our main focus is to offer a total solution, although it's very possible that this isn't how the sector immediately sees us."

Strategic, visionary choice"Perhaps we're not well-known enough yet," admits Johan. "That's undoubtedly directly because of our nature of only getting involved when we're allowed to help conceive and paint the full picture. We focus on large customers who make strategic, visionary growth choices. They want to increase their internal efficiency with a system that seamlessly connects all operations, is fully automated, achieves high throughput, and minimizes product damage. It must use hardly any forklifts and few personnel. We want to unburden large potato processors, so they can concentrate fully on grubbing potatoes 24/7, using two or even three four-row harvesters at a time. The future belongs to the large cultivation companies, and processors must follow that scale increase. And what offers peace of mind? Automation; nothing else."

Active in three sectorsDeprez Handling Solutions provides solutions that meet the current staff shortage demand. Most of its customers are in the food sector, and are mainly potato, onion, and carrot processors. "But we're active in the bulk goods sector too. We, for instance, build systems for loading and unloading sand and gravel transport ships. And in the recycling sector, we design solutions for processing things like construction and demolition debris, container waste, wood, paper, and cardboard. This broad field of activity gives us the expertise and knowledge we need and use across the various sectors," Johan continues.

Robust systems for high flowsJohan cites a growing potato processing company as an example. For its new internal logistics system, it wanted not only high quality but a flow rate of 2x120 tons/hour too. "Each machine for each different task, each conveyor system, and the solution, as a whole, had to be robust enough to handle such a flow rate. That's where we're strong: we have bulk sector experience, where we build systems that unload ships at 800 tons per hour, and from the recycling sector, where we break concrete at 300 tons per hour or where effective scrapers are used to keep the conveyor belts clean and straight, so it can keep working 24/7."

So, Johan and Jeroen are not intimidated, even when a processor wants a fully automated solution to unload and process 2x150 tons of potatoes/hr. They will always succeed, provided there is a good engine, rock-solid material, and the correct calculations are done, they say. "We're happy to take on such a challenge. Does careful handling of the potatoes suffer? Not at all. Forty years ago, I was already experimenting with a potato fall breaker on my folks' farm. Plus, we have in-house know-how and pay plenty of attention to that," says Johan.

Even greater efficiency possibleIn Benelux, Deprez Handling Solutions does not have as big a market for total solutions as it would like. Nonetheless, Johan sees plenty of opportunities. "Our target group for large projects is rather limited. The more automation there is, the larger the sizable processors' market share grows, and the smaller that market will ultimately become. French fries companies and frozen products processors are still on the rise. Yet, not everyone completes a completely new project in one go. Phased construction with a clear end goal is, at least, as good an approach, keeping the investment manageable. Almost every company active in the fresh produce market still has room to improve efficiency. These days, retailers require complete traceability; something only automation, not four or five additional employees, can guarantee."

European and overseas clientsAnd should the Belgian and Dutch markets become saturated, there is always the international one. Deprez is not only present in France, Germany, England, and Spain, but also overseas, in Australia, the U.S.. and Canada. "We're currently busy with a huge project in Edmonton, Canada. It's the first project that our employees and local technicians will deliver. We could have used only our people. But because we're expecting more and more projects overseas in the future and will, therefore, no longer be able to handle everything in-house, we wanted to see how cooperating with local partners would work," Johan explains.

The American market is wide openAccording to Jeroen, who will soon be traveling to Canada, Western European food processing companies are light years ahead of North America regarding automation and process insight. "Some companies there still use as many as 50 forklifts and have 100 people on the conveyor belt line. The various machines are all of sound Dutch manufacture, but a total concept that should enable automation and full efficiency is missing. Americans see everything in grand terms and have plenty of space, which isn't an issue for them. They'll put up a warehouse 200 meters from another part of the factory. All very inefficient, of course, because the more space you use, the more movements you have to make. So, the advantage is that, in the U.S., massive leaps can still be made in this area. And that's the market we're now entering."

Potato sorting and packaging line with only one operatorJohan mentions a Belgian potato sorter that processes 40.000 tons annually with 25 people. "We delivered a line at a different, slightly smaller company that also washes and sorts potatoes. They only employ one person - admittedly, something I didn't expect - to operate the line. You don't need anyone, at all, to intervene, and the company relies completely on the system. They put all the management software that comes with such equipment to good use. All movements, volumes, and performance can be perfectly controlled and seen on a screen."

Thinking aheadAnd if you want to be more efficient, forklifts are not the way to go when it comes to large volumes, says Jeroen. "You have to aim for as compact a system as possible and remove all dead times from the process because they add zero value. And you must always think three steps ahead. Why is there still so much potato waste being used as animal feed? While many residual streams are perfect for making mashed potatoes or flakes. We like to brainstorm with our clients and find solutions. One customer, for example, extracts starch from wastewater. A fine example of sustainability, I'd say."

Optical onion sorting lineDeprez Handling Solutions is not the cheapest on the market. "Inferior quality keeps causing headaches long after the pleasure of a low price has evaporated. You have to spend a substantial amount on automation, especially if you want to go 'all the way'. It's always a strategic choice by a visionary company. A quick return on investment isn't always obvious and is often difficult to calculate. Working with staff and forklifts may be cheaper now, but certainly not in the long run," says Johan.

"Those who take the leap now will have a huge head start later. For instance, not so long ago, we provided a box handling system for a Dutch company's optical onion sorting line. It sorts and packs huge volumes with only seven employees. Size and quality sorting are done non-stop and damage-free, with all performance data available in real time. And no one sits there with a pinhead. Everything runs smoothly and according to plan. That's the future, and we're pleased to be involved."

In conclusion, Jeroen highlights a second focal point besides Deprez Handling Solutions' strength in provisioning total solutions. "Our projects are always delivered on time and on schedule. These days, everything has to move fast, especially in the French fries industry. If a warehouse is built today, the machine has to be installed tomorrow so the company can be up and running the next day."

"To meet those demands, you need structure, body, and highly competent people. We have the personnel, IT, machines, trucks, and cranes," he explains. Johan compares it to cycling, a popular regional sport. "We're just like a top cyclist, who can change gears quickly, sprint where necessary, and add that extra power when the finish line's in sight. Deprez is certainly not the cheapest, but our clients receive the best solution. The most efficient solutions pay for themselves," he concludes.

Johan DeprezDeprez Handling SolutionsLichterveldestraat 129A8610 Kortemark+32(0)51 5814 91sales@deprez.bewww.deprez.be

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"What offers peace of mind? Only automation, nothing else" - FreshPlaza.com

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK) is scheduled to report its fourth quarter fiscal 2022 results on Wednesday, Nov. 2, before the market opens. The release will be posted on the Rockwell Investor Relations website at http://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/investors.html.

A conference call to discuss the quarterly results will be held at 7:30 a.m. CDT on Nov. 2. This call will be audio webcast and accessible on the Rockwell website. Presentation materials will also be available on the website prior to the call.

Interested parties can access the conference call by dialing the following numbers: +1 (888) 330-2022 in the U.S. and Canada; +1 (646) 960-0690 for other countries. Use the following passcode: 5499533. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.

Both the presentation materials and a replay of the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Rockwell website through Dec. 2.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 25,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit http://www.rockwellautomation.com.

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Rockwell Automation to Report Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2022 Results - Business Wire

When Hutchison Ports Stockholm established their new container terminal to the south of the Swedish capital, as part of their strategy to build for the future they installed what are the worlds biggest quay cranes equipped with automation and remote operations technology from ABB. The technology provides the reliability, predictability, and consistency terminal operators are looking for in a fiercely competitive market.

Hutchison Ports is an international ports operator boating 52 container terminals in 26 countries. Its new Stockholm Norvik Port in Sweden features a natural deep-water draught right on the Baltic coast, with its proximity to the fastest-growing area in Scandinavia providing huge business opportunities.

Compared to many of Hutchison Ports container terminals around the world, todays operation in Stockholm is a bit smaller, but at the same time we are building for the future with capacity to grow, says Lawrence Yam, CEO of Hutchison Ports Stockholm.

The Norvik terminal currently has capacity of 250,000 TEU, with potential to double that to 500,000 TEU. Quay operations are carried out by two of the worlds biggest quay cranes featuring automation and remote-control technology that provides optimal efficiency for customers. Being a greenfield development, Hutchison Ports was able to design the entire workflow from ship to gate, including on-dock rail services for handover to the onward supply chain.

The terminal has now been operational for about two years and is progressing towards being the first fully automated terminal in Sweden, says Andy Lewis, Head of Operations, Engineering and Automation at Hutchison Ports Stockholm.

Video Credits: abbmarine / YouTube

Automation brings big benefits

Ports of Stockholm and Hutchison Ports Stockholm set out to create a state-of-the-art terminal with technology and equipment designed for superior reliability and low carbon footprint. Machine-friendly automation is part and parcel of this ambition and ideally suited to a terminal of this size, enabling smoother operations with less risk of damage to equipment and goods. While load and discharge processes are pretty much identical regardless of terminal size, smaller terminals generally require more operational flexibility given the many different sizes of vessels they accommodate. At Norvik the quay cranes serve vessels ranging from small barges up to ships 22 wide.

Workplace experience is another important factor in addition to flexibility. At Norvik, Hutchison Ports Stockholms highly competent stevedores are rotated through all parts of the container flow, acting as multifunctional operatives handling the full spectrum of terminal equipment.

Under such conditions, automation helps turn challenges into opportunities.

With the assistance crane operators get from automation, we are able to achieve both operational stability and consistency, which makes operations more predictable, says Lewis.

Remote operations boost efficiency, safety, and operator wellbeing

Implementing the latest technology can be a huge benefit for container terminals given the current strain on supply chains due to labor shortages, bottlenecks, and low predictability in liner services. Regardless of the experience and proficiency of individual operators, automation combined with remote operations capability means cranes can perform consistently, running faster with shorter cycle and ramp times.

Remote operations improve overall operator performance primarily through extending visibility with multiple camera views. As container ships have become bigger so have ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, and especially on larger cranes the ability of the human eye is limited by the physical distance between the cabin and the target.

The biggest difference is the camera angles. They zoom in on the container and we can see big angles all around the ship, and the screens show us everything we need to see around the quay crane. It helps me as a driver to do the work more efficiently as well as enhance the safety of my co-workers, says Linus Gellborn, a crane operator at Norvik.

Remote operations also serve to improve the working environment for crane operators by physically removing them off the giant machines into the safety and comfort of a control room. The control room also enables a more versatile workplace.

Its much easier to take a longer run when you drive the crane with remote operation because it isnt so exhausting. Being physically in the crane cabin can be uncomfortable and you cant move around in the same way as you can when operating the crane remotely, says Gellborn.

The switch to remote control has been much easier than we thought given that a lot of our operators previously worked with conventional container cranes. Using top-of-the-line technology and automation really makes the job more interesting, Lewis adds.

Proven concepts for fast commissioning

ABB has been developing crane automation solutions for decades and has been a pioneer in remote operations for container handling in pursuit of greater reliability and efficiency. Although every new project is unique, ABBs combined experience from hundreds of terminal installations means projects are started off with a robust base of technology solutions and setups that can be adapted to customers specific needs.

This was especially relevant for Hutchison Ports Stockholm when it set about building a brand-new terminal.

ABB brings a lot of pre-made, proven solutions to the table, which made the fast commissioning and integration of automation here at Norvik possible, Lewis concludes.

Reference: ABB

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Watch: Automation And Remote Crane Operations Prime New Swedish Container Terminal For The Future - Marine Insight

Accounting firms resisting the transition to automating manual processes are potentially damaging their profit margins, according to Becki Roberts, national head of cloud accounting at UHY Hacker Young.

Roberts says adopting automation technologies can be beneficial to practices bottom lines, as they free up accountants from repetitive activities to tackle value-added tasks.

Anywhere where were doing things over and over again, theres an opportunity for some of that human element to be taken out of it, she explains.

Then theres your bottom line. If youre paying qualified, intelligent people to do processes that they dont need to be doing, thats going to have a massive impact on your profit.

Roberts adds that the manual completion of repetitive tasks can be attritional for staff, and that this can negatively impact retention.

The ICAEWs head of data analytics and technology, Ian Pay, agrees, noting that automation is now vital to success in the modern accounting sector.

Were rapidly entering an evolve or die world when it comes to embracing tech and automation its brutal but its true, he argues.

That demise could come in the form of pricing yourself out of the market through labour-intensive processes, or losing clients who move to firms who can deliver more from their relationship, as their staff are freed up to engage in meaningful conversations.

But according to Jamie Lyon, head of skills, sectors and technology at the ACCA, there are barriers to the adoption of automation technologies.

Many finance teams are still undertaking proof-of-concepts around automation, bringing in automation or process experts to identify synergies and efficiencies.

The drive for finance teams in automation has to be on process efficiency but also data quality, balanced with cost-effectiveness.

Another critical element of automation for firms is people who understand the inner workings of the business, Lyon says.

I think sometimes its a combination of [utilising] internal and external resources.

Lyon adds that with the exception of some mining techniques, automation products seem not to have evolved too far but ICEAWs Pay disagrees.

While ICAEWs data analytics lead acknowledges the deterrent that the initial cost of adoption poses, he says there are plenty of options out there if you know where to look.

Maybe you have a monthly process which involves combining multiple data files into a single report. These are [areas] where workflow tools might be beneficial.

While common generic automation tools like UIPath and Alteryx often get raised at this point, one very important thing to note is that the Microsoft 365 suite includes Power Automate.

This can deliver robotic process automation (RPA) and workflow-based automation without necessarily having to invest in additional software, Pay adds, noting that its worth exploring.

Theoretically, the deployment of RPA to process high-volume transactions more efficiently, accounting firms are potentially able to reduce costs and accelerate service delivery to attract more clients.

A 2018 Deloitte report went further, saying that RPA adopters also stand to benefit from increased risk intelligence something UHYs Roberts says is now starting to play out in practice.

Where historically youd have a person looking down a huge list of transactions to try and pull out something that looks funny, the tech now exists that you can get robots to do it, she says.

If were using this technology, were reducing the risk. Were increasing the accuracy of what were doing. We can use it across departments, where were looking at identifying transactions that are unusual.

Lyon concurs that such automation processes support more effective decision making, but says the automation agenda must also be part of a broader transformation.

Finance must continue to transition to agile delivery, particularly given the multitude of challenges finance teams face, and the speed of business change..

I think thats the true value of process efficiency and automation. Its an enabler for finance teams to deliver on the higher value agenda in what is a very fluid environment.

When it comes to adopting RPA or other advanced workflow tools, the ICAEWs Pay says many firms lack the headspace and capacity to bring in analysts to identify automation opportunities.

He also suggests that bringing in someone from outside may not always be the best approach unless they can work hand-in-hand with the teams who are likely to be most familiar with the most time-consuming and labour-intensive manual processes.

Becky Shields, a partner at mid-tier firm Moore Kingston Smith, strikes a similarly cautious tone on where automation is best applied in accounting.

She says that, before introducing a new piece of technology into accountants workflows, firms should first analyse the inefficiencies in the process theyre changing.

If there is no issue with the process but it is manual, the logical next step is to look at the technology.

We use design thinking to structure these sessions to help stakeholders think more laterally about what the solution should be and not simply default to deploying a new piece of tech.

Once the ideal process is mapped out, then you begin an innovation scan to see what technology exists that can do some of the heavy lifting, Shields adds.As well as weighing up the cost and efficacy of adopting automation technologies, UHYs Roberts says such practices also need to consider how to win over hearts and minds.

A lot of what accountants do is recurring work, in which a process is carried out quarterly, monthly or annually, he explains.

With this in mind, Roberts says some sort of automation[]makes sense but as accountants are fairly risk-averse people, the fact that they dont really like change is also a barrier to adopting potential solutions.

As accountants, its very easy for us to fall into how weve always done things, he concludes.

We like processes, we follow processes. Its quite easy to get stuck in. Thats the way weve always done it, it works. So why do we need to change?

Well, weve only got two hands and one brain. [Without automation], youre not financially in a position to recruit. You cant take on any more clients and cant physically be doing any more work, so youre potentially missing some opportunities.

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Accounting firms stunting their own growth through lack of automation - Accountancy Age