Daily Archives: December 12, 2019

By Neil Edwards

Intelligent Automation and the CFO

Over the next two years, the CFO will play a pivotal role in championing intelligent automation for most companies. Why? Intelligent automation reduces costs (people mainly) and improves productivity, compliance, and accuracy for many of the processes falling under the CFO function.

Companies are excited about the reported benefits and investing heavily in intelligent automation. Forresterconfirms the excitement with the annual budgets for robotic process automation expanding to $2.9 billion in 2021. So, this intelligent automation wave will impact the people, processes, and systems reporting to every CFO in America. What are companies doing to be ready?

I caught up with two experts in the field: Abhishek Breja, Vice President and Head of Intelligent Automation and Transformation at Fiserv, and Gina Schaefer, Managing Director and Intelligent Automation Lead at Deloitte Consulting, LLP.

Solving The Not-So-Sexy Problems

The not-so-sexy problems facing CFOs today focus on labor costs, productivity, compliance, accuracy, and system efficiency. Improving one or more of these areas add up to significant gains for a company. Intelligent automation addresses a growing need that companies operationally ignored over the years. It also addresses the workflow and systems integration gaps left out by software providers.

Managing Director and Intelligent Automation Lead at Deloitte Consulting, LLP

The accounts payable or claims processing processes come to mind, said Gina Schaefer, These processes involve people doing repetitive, rules-based tasks involving paper and data entry into multiple systems.

She added that intelligent automation re-invents the accounts payable process. Robotic process automation (RPA) allows for data extraction and data entry to be taken over by the computer. AI makes some tasks more intelligent such as decision routing, computer vision, or natural language processing. We see the robots coming out of the human, and making workers more capable, said Schaefer. With over twenty years experience, Schafer knows what she is talking about, when comes to guiding companies on process transformation and intelligent automation.

The Results Are Real

Fiservs board appointed Abhishek Brejas team to improve performance across several areas with intelligent automation and artificial intelligence. His team has already delivered successful projects such as client onboarding, dispute management, customer service, and product implementations, Breja said. His team approaches every project with a profit and loss mindset, he added. His team delivered millions of dollars in savings to operating income for each individual project. The results are real and predictable because tight financial controllership is at the core of every project deliverable.

Abhishek Breja, Vice President and head of Intelligent Automation and Transformation at Fiserv

We are able to deliver quantifiable and auditable value through our portfolio of projects. In our experience, the value is delivered where a candidate process is vetted upfront for its transformation potential in terms of cost, revenue, risk, and customer experience. The vetting frame work for value is governed independently by the FP&A team under finance. Unlike many in the industry, we feel that a proof of concept must create real value, or it is a waste of time, said Abhishek Breja.

Where Is Intelligent Automation Today

Most large companies are cutting their teeth with small intelligent automation projects involving a limited scope and less than ten people. Except for in a few sectors like finance and technology, many companies have not expanded intelligent automation at scale across their end-to-end business processes.

Larger companies, over 50 percent by our recent survey, have successfully automated an accounting or customer onboarding process with robotic process automation, said Schaefer. RPA is the gateway drug that opens the eyes of the C-suite to what could be possible at scale with intelligent automation. She said, you would be surprised by how many Fortune 50 companies have not even started their automation journey, so it is all across the board.

Stay Flexible on Technology Choices

Robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI) are the two large technology silos that enable the intelligent automation of a companys business processes. While companies like UIPath, BluePrism, and IBM claim to offer end to end solutions covering both, our experts suggest a different experience.

Fiserv adopted a holistic technology approach using not just RPA, but multiple intelligent automation technologies as well as leading machine learning platforms. According to Breja, their methodology recommends imagining business process from the ground up with design thinking. Once designed for automation and scale, their business process is digitally packed with intelligent automation powered by artificial intelligence.

He says, Perception is not reality; executives in the industry, particularly digital immigrants, perceive RPA to be much easier than it really is, while AI/ML to be much harder than it really is. Brejas words of wisdom echo his years of experience having lead process transformation and intelligent automation projects inside companies such as Cisco, Assurant, and BCG.

Schaefer expressed a similar opinion that the intelligent automation solutions used by companies tend to be more hybrid at this point. While Deloitte has its own set of intelligent automation tools, she says that they fit a solution to match each individual customers requirements. She has not seen a single vendor provide everything that a company needs for its intelligent automation journey.

Building Your Intelligent Automation Team

Building your intelligent automation team by Neil Edwards

Both experts suggested some best practices to consider when building your team:

Develop Your Own Expertise

Finding experienced talent is one of the biggest impediments to getting started with intelligent automation.

Breja acquired his technical knowledge of machine learning and digital through extensive online education. Similarly, Schaefer ran one of the first automation projects designing an RPA system, before the term RPA existed.

Developing your own experience and knowledge base are is essential qualities. They learned the intelligent automation from the ground up, and actively stay on top of the technology capabilities. Schaefer and Breja also each had years of experience in business process transformation across many industries. They are the authentic expert in the room when called upon.

Winning the Intelligent Automation Race

The true test will be when large corporations deploy RPA and AI in scalable, repeatable ways, said Schaefer. She added that tasks like taking unstructured data into structured data or decisions in intelligent routing had been oversimplified in the marketing hype. Taking the robot out of the human sounds good on paper, and we are making progress, but we are not yet there.

Breja offered similar opinion, The fact that people brag about the number of bots and soft value says it all. They should really be talking about the quantifiable value delivered by an intelligent automation project. He is bullish on the future of intelligent automation, but recommends keeping a business mindset with design thinking for any candidate project.

So, the intelligent automation race is well underway in many companies today. The winnings in terms of cost savings, efficiency, and productivity are big. The investments in capital, talent, and time are not trivial. If you believe our experts, then you too can be successful. Intelligent automation is one race your company will definitely not want to miss.

Read more:

Why You Cannot Afford To Fail With Intelligent Automation - Forbes

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "China Slaughtering Equipment Market: Prospects, Trends Analysis, Market Size and Forecasts up to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The country research report on China slaughtering equipment market is a customer intelligence and competitive study of the China market. Moreover, the report provides deep insights into demand forecasts, market trends, and, micro and macro indicators in the China market.

Also, factors that are driving and restraining the slaughtering equipment market are highlighted in the study. This is an in-depth business intelligence report based on qualitative and quantitative parameters of the market.

Additionally, this report provides readers with market insights and detailed analysis of market segments to possible micro levels. The companies and dealers/distributors profiled in the report include manufacturers & suppliers of slaughtering equipment market in China.

The report on China slaughtering equipment market provides a detailed analysis of segments in the market based on type, automation, livestock, and process type.

Highlights of the Report

The report provides detailed insights into:

1. Demand and supply conditions of slaughtering equipment market

2. Factor affecting the slaughtering equipment market in the short run and the long run

3. The dynamics including drivers, restraints, opportunities, political, socioeconomic factors, and technological factors

4. Key trends and future prospects

5. Leading companies operating in slaughtering equipment market and their competitive position in China

6. The dealers/distributors profiles provide basic information of top 10 dealers & distributors operating in (China) slaughtering equipment market

7. Matrix: to position the product types

8. Market estimates up to 2025

The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size of slaughtering equipment market in China?

2. What are the factors that affect the growth in slaughtering equipment market over the forecast period?

3. What is the competitive position in China slaughtering equipment market?

4. What are the opportunities in China slaughtering equipment market?

5. What are the modes of entering China slaughtering equipment market?

Key Topics Covered:

1. Report Overview

1.1. Report Description

1.2. Research Methods

1.3. Research Approaches

2. Executive Summary

3. Market Overview

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Market Dynamics

3.2.1. Drivers

3.2.2. Restraints

3.2.3. Opportunities

3.2.4. Challenges

3.3. PEST-Analysis

3.4. Porter's Diamond Model for China Slaughtering Equipment Market

3.5. Growth Matrix Analysis

3.6. Competitive Landscape in China Slaughtering Equipment Market

4. China Slaughtering Equipment Market by Type

4.1. Stunning

4.2. Killing

4.3. Cut-up

4.4. Deboning and Skinning

4.5. Evisceration

4.6. Other Types

5. China Slaughtering Equipment Market by Automation

5.1. Fully Automated Line

5.2. Semi-automated Line

6. China Slaughtering Equipment Market by Livestock

6.1. Poultry

6.2. Swine

6.3. Bovine

6.4. Seafood

6.5. Other Livestock

7. China Slaughtering Equipment Market by Process Type

7.1. Line Slaughter

7.2. Batch Slaughter

7.3. Small-sized Slaughter

8. Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kxsv97

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China Slaughtering Equipment Market to 2025 by Type, Automation, Livestock, and Process Type - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

Simulmedia, one of the early ad tech companies to buy television commercials based on target audiences, is now doubling down on automation.

Dave Morgan, CEO of Simulmedia, said that in order to buy and traffic about 10,000 spots a day nationally across an array of 115 networks, the company needs automation to keep staffing costs low and speed execution.

Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan

More important to linear TV networks looking to generate incremental ad dollars as ratings erode, the kind of automation Simulmedia is using can facilitate spending by internet-based direct-to-consumer marketers like client Dollar Shave Club, Quip, Babbel and Rover.

Automation also helps traditional marketers like Taco Bell or Choice Hotels that want to be able to make advertising decisions closer to airtime, based on reporting on how their campaigns are performing.

A decade ago, Morgan noted, there was a debate as to whether TV advertising needed to change or whether the way it was sold needed to change. Simulmedia opted to bring audience-and outcome-based buying to the mix, improving the ad product. Now its focused on improving how ads are bought and sold.

Companies like eBay and Google had tried to make the TV buying process more like digital, with little success. Now, Morgan said, most TV companies have their own audience-and outcome-based initiatives based on data, and those DTC brands have hundreds of millions to spend on TV advertising and want a less cumbersome process that allows them to buy ads and monitor campaigns on a dashboard on their computer screens.

Automation is attracting those DTC companies to Simulmedia, which has doubled the amount of business with them in the past year.

Networks want that business because its incremental, its growing and the rates paid are higher than many long-established clients. Automation will make linear TV increasingly attractive for these digitally-born marketers, Morgan said.

At Simulmedia, the Automated Execution software is built into VAMOS, the system that handles audience targeting, media planning and audience measurement.

VAMOS is able to put together a schedule that the network can either accept or reject. If parts of the buy are rejected, VAMOS has backups it can propose.

The other key is what Morgan calls a living rate card that frequently updates which spots are available and how much they cost. The system is also able to anticipate which spots will be available based on Simulmedias history of dealing with the networks. Our first ask clears 93% of their time, Morgan said.

Some media companies have been more aggressive about automation than others. About a quarter of them are highly automated, a quarter are partially automated and the remaining half still do business in legacy ways, he said.

NBCUniversal, for example, allows ads to be bought via an application programming interface (API), which enables machine-to-machine negotiations. Through machine learning and artificial intelligence, these systems can handle situations where a network wants more volume and can respond with an offer to buy more spots if rates come down by a certain percentage.

That takes a massive amount of people out of the equation, he said. With its automated system Simulmedia needs about five people to do its buying. A digital company would have about 55 and a linear TV business would have about 250 people.

Some networks have portals capable of providing quick decisions about accepting, rejecting or countering offers so theres no need for protracted negotiations.

Others accept XML files that can be dropped right into trafficking systems, rather than having to cut and paste material from emails.

Crossplatform Cooperation

Morgan said networks dont have to make big changes in their processes and that Simulmedia can figure out how to work with different ad stewardship systems. He expects to be able to do about 90% of the agencys business on an automated basis by the end of the first quarter next year.

And being easier to work with by automating can mean more dollars for a linear network.

Automation doesnt affect spending choices when theres time to plan a full campaign. But if its going to be whos going to get something thats 72 hours out, or 24 hours out and with all the tune-in advertising we do that happens more than wed like the automation makes a big difference, Morgan said.

Excerpt from:

Automation Key to Keeping Linear TV in Ad Ballgame - Broadcasting & Cable

Technology has taken centre stage in the success of companies today. With the likes of Uber, Amazon, and Deliveroo changing the way we live, shop, work and consume content, innovation is happening faster than ever before. In light of economic uncertainty, its become even more vital for businesses to deploy cutting-edge technology to maintain competitiveness.

Over the course of the next year, board-level conversations will be dominated by ways to ensure a seamless customer experience, formulating tactics to embrace disruptive technologies, as well as grappling with the implications of the future workplace.

Consumers can now order a meal, book a taxi and do their shopping with a few clicks of a button, without even leaving their living rooms. As a result, customers are increasingly expecting services to be Apple Easy and Google Fast in all aspects of their lives, demanding quick and seamless experiences across the board.

Customer experience management will continue to be a driver of success across all sectors in 2020. For many organisations, this means going back to the drawing board and incorporating customer-centricity at the core of their business models. As digitally native brands take a data-driven approach to provide frictionless experiences, customers will no longer tolerate dated technology with legacy systems and antiquated processes.

In the retail sector for instance, roughly 93 per cent of UK internet users are expected to do online shopping by 2021, the highest online shopping penetration rate in Europe. However, as the e-commerce market becomes increasingly saturated, and the high street continues to decline, customer experience will be the central factor to help incumbent brands cut through the noise in the market.

Experience management extends beyond the end user to include other important stakeholders such as suppliers, partners and employees. Over the next 12 months, companies will increasingly need to acknowledge the need for a close link between good employee experience and exceptional customer service.

Engaging and retaining employees requires a big shift in company culture. A data scientist might choose to work in Silicon Valley not just for the financial benefits but for the culture of innovation it fosters and the opportunities to grow.

This results in companies such as Facebook and Uber already excelling at customer experience attracting the best talent. To avoid this brain drain, companies must look to emulate this culture and provide similar opportunities on this side of the pond, creating a superior experience for their employees.

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly taking hold across global business. According to PwC, AIs potential contribution to the global economy could reach $15.7 trillion by 2030. Companies will continue to embrace disruption or risk falling behind in the tech race adhering to the mantra of Uber yourself before you get Kodaked.

In particular, the market for Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will grow exponentially in 2020, as use cases for the technology continue to emerge across sectors.

The commercialisation of IoT data will also increase, sparking the data economy for IIoT. Over the next year, IIoT platform services will continue to turn to public cloud providers. The data collected from IoT devices will also be used to connect the entire supply chain from research and development to suppliers providing goods and through the different stages of manufacturing.

Yet overall, the business world is still just beginning to harness these technologies. Many organisations still lack the foundational practices to create value from disruptive technologies at scale, and dont have clear strategies for sourcing the data that AI requires.

Research from Celonis indicates 45 per cent of C-suite execs dont know where to start when developing their transformation strategy which is no surprise given 82 per cent of business leaders admit that they dont look at their internal processes to establish priorities before starting a transformation initiative. Considering over a third of businesses have spent over 500,000 on these initiatives, its vital that they establish clear strategies before embarking on one.

Businesses that rush to deploy technologies without first digging deep to understand where they can best create value will find their strategies failing. Instead, for organisations to succeed, they will need to look at the underlying inefficiencies within processes, only automating once the root cause of the inefficiency has been addressed.

The workplace in 2020 will see augmented collaboration, with humans and robots increasingly working together side-by-side. This amalgamation of human and robots is already visible on the shop floor, as Amazon Go-style stores begin to spring up, allowing for a completely cashier-less retail experience.

This isnt necessarily new: people have been working collaboratively with tech such as laptops and mobile phones for many years. However, whats new is the advent of human-machine convergence.

This goes hand-in-hand with advanced robotic technology, powering anything from smart glasses to intelligent assistants. Furthermore, autonomous machines will be capable of taking on even more tasks, enabling humans to focus on the real value-add work.

On the flip side, companies will need to prepare their employees for this shift, as Gen Z start to enter the workforce. With their own unique set of demands and expectations, the new generations life experiences affect the types of jobs they seek and define whats most important to them.

Theyre naturally tech-savvy, for example, with a recent survey finding that technology offered by an employer would influence the job choice of 91 per cent of respondents. The next year will see companies accelerate their preparation for attracting the right talent, aligning their ethos and career development initiatives with their expectations.

With so many changes coming so fast, it can be hard to grasp the sheer scale of technology innovation underway. Whatever happens, 2020 will be an interesting year for major organisations across all sectors as companies focus on adopting disruptive technologies and ensuring a holistic experience for their customers, as well as preparing for the workplace of the future.

Marcell Vollmer, Chief Innovation Officer, Celonis

See more here:

2020: Disruption, the changing workplace and the future of automation - ITProPortal

For many people, automation is scary. At the extreme end, some fear the rise of killer robots, but most of the concern centres on the anxiety of immediate job losses and replacement. This comes as no surprise.

A recent report fromMcKinsey Australiaindicates that anywhere between 3.5 million and 6.5 million full-time jobs will be displaced by 2030 through automation.

While fears over job losses are understandable, that same fear can lead to inaction and businesses becoming irrelevant and extinct which is a far worse result for employees. Practically speaking, losing a percentage of staff is better than losing everyone.

Kodak infamously developed and soon dropped the digital camera in 1975, fearing it would cannibalise its photographic film business. This failure to innovate meant the company missed out on the digital and mobile photography revolution, and it has shed more than 100,000 jobs since that decision.

Right now, Australian companies across the board are risking the same fate by failing to innovate particularly in the area of automation and artificial intelligence (AI).

As an alternative or accompaniment to automation, many companies go down the offshoring route.

Market research firmIBISWorldbelieves offshoring is increasing in Australia, particularly in legal, accounting, IT, finance, engineering and customer services roles. In the past year alone, weve seen announcements from major companies across the industry spectrum announcing new jobs abroad while culling local employment.

Australias high wages and a range of nearby nations with quick and easy access to cheap labour make a compelling case for companies to offshore particularly in head count-intensive areas such as call centre support, accounting and credit management.

However, this is short-term gain for long-term pain.

Offshore providers are renowned for poor working conditions, glaringly low wages and often unpredictable domestic interruptions. The result is a conveyor belt of employees who arent in a position to meet the needs of their Australian clients.

The telecommunications industry is a classic example. Offshoring customer service roles has been par for the course with major telcos, and many believe it to be a major contributor to the high levels of dissatisfaction consumers and businesses have with the industry.

Worse still, once the decision has been made to offshore, it can be incredibly difficult to reverse. Telstrarecently admittedit would now be too costly to bring offshore call centres back to Australia, presenting a serious challenge to improving customer service in an industry ripe for disruption.

Automation is fast becoming a need for todays businesses. Australia has a reputation of being a digital-hungry, early adopter and leader of new technology. Its only natural we maintain this position and reputation when it comes to automation.

Automation is the clear winner over offshoring. Not only does it typically lead to only a percentage of a department being cut rather than the whole team, but it can actually be a catalyst for job growth and professional development in the long term.

The McKinsey report indicates that automation and AI present an enormous opportunity for national and personal income growth, potentially adding up to $4 trillion to Australias economy in the next 10 years.

One of the key benefits of automation is its capacity to take away the grunt work the no job is perfect aspect every role has. Doing so frees up remaining staff who by definition will be the most experienced and top-performing to expand their roles and deliver more business value.

This professional expansion within a collective group of employees elevates the role of that department to another level. Its no longer just a business process, but a business-generating and customer-focused element of an organisation. This improved customer service can lead to expansion and innovation, creating more demand for the enhanced department and leading to further job growth within it.

Changing that perception can make a business click and enables customers to view the department in a completely different way.

Yes, theres a journey with automation, and some hard readjustment to be realised, but innovation stops for no-one. Its important that we see past the early pain automation can bring and look toward the value it can ultimately deliver.

The alternatives offshoring or businesses letting themselves drift towards their own Kodak moment do no-one any good. They deliver no jobs, innovation or economic growth to Australia. Automation, on the other hand, can stem the flow while improving business and customer outcomes alike.

NOW READ:Now hiring money-laundering experts: The 15 emerging jobs of 2020 revealed

NOW READ:The perks of perks: In a skills shortage, how can small businesses win qualified talent?

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The decision between offshoring and automation is a no-brainer - SmartCompany.com.au

What is becoming increasingly evident is that the choice is not between the alleged neutrality of the impersonal machine and the errors and finiteness of human moderation, as both work in tandem.

December 12, 2019 by APC Leave a Comment

Content moderation online is currently done by most social media companies through a mix of automation (or what is sometimes referred to as artificial intelligence or AI) and human moderators. Automation deals effectively with certain kinds of content such as sexually explicit images, child pornography, terrorism-related content but it is not a foolproof system. Here human intervention and oversight are needed, especially when it comes to the meaning of what is being said in comments or conversations online.

What is becoming increasingly evident is that the choice is not between the alleged neutrality of the impersonal machine and the errors and finiteness of human moderation, as both work in tandem.

Cheap female labour is the engine that powers the internet Lisa Nakamura

social media platforms are already highly regulated, albeit rarely in such a way that can be satisfactory to all. Sarah Roberts

What makes any content platform viable is directly linked to the question of whatmakes you viable as content. Sarah Roberts, through a series of articles, shows how the moderation practices of social media giants all operate in accordance with a complex web of nebulous rules and procedural opacity. Roberts describes content moderation as dealing with digital detritus and also compares cleaning up the social media feed with how garbage is dumped by high-income countries on low- and middle-income countries (for instance, the dumping of shipping containers full of garbage by Canada onto the Philippines). She adds that there has been significant equivocation regarding which practices may be automated through artificial intelligence, filters and others kinds of computational mechanisms versus what portion of the tasks are the responsibility of human professionals. Roberts also adds that in May 2017, Facebook added 3,000 moderators to its global workforce of 4,500 already.

Continue reading at GenderIT.org.

A version of this post was previously published on APC and is republished here with a Creative Commons License.

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Are We Any Better at Judging Right from Wrong? Automation in Content Moderation - The Good Men Project

DUBLIN, Dec. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Analysis Report By Component, By Product (Facility Management Systems, Security Systems), By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global intelligent building automation technologies market size is expected to reach USD 105.2 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 7% from over the forecast period.

Rising awareness regarding sustainability in the wake of increasing effects of global warming is expected to drive demand for intelligent building automation technologies (IBAT) over the forecast period. In addition, technological advancements such as internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to boost market growth.

Growing awareness regarding workplace safety and security, a shift toward green and smart buildings, and improving comfort level of the occupants are major factors that are expected to fuel demand for IBAT. Increasing demand for automated HVAC and safety in the healthcare and hospitality industries is also boosting market growth. Intelligent building automation technologies assist various industries in the optimization of energy usage and reducing its operating expenditure.

Rising establishment of smart infrastructure across the globe is expected to contribute significantly to market growth. Various factors such as increasing green building initiatives, development of cloud-based IoT platforms, and growing environmental concerns are expected to boost market growth over the forecast period. Surging energy prices and urgent need to manage them also serve as key driving factors.

Prominent players are emphasizing on new product launches in order to combat increasing competition. They are also focusing on acquiring a larger market share through inorganic growth strategies like mergers and acquisitions. For instance, Honeywell International Inc. completed the acquisition of Transnorm, a warehouse automation solutions provider, in September 2018. This enabled the former to expand its customer base across Western Europe.

Further key findings from the study suggest:

Key Topics Covered

Chapter 1 Methodology and Scope

Chapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Industry Snapshot & Key Buying Criteria, 2014 - 20252.2 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market, 2014 - 20252.2.1 IBAT market, by region, 2014 - 20252.2.2 IBAT market, by component, 2014 - 20252.2.3 IBAT market, by product, 2014 - 20252.2.4 IBAT market, by application, 2014 - 2025

Chapter 3 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Industry Outlook3.1 Market Segmentation and Scope3.2 Market Size & Growth Prospects3.3 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Value Chain Analysis3.3.1 Vendor landscape3.4 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Dynamics3.4.1 Market driver analysis3.4.1.1 High level of awareness for energy efficiency3.4.1.2 Growing demand for enhanced safety and security3.4.1.3 Increasing government initiatives3.4.2 Market restraint analysis3.4.2.1 High capital investment3.5 Penetration and Growth Prospect Mapping3.6 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Company Ranking, 20183.7 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - Porter's Five Forces Analysis3.8 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market - PESTEL Analysis

Chapter 4 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Component Outlook4.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Component, 2018 & 20254.2 Hardware4.3 Software4.4 Service

Chapter 5 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Product Outlook5.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Product, 2018 & 20255.2 Security Systems5.3 Life Safety Systems5.4 Facility Management Systems5.5 Building Energy Management System

Chapter 6 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Application Outlook6.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Application, 2018 & 20256.2 Residential6.3 Commercial6.4 Industrial

Chapter 7 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Regional Outlook7.1 Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT) Market Share by Region, 2018 & 20257.2 North America7.3 Europe7.4 Asia-Pacific7.5 Latin America7.6 MEA

Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape8.1 ABB Ltd.8.2 Azbil Corporation8.3 Eaton Corporation8.4 General Electric8.5 Honeywell International, Inc.8.6 Hubbell, Inc.8.7 Ingersoll-Rand plc8.8 Johnson Controls8.9 Rockwell Automation Inc.8.10 Schneider Electric8.11 Siemens AG8.12 United Technologies

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r6yffm

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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Intelligent Building Automation Technologies (IBAT): Worldwide Industry Analysis 2014-2019 and Forecast to 2025 - PRNewswire

The Albertsons Cos. andWaltham, Mass.-based grocery technology company Takeoff Technologies have formed a strategic partnership to drive the future of ecommerce with automatedmicro-fullfillment capabilities.

The first of two pilot micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) for the grocer opened Oct. 23 at a Safeway in South San Francisco, with another slated to open at a Safeway in San Jose, Calif., before the end of the year.

The model brings the brick-and-mortar store's proximity to customers, with the automation of a large warehouse. The centers typically hold about 15,000-18,000 of the grocer's most popular SKUs.

The micro-fulfillment center model is a key element in the store of the future, said Vivek Sankaran, Albertsons' president and CEO. It combines the efficiency of automation with the ease of meeting customers when and how they want to shop. In working with Takeoff, we can evolve how the MFC ties into our store and ecommerce ecosystems and accelerate our path to best serve our customers.

Albertsons and Takeofffirst announced their partnership in 2018, but plans for market expansion continue.

In collaborating with Takeoff, were able to leverage their thought leadership in ecommerce fulfillment with our expertise in running great grocery stores that meet customers everyday needs, and thats exciting turf for us, said Chris Rupp, EVPand chief customer and digital officer at Albertsons. By placing an MFC in an existing store close to customers, we can carry a diverse and locally relevant selection of products, with the friendly touch of our local team to service the customer.

Other grocers working with Waltham, Mass.-based TakeoffincludeWakefern Food Corp. banner ShopRite, Canadian grocer Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Ahold Delhaize USA's Stop & Shop,and Hispanic grocer Sedano's Supermarket.

Boise, Idaho-basedAlbertsons Cos.operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaws, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as New York-based meal-kit company Plated. The companyis No. 3 onProgressive Grocer's2019 Super 50 list of thetop grocers in the United States.

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Albertsons Invests Heavily in Automated Micro-Fulfillment Centers - Progressive Grocer

GERMANY: DB Netz has selected Nokia to trial what the telecoms group calls the first standalone 5G system for automated rail operation.

The trials will form part of DBs programme to automate part of the Hamburg S-Bahn, which it is undertaking in partnership with Siemens. The 60m project aims to have four trains operating automatically on a 23km section of Route 21 between Berliner Tor, Bergedorf and Aumhle by the time the city hosts the World Congress for Intelligent Transport Systems in October 2021.

A driver would be retained, but would only intervene in the event of irregularities. Trains would also operate unattended for around 1000m when entering and leaving a siding near Bergedorf station.

The proof of concept will test whether 5G technology is mature enough to serve as the connectivity layer for future digital railway operations, Nokia says. Under the pan-industry Future Railway Mobile Communications System programme, 5G has been identified as the most likely successor to the GSM-R technology widely used today.

We are very pleased to be DBs partner, bringing digital technology to the forefront of the Hamburg S-Bahn network and rail system. Together, we have worked to research, develop and deliver the worlds first 5G-based communication system for automated rail operation, said Kathrin Buvac, President of Nokia Enterprise & Chief Strategy Officer.

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Nokia to trial 5G in Hamburg S-Bahn automation programme - Railway Gazette International

Home > Robotics > GreyOrange updates fulfillment automation platform with trio of robots

Robotics December 11, 2019

AI-driven "Ranger" bots are designed to boost DC efficiency for omnichannel, store replenishment, and e-commerce, firm says.

By DC Velocity Staff

Warehouse automation and robotics vendorGreyOrange todayreleased an update to its robotic fulfillment technology, saying the new platform is designed to modernize distribution centers for improved omnichannel, store replenishment, and e-commerce operations.

The release is the latest move by GreyOrange to gain traction in the booming e-commerce fulfillment market since the firm said in August that it had contracted eight U.S.logistics solution providers to help sell, deploy, andservice the company's tech. Those partners include: AvikServices, Bricz, Hy-Tek, Info-Sun, McCombs-Wall, S&HSystems, TREW, and UST Global.

Atlanta-based GreyOrange has now unveiled the newest version of its Fulfillment Operating System (FOS), driven by the firm's GreyMatter Artificial Intelligence integrated with its Ranger Series mobile robots. Together, those units enable efficient store replenishment strategies based on how individual stores prefer their inventory packed, to reduce the time and labor required to move stock from receipt to shelf, the firm said.

GreyOranges's system includes three types of robots: the Ranger GTP, a goods-to-person unit formerly named Butler that can carry 220 to 3,500 pounds of inventory; the Ranger Mobile Sorter (formerly known as Flexo) that operates in fleets to fluidly move parcels from receiving through dispatch to avoid sortation bottlenecks; and the Ranger Picking bot (formerly called PickPal) that works in tandem with goods-to-person robots to either assist humans with picking orders or to pick orders autonomously.

According to the company, the latest enhancements to its artificial intelligence platform are centered on the ability of mobile robots to operate at scale across a distribution center, including retrieving and placing inventory racks on multiple floors or mezzanines using elevator access. Together, GreyMatter and Ranger robots comprise a system designed for fast-paced, high-volume, high-product-variety operations.

GreyOrange says that tightly integrated approach is different from existing systems that comprise disparate hardware and software solutions interfaced together in a complex technology system.

"Many companies are struggling to keep up with expectations for same-day and next-day delivery along with store replenishment runs that are required two to three times per week or even daily," GreyOrange CEO Samay Kohli said in a release. "They are trying to meet modern fulfillment demands using software and hardware built for a time before Amazon changed the game for everyone by accelerating collective expectations. The idea that software and robots built together using the same intelligence is required in a modern Fulfillment Operating System is unique to GreyOrange, and represents the only solution built specifically to address modern fulfillment challenges."

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GreyOrange updates fulfillment automation platform with trio of robots - DC Velocity