Category Archives: Automation

Challenges associated with attracting and retaining workers to the manufacturing and processing industries have been ongoing for decades. And while some types of automation technologies, such as robots, help keep humans out of the repetitive and potentially injury-inducing work that can make industrial employment less desirable, other types can also help attract and retain human workers.

Chief among these technologies that can help attract workers are connected frontline worker (CFW) platforms. This Industry 4.0 technology is designed to guide workers in their tasks using smart glasses, smartphones, tablets, and PCs, enabling them to handle complex processes.

Dominic Gallello, CEO of Symphony Industrial AI, a supplier of CFW, digital manufacturing, and plant performance technologies, explains that CFW systems leverage cloud computing, mobile telecommunications, and wearable technology to inform front line workers and offer them state-of-the-art, human-driven instruction support by providing byte size work directions to act upon.

Benefits of CFW technology cited by Gallello, include:

Beyond delivering specific work instructions and logging activities, CFW platforms also integrate with existing business and operations systems to provide workers with source instructions and inspections from manufacturing information systems, such ERP (enterprise resource planning), MES (manufacturing execution systems), CMMS (computerized maintenance management systems), and LIMS (laboratory information management systems). Such integration also enables CFW platforms to loop worker feedback into these systems.

This allows for business intelligence platforms to assess performance, check compliance, and identify areas for improvement using this new, correlated data, says Gallello.

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Connected Worker Technologies and Industrial Labor Issues - Automation World

SLT-Mobitel received Jury Recognition at the UiPath Automation Excellence Awards 2021 organised in association with The Economic Times.

The third edition of the UiPath Automation Excellence Awards recognised and celebrated UiPath customers in India and South Asia, for the business impact created by driving innovation using automation in their fields. At a virtual awards ceremony, 31 winners across 15 categories were felicitated in their quest to become fully automated enterprises.

A panel of global adjudicators bestowed Jury Recognition on SLT-Mobitel in the category Automation Excellence Sri Lanka, selecting the organisation as among the best performers in Sri Lanka and South Asian Region. The panel of jurors evaluated the nominees based on impact in relation to project and process, business, and strategy levels.

RPA was an initiative towards operational excellence in SLTs Digital Transformation journey. We opted for UiPath as the software enabler and were able to justify this investment with signicant saving of time and cost during the past year. We are truly honoured to receive this award, said Chief Ofcer - Information, SLT, Tilak Gamalath.

SLT-Mobitels deployment of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions, sought to reinforce its commitment to digital transformation, especially optimising operations for enterprise customers. With RPA functionalities, customers can transform processes through the integration of automation solutions resulting in improved productivity and digital maturity.

UiPath is an enterprise automation software company built on a vision to deliver the Fully Automated Enterprise, where companies use automation to unlock their greatest potential.

UiPath offers an end-to-end platform for automation, combining the leading Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution with a full suite of capabilities that enable every organisation to rapidly scale digital business operations.

It is a great honour that SLT has been recognised by such a leading enterprise automation software company.

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SLT-Mobitel recognised at UiPath Automation Excellence awards - Sunday Observer

PHOTO:nenetus

As a slogan to promote automated emails, set it and forget it has been disastrously successful. Thats because, while it spurred marketers to create lots of triggered campaigns, it set horrible expectations for how to maximize their effectiveness.

The truth is that these are living, breathing campaigns that need ongoing care and nurturing for as long as youre running them. Thats why I call these emails review and improve programs in my book, Email Marketing Rules.

Here are six ways you can take care of your automated campaigns so they do the best job of taking care of your prospects and customers (and your bottom line):

Its hard to take care of your automations if you dont know how many you have, what theyre triggered by and their goals. One of our clients did an inventory and identified nearly 300 active automated emails, which prompted an effort to consolidate and improve the management of these campaigns.

Keeping a running inventory also helps you identify gaps in your automations. Use this checklist of more than 110 Automated Campaign Ideas to help you identify opportunities. After you know the automations that you have, its time to do

Related Article: Turbocharge Your Marketing Strategy With Email Automation

This most basic health check should consist of at least looking at:

Depending on your business and your automation goals, some of the more bottom-of-the-funnel metrics may not be applicable. There may also be some additional metrics that make sense for you to track.

Looking at these metrics regularly can alert you to major problems. For instance, if your welcome email send rate goes to zero, then thats a sign the trigger for that email has likely broken. Or if your double opt-in confirmation request emails click rate drops to zero, then thats a sign of a broken confirmation link or a failure to record that confirmation properly.

Performance reviews can allow you to identify major breakdowns in your campaigns, but if you want to hear the squeaking and clanging of rundown campaigns, then you need to do regular

The email inbox isnt a static environment. Code support and rendering changes routinely across mailbox providers and almost always without notice. Your website, mobile app and other landing pages arent static either. URLs change and new pages get launched, among many other changes. Plus, your image library and other assets are constantly turning over, too.

All of those changes can lead to problems, such as:

Those kinds of issues are likely to degrade the customer experience and performance, but not in such a dramatic way that overall performance will be clearly affected or that will cause customers to reach out to your service reps to complain. These are soft failures rather than hard failures. Other soft failures can be missed if youre not doing regular

Related Article: 7 Burning Questions About Email Unsubscribes

Anytime your brand updates or modifies the look and feel, styling or messaging of its website or mobile app, that should prompt a review of the design and messaging in your triggered emails. And, of course, anytime the templates for your broadcast emails are updated, your triggered campaigns should be as well.

When this doesnt happen, brands end up with automated campaigns that have outdated:

Adopting modular email architecture and using partials makes it much easier to keep your brand image and messaging consistent. Modular build systems also make it much easier to do

The sad truth is that automated campaigns are dramatically under-tested compared to broadcast campaigns. Thats despite the fact that automations deliver much higher performance, which means that even a small percentage boost in performance from an A/B test can lead to big absolute gains.

In addition to typical A/B testing targets like subject lines, hero images and CTAs, also consider testing:

Another element to test that deserves its own callout is

Related Article: 10 Common Email Marketing Mistakes That Are Easy to Fix

Most brands have seasonal events that are relevant to their brands, whether its the winter season of ski lodges or the summer season of summer camps. So its surprising how few brands take the time to contextualize their automated emails within each of their major selling seasons.

In terms of email design and messaging, consider:

Beyond that, also consider adjusting the timing of triggers, as well as the duration and pacing of triggered series. For example, shopping decisions tend to be made rapidly on Cyber Monday, so shopping cart abandonment emails should be triggered more quickly than usual.

For all of those reasons, I recommend that brands review their triggered emails at least quarterly. Some brands already generate the majority of their email marketing revenue from automated campaigns.

If youre anywhere near that, then youll want to spend even more time reviewing and improving your automation. And if youre not anywhere near that, then its key to start doing these reviews with an eye on identifying gaps and opportunities to grow your stable of triggered campaigns to address all the moments that matter in the lifecycles of your customers.

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6 Ways to Review and Improve Your Automated Marketing Emails - CMSWire

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kontrol Technologies Corp. (NEO:KNR) (OTCQB:KNRLF) (FSE:1K8) (Kontrol or the Company), a leader in smart buildings and cities through IoT, Cloud and SaaS technology, has been awarded a $9.7 Million HVAC and Automation project, through its wholly owned subsidiary Global HVAC and Automation (Global) for a new high rise building in the Greater Toronto Area.

As described in the Companys press release dated December 28, 2021, the Company has been quoting and bidding on various opportunities and this represents the awarding of one of those opportunities. Following the award of the project to Global a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) has been signed and a contract is in process of being drafted, with completion of that contract expected to take place in Q2, 2022. The project is anticipated to commence in Q3, 2022, with estimated completion in Q4, 2023.

We are pleased that we are able to win these larger opportunities with our Global team, says Paul Ghezzi, CEO of Kontrol Technologies. Global provides us with a larger project footprint and capability that we seek to expand while we also focus on adding recurring revenues through an integrated building technology and service platform.

Vertical Integration

Following the acquisition of Global in August of 2021, the Company has been focused on vertically integrating in-house capabilities around the inclusion of more energy efficient solutions such as heat pumps and VRV technology. Further, Global now offers ongoing service and asset management capabilities which the Company seeks to grow over time.

We seek to lead the building efficiency market by offering our customers advanced solutions as part of our overall building integration and service platform, continues Ghezzi. Now more than ever, energy savings in buildings and the corresponding reduction in GHG emissions is critical to lower operating costs and improved sustainability.

The customer for the project described above is a leading Canadian developer in the multi-family high rise sector with a significant number of projects in various stages of development. For industry competitive purposes the customer will not be named.

Kontrol Technologies Corp.

Kontrol Technologies Corp., a Canadian public company, is a leader in smart buildings and cities through IoT, Cloud and SaaS technology. Kontrol provides solutions and services to its customers to improve energy management, monitor continuous emissions and accelerate the sustainability of all buildings.

Additional information about Kontrol Technologies Corp. can be found on its website at http://www.kontrolcorp.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com

Neither IIROC nor any stock exchange or other securities regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as may, will, expect, likely, should, would, plan, anticipate, intend, potential, proposed, estimate, believe or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions, and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the following: entering into of the CDCC contract described in the press release and the timing of completion thereof; completion of the activities contemplated in the LOI and the timing thereof; and the Companys future business plans and operations.

Where Kontrol expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Such assumptions include, without limitation: that sufficient capital will be available to the Company and that technology will be as effective as anticipated; that the Company will be able to enter into the CDCC contract described in this press release on the terms and in the timeframe as currently anticipated; that the activities contemplated in the LOI will be completed on the timeframe as currently anticipated; and that the Companys customers will continue to utilize the Companys products as currently anticipated.

However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by such forward-looking

statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to the following: that the Company will not enter into the CDCC contract described in this press release on such terms as are currently anticipated, or at all; that the Company may encounter delays in carrying out the activities contemplated in the LOI; that sufficient capital and financing cannot be obtained on reasonable terms, or at all; that the Companys technologies will not prove as effective as expected; that customers and potential customers will not be as accepting of the Company's product and service offering as expected; and government and regulatory factors impacting the energy conservation industry.

Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as at the date hereof and are based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations, and opinions of management on such date. Kontrol does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements or any forward-looking statements contained in any other documents whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required under applicable securities law. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties, and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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Kontrol Technologies awarded $9.7 Million HVAC and Automation Project from Canadian Multi-Family High Rise Customer - businesswire.com

AS Malaysia gears towards establishing Industry 4.0, product lifecycle management (PLM) solution provider Dream Technology System Sdn Bhd (DTS) hopes to be a part of the industrial shift by offering its expertise and know-how to help companies move forward post-Covid-19.

The homegrown firm, founded by engineers Loh Kuo Tong and Chan Wei Eik, aims to provide the best technologies and customer support to help manufacturing companies transform their business by improving productivity, efficiency and quality.

Given the changing market conditions, Loh says the manufacturing industry is going through a digital transformation with companies aiming to digitalise their manufacturing environment and explore automation.

Some companies are starting to explore and implement collaboration software. Instead of using a mock-up system and tools, they are adopting simulation software tools to predict and plan their manufacturing, he says.

With markets becoming notably more competitive, businesses will not only need policy support, but also strong industry support to adopt new technology and evolve with the trend. And having the assistance of PLM providers may help ease the transition for companies, especially SMEs.

PLM refers to the handling of a product as it moves through the typical stages of its product life: development and introduction, growth, maturity and decline. This handling involves both the manufacturing of the good and the marketing of it.

DTS, which started in March 2013 at an office lot in Petaling Jaya, provides three core services consulting and professional, engineering as well as training. It offers assistance such as digital factory simulation services to evaluate production settings for the best throughput potential and rapid prototyping services.

From its humble beginning, the company has now grown and expanded with offices in Johor Baru, Penang and Singapore, offering extensive expertise in engineering and manufacturing solutions.

Loh, who is also the managing director, shares that the company has a strong belief in driving efficiency, productivity and value-adding to help businesses achieve greater heights.

Our companys motto is wherever you go next, were here to get you there. This demonstrates our commitment to our clients, he says in an interview.

Over the years, Loh says DTS has not looked back and grown consistently in its business and its client-base.

Our customers include those from the automotive, precision engineering, mould and die, and electronics industries among the SMEs.

One of its major partners is a leading Industry 4.0 solutions vendor Siemens Digital Industries Software which provides end-to-end Industry 4.0 PLM solutions to their customers.

Loh notes that the digital transformation in Malaysia is still at its infancy.

As such, we are taking the lead with free webinars to share Industry 4.0 technologies so that our clients can adopt digital solutions in their manufacturing environment.

Industry 4.0 not only helps drive efficiency but also provides more insights into manufacturing that improve profitability as the Malaysian economy slowly, but surely, begins to return to the new norm, he says.

Loh points out that manufacturing processes and designs are more complex these days with mechanical and electronic components being integrated as well as the implementation of new manufacturing processes.

Therefore, he thinks automation and machine simulation are becoming critical to drive efficiency and improve profitability.

We understand the conditions of Malaysias economy and SMEs face a lack of talent pool with regards to the latest manufacturing digital technologies.

SMEs also face a financial burden with a lack of funding to help them transform their business towards Industry 4.0, he says.

This gives DTS an opportunity to bring small businesses across the threshold.

Over the last two years, DTS has been working on a few key initiatives that focus on addressing the challenges faced by the industry.

Recently, DTS signed two memorandum of understanding with New Era Institute of Vocational & Continuing Education and University of Malaya to provide technical expertise and training in Industry 4.0 solutions.

This initiative will help to train and provide a pool of talented graduates equipped with the latest PLM tools.

After acquiring the new skills, the graduates will be ready to support the manufacturing industry to help them transform their business towards the adoption of digital technologies and embracing Industry 4.0 solutions.

Since 2018, the government has been aggressively encouraging the manufacturing industry to move forward and adopt Industry 4.0 where smart automation is one of the key areas of focus.

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Supporting the automation dream - The Star Online

PHOTO:Lucas van Oort | unsplash

Business process automation (BPA) has been around for more than two decades and has mainly beenassociated with digitizing paper processes. While some organizations are still playing catch up with automating paper processes, the current buzzword around automation is intelligent process automation. So what is intelligent process automation (IPA) and how is it different from the workflow automation of the early 2000s?

In this article we explore IPA, its opportunities and challenges as well as its applications in the workplace.

The advent of machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive technologies have changed the face of business process automation. What started with simple workflow automation, which digitized repetitive manual processes to improve productivity and reduce paperwork, has matured to a state where RPA, artificial intelligence and machine learning tools provide key insights that help increase the efficiency of processes and provide faster response to customers. IPA's use cases range from intelligent document processing (IDP), streamlining workflows, supply-chain management, claims processing, case management and more.

Related Article: What Intelligent Process Automation Can Contribute to the Hybrid Workplace

The promise of IPA is rooted in its ability to elevate workflow processing to another degree of efficacy, creating even more productivity, operational cost reduction, agility and better experiences all around. Some of its highest benefits lie in:

Related Article: BPA vs. RPA: How Are They Similar, How Are They Different?

Any new technology comes with its own sets of challenges and required dedicated effort across organizations to implement. Some of the major challenges of implementing IPA include:

Related Article: What Does the Future Hold for ERP?

Do you envision a future where an insurance claim application is able to locate accident pictures, collect incident reports, look up claimant history, even set up calls for human interviews and make decisions based on statistical analysis of similar incidents while combing through millions of records? Well that future is here.

The future of process automation is far and wide. AI, ML, natural language processing (NLP), robotic process automation (RPA) and optical character recognition (OCR) are among the technologies that will fuel the next generation of process automation. The next step in this journey is when of all these technologies are combined to create integrated ecosystems rather than loosely coupled workflows, leading to what Gartner calls hyperautomation. As hyperautomation becomes more prevalent, get ready to see a seamless blend of robots, human employees and existing systems, which will all work collaboratively to create an intelligent ecosystem.

Geetika Tandon is Managing Director with Deloitte consulting LLP with over 20 years of industry experience with technology consulting. She started her career in IBM as a developer working on voice and RFID solutions, moving to middleware implementation and then acquired deep expertise in IT modernization, helping multiple government agencies move to a cloud and DevOps environment.

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Intelligent Process Automation Pushes the Boundaries of Business Process Automation - CMSWire

Veritas has launched v10.0 of its NetBackup data protection product along with an Autonomous Data Management strategy.

It says Veritas is planning for a future where its technology is able to provision, optimise and repair data management services autonomously, with users self-servicing data protection and recovery. This will be based on so-called CloudScale Technology, which harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) and hyper-automation Veritass term to self-provision, self-optimise, and self-heal in web-scale multi-cloud environments.

CEO Greg Hughes issued a statement: Hackers are increasing the impact of their ransomware attacks by targeting cloud services and data. Veritas is laying out its strategy for how we solve that challenge for our customers, starting with tools, available today, that will help to reduce cloud footprint and costs, keep data safe from ransomware, and pave the way to Autonomous Data Management.

We are told Cloud Scale Technologyenables a containerised, programmable, and AI-powered microservices architecture that provides autonomous unified data management services across any cloud.

Coming a year after v9.0, NetBackup v10 features:

A Conquer Every Cloud micro-website contains more information.

Veritass strategy is to respond to customers growing use of more applications in multiple cloud environments and of more cloud-native applications and SaaS apps by extending NetBackups data protection services across these environments and so provide a single comprehensive backup capability. This will be easier to manage because it will have a degree of autonomy with AI-triggered malware scanning,an IT estate-wide protection view, and self-scaling and -healing features.

Private equity-owned Veritas has to show that it can sustain itself and grow against competition from Commvault, Veeam, Cohesity, Druva, HYCU and Rubrik. V10 should help it retain its existing customers and even gain some new ones but it wont enable Veritas to damage its competitors much. The main name of the game is inroad prevention, not invade and conquer.

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Veritas chasing hyper-automation with NetBackup 10 Blocks and Files - Blocks and Files

Years before groups like the Open Process Automation Forum (OPAF) were attempting to build an open and secure control architecture, Bedrock Automation had already built it.

Albert Rooyakkers, Bedrock Automations founder, CEO, and CTO, has decades of experience in process control and has been on a mission to redesign closed industrial control systems since his time at Invensys (now Schneider Electric), when he led a design team to refresh the companys distributed control system (DCS). Soon thereafter, he was recruited into the semiconductor industry by Maxim Integrated Products (which merged with Analog Devices in 2021), where he was working with advanced embedded semiconductor technology and on new business development plans.

At Maxim, he saw how semiconductor technology works in the most secure segments, such as the financial and aerospace industries. Thats when I began to connect the dots, Rooyakkers said during an interview with Automation World at the Bedrock headquarters in Massachusetts. He realized that the open and intrinsically secure system hed been wanting to build all along could finally be accomplished. We literally started with a blank sheet of paper and had the muscle and might of a major semiconductor company to make it real. A very key part of what we do starts with specialized cyber hardened digital electronics, and thats how to do it right. You have to start at the smallest common denominator, which is the transistor, and start building it out.

That is when the Open Secure Automation (OSA) platform was born.

According to Rooyakkers, every module and digital transaction in the system operates in the same manner with mutual authentication and encryption, similar to banking from a smartphone or buying something on Amazon.

As part of this rebuild from the ground up with embedded security, Bedrock also developed a pin-less backplane interconnect that provide secure I/O with 20 Mb bandwidth at every I/O slot, and a universal control system that can drive any control mode, be it PLC, DCS, a safety system, etc., while extending its security to third party applications.

Now, with over 120 patents, Bedrock continues to evolve its OSA architecture with customers and at its design center in Massachusetts. This is demonstrated in its latest announcement of a new software release, which adds more process functionality and diagnostics to the system.

According to the company, the software upgrade, which came out in January, makes it easier for users to configure and run open applications inside the secure OSA controllers. New firmware enhancements simplify and improve SCADA redundancy, enable Transport Layer Security (TLS) support for MQTT Sparkplug, expand universal EtherNet/IP capacity, simplify flow meter proving, and assist in diagnosing large motors.

The new firmware impacts functionality in several of Bedrocks secure system modules, including: the OSA control system built on the pin-less backplane that is scalable to support thousands of I/O; the OSA Remote control system, which provides secure, high performance automation for applications requiring five to 20 I/O; the Universal Ethernet gateway (UE5), which supports Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP; and the OSA Remote Flow measurement and control system, which integrates flow computing and process control in a single module.

In addition, the new firmware enhancements contribute to simple, secure SCADA operations by moving redundancy management from the SCADA system client to the Bedrock controller firmware. This enables seamless SCADA client failover while simplifying SCADA configuration. Thats because, according to the company, most SCADA redundancy requires more than one IP address so if theres a problem with one, the SCADA software or system engineer finds the active IP and switches to it. But using the Bedrock OPC UA, MQTT, or other Ethernet protocols, allow for the use of virtual IP addresses, enabling a single end point for a redundant pair. The SCADA software point to one IP address and the Bedrock controller finds the active path automatically.

Bedrock has more innovations in the works and continues to build out its team with industry heavyweights, such as the recent announcement that industry luminary, Peter Martin, has joined its advisory board. Martin, who served as vice president of innovation and marketing for Schneider Electric Process Automation until his retirement in 2019, is well-known for his pioneering control theory as it connects to business profitability.

Leveraging that experience, Martin will advise Bedrock as it advances its OSA architecture. As more industrial devices connect to each other, security is increasingly and literally the key to business value, Martin said in a statement. By bringing a powerful and inherently secure automation solution to market, Bedrock is unlocking a new generation of heightened business effectiveness, safety, and profitability. I am looking forward to doing whatever I can to help them advance their platform to achieve thatfor everyones sake.

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Open and secure industrial control from Bedrock Automation - Automation World

The rapid development of technology has changed the way businesses work. With robotics, AI, and machine learning gaining immense popularity, many think these will replace employees in completing the work tasks.

The trucking industry is one of the sectors impacted by the latest technologies. Therefore, many worry that truck driving jobs will disappear due to automation.

The innovation of self-driving vehicles might change the work process, and many speculate that advanced machines will replace truck drivers. Some predict that up to 3 million driving jobs might disappear due to automation.

However, the automatization process carries many risks. The technology is in the initial testing phases, so the outcome isnt clear yet.

This is good news for those wanting to pursue their career and find a truck driver job. A recent study states that the risk of job loss isnt that high. A driver doesnt only operate the vehicle, but they also do a wide range of tasks related to transporting goods.

In addition, full automation isnt likely to happen yet. Further in this post, we explain why automation isnt about to make truckers obsolete.

Misinterpreted numbers

According to estimates, there are 3 million truck drivers across the US. However, this number includes light truck drivers, sales workers, and delivery drivers. As we already mentioned, the automation technology isnt feasible for short-haul driving.

Therefore, only the new technology will impact heavy truck drivers. This means that there are way less than 3 million truck drivers in the US concerned with automation innovations.

Truck driving job includes a wide range of tasks

Automation technology can only take care of driving the vehicle. However, the drivers job extends to far more than just that. The self-driving process wont cover the other work tasks included in this job position.

A truck driver is responsible for maintenance, logging information, and customer service. Also, they load and unload the trucks at the final destination. Currently, there are no automated systems that will perform these tasks.

The vehicles might come with a system that detects problems such as low tired or uneven load. However, the driver still needs to take care of them. Human input is required to solve the problem that the sensors will detect. In the case of a flat tire, no automation tool will help change it.

The truck driver is responsible for delivering the goods to the customer. Face-to-face communication cant be replaced with the use of technology. Consequently, the truck driving job wont disappear soon despite the promising automation technologies.

Full automation wont happen soon

According to the current standards, automation comes in various levels ranging from 0 to 5. As the automation level goes higher in the scale, the human input decreases. Level 5 means that the system will perform the driving independently.

The implementation of automation technology in the trucking industry refers to levels 2 or 3. This means that only partial automation will be included in the process, which will still require human input to work.

Therefore, the partial automation will still need the driver to be present, meaning that the truck driving jobs wont disappear anytime soon.

The companies that aim for level 4 automation want to reduce labor costs. However, this will be used for long-haul rides and isnt feasible for short distances.

With one-quarter of the current heavy trucks used for long haul transport, the potential job losses wont exceed this number. Therefore, even in a case when the technology advances significantly, only a quarter of the drivers will lose their job.

Main image: Sander Yigin, Unsplash

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Automation Isn't About to Make Truckers Obsolete - Robotics and Automation News

New technologies have been changing industries and society for quite a long time. Technology has inspired deeper learning and inspired humans to study aspects of the world that we hadn't previously considered. However, there is a contention by many educationists that the more we accept automated "done-for-you" technologies, the fewer people need to learn anything.

Living in a world where approximately 80% of American college-age youths are considering delaying or skipping college. The definition of what it means to be educated is undoubtedly changing, but is this a good or a bad thing?

"Gauging the effects of increased automation in investments and entrepreneurship as a whole is really difficult, but we do know the effects of proper education, we have seen in for generations," Anthony DeGalbo opines. "Any situation where apps and automation reduce the interest in getting educated about a certain industry cannot be positive through and through."

Anthony DeGalbo is the CEO of OnlyOptionsTrades

Anthony DeGalbo is the CEO of OnlyOptionsTrades, one of the most recognized options trading educational platforms online. DeGalbo insisted on going against the grain when he launched the platform, choosing to go the educational route in an industry where most newer platforms were selling AI-automated investments where investors only needed to "plug-and-play."

The platform's unique approach of hosting consistent live classes throughout the week has won the company a lot of admirers and customers. This unique, education-first, profit-second approach led the relatively new company to do over $3 million in revenue and over 10,000 paying members in 2021 alone.

DeGalbo insists that their success is proof that there is a real thirst for real educational investment platforms.

One of the big promises of tech was the democratization of access to different industries, including stock and options trading. At first glance, it would seem that Automation programs, platforms, and apps are doing just that by lowering the entrance bar for investors and dispensing with the need for due diligence and education on their part. However, DeGalbo argues that this will not bring true democratization in the long run.

"For anything to boast of being democratized, it has to focus on the individual and give more power to the individual. Automated platforms can be very effective in yielding returns, but often times the major reason for their success is the seasoned veteran traders who are behind them doing the magic. If we continue empowering the ignorance of investors, more and more power will be concentrated in these investors companies and in the long-run, the investor will be at a disadvantage."

DeGalbo's fear seems to be that automation empowers the company and not the investor, and this is a fear that many have about tech companies in general. The sentiment seems to be that the more we rely on technology to do for us what we have not spent the time to understand, the more power they have over us. These companies retain the power to raise the cost of their offerings at any time, and this would undoubtedly leave the investors at a disadvantage.

Blindspots Of Investment Automation

Every investment bears a reasonable level of risk. Investments fail when those risks do not go in favor of the investor. For example, stock investors need to understand that stocks can lose value and be aware of the possible scenarios that may bring this about. The same goes for options and forex traders.

However, there seems to be a proliferation of automated investment opportunities that promise monthly ROI for a monetary investment.

In DeGalbo's words, "You never see any of the investment sharks dole out investment dollars to startups whose businesses they don't understand at least to some degree. When we market an investment opportunity as an automated, low-risk, done-for-you activity that doesn't require you to understand the market, we are building a very unsustainable system that may come back to haunt us in the future."

In a perfect world, every investor in the stock or foreign exchange market will understand the markets and the risks involved. They wouldn't need to be prompted by unrealistic promises before investing.

The Way Forward

"The assumption that investments only require putting in your money is the reason why so many pyramid schemes have thrived in America and it's also the reason why most of them have failed." DeGalbo explains, "Our goal with OnlyOptionsTrades has always been to re-educate the new generation of investors to invest in education before they put their money in. This balanced approach has to be the way we move forward."

Despite what school of thought we fall into, it is clear that a world where education and skill acquisition are not emphasized will lead us down the rabbit hole of get-rich-schemes and failed investments.

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Education Vs. Automation: The Future Of Investing Is Here - Forbes