Daily Archives: August 22, 2021

One of the major challenges in todays changing world is the choice to go about all business activities the old-fashioned way you are used to, or to automate business processes more.

Small examples of business automation would be:

More complex examples of automation would be:

The common objection to implementing more automation is usually, We are too busy raising capital and in meetings with investors to focus on automating our business. This can be true, but the truth is that automation is a skill that is constantly evolving and changing, and the sooner you learn time-efficient ways to implement new strategies, the less likely you are to be left behind as business communication accelerates.

There is a long list of ways to consolidate tasks, repurpose content in order to publish on multiple media channels and coordinate communication amongst your team.

To decide what automation should be a top priority, sit down with your team members and discuss:What part of their daily activities seem mundane or archaic?Where would they prefer to put the majority of their time and energy into work?What automation or software have they heard about that has caught their interest?

This could be a good framework to start making this important decision. Implementing a CRM system such as HubSpot, hiring additional help overseas for entry-level tasks and dividing my email list by profession and region (instead of just one massive list) have been critical to the growth of the Family Office Club. Innovation is the clear denominator to long-term success, and the hesitation to innovate is the clear reason for many organizational downfalls.

Andres Ospina is the managing director for Family Office Club.

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Tips for improved business automation when working with investors - Idaho Business Review

One thing you can do to make your job a little more future-proof, regardless of what it is: be human. [Getty Images]

If you're like most people, you probably think there's a good chance that AI or robots will have a significant impact on the global job market. Yet surveys also show that most of us think that these disruptive technologies are primarily going to affect someone elsesomeone with a skill set or an educational background that lends itself to repeatable work. This is a risky assumption on everyone's part, including mine.

AI and robotics aren't just for everyone else to think about. The robots are not only coming - they're already here. But that doesn't mean we're all out of a job. It means that we need to explore opportunities for ourselves and our teams to humanize the future of work to complement and even enhance AI, automation, and productivity.

At Salesforce, we recently invited award-winning New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose to discuss the impact automation is likely to have on our lives and jobs. Roose shared that AI and automation are already changing the way we work - particularly for highly-educated, white-collar workers, whose everyday jobs are already evolving thanks to AI.

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In the course of research for his book 'Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation,' Roose found that for hundreds of years, we've been predicting what machines can and can't do - and that usually, we're wrong.

Here are a few examples to his point:

The disruptive technologies that would prove each of those predictions wrong went on to reshape economies and workforces forever. Yet at the time, each statement reflected widely-held beliefs. In the early 1980s, for instance, people were very skeptical that computers would ever meaningfully replace human travel agents. That changed quickly with the advent of travel-booking websites, which gave consumers direct access to making arrangements without a travel agency rep or the associated fees. Today, it's a lot more likely that you use online sites to book everyday travel, except when using a travel agent is mandated as a workplace policy.

Although many of us still think of robots on the assembly line as the typical agent of job displacement, AI has made advances in fields that many people never imagined were vulnerable to automation:

When you hear stories like this, it's easy to feel uneasy. Like many of us, as Roose was writing about the inroads AI was making, he got worried about his own replaceability as a journalist. He embarked upon a path to research how we can avoid being replaced by robots, which is the premise of the book and the bulk of his presentation.

Now an important question: What can we do as individuals to protect ourselves from being replaced by AI and robots? First, the bad news: Pretty much every job as it exists today can, in some way, be automated. In all honesty, there isn't any technology-proof job or career path for the long-term.

Now, the good news: Human creativity and resolve is at an all-time premium. And it's not limited to big 'C' creatives like (insert your favorite artist, composer, scientist, or performer).

This is not a time to panic - it's a time to build on the roles and capabilities that can be automated to deliver new value at every level. Upskilling is now for everyone. We are all students again. Creativity, empathy, critical thinking, collaboration, data science, resilience, adaptability, and other 'not-so-soft' skills are ranked as critical for everyone in a pandemic world and beyond.

As AI drives down the price of goods and automated services, it also increases the value of human goods and human experiences. It rewards those that are good at creating these new things in collaboration with machines.

With this in mind, there is one primary thing you can do to make your job a little more future-proof, regardless of what it is: not so ironically, be human.

There is one primary thing you can do to make your job a little more future-proof, regardless of what it is: not so ironically, be human.

The best way to differentiate yourself is through your humanity and creativity, not your productivity. Accentuate the human labor involved in what you do or what you make - whether it's making a ceramic bowl, providing customer service, selling a technology product, or how you show up in any given moment to be present, aware, and ready to participate.

Think beyond using AI and automation to work as fast, at scale, and cheaply as possible. That's what everyone else will do. Make that human touch more visible and more value-added. This is what the human economy is about: experiences and feelings that machines cannot replicate. Experiences are personal on every side. That's what makes them special. They involve human beings and in reality, it's that humanity combined with meaningful experiences, that we're going to seek out and pay a lot for.

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Salesforce com : Being Human in the Time of Automation - Marketscreener.com

Microsoft is set to be the only firm among the enterprise tech giants investing in robotic process automation (RPA) tools to make a significant impact, a report from Forrester claims.

The RPA market is set to be worth $2.9bn by revenue in 2021, up from $125m in 2016, while the two biggest players in the game, Automation Anywhere and UiPath, have a combined valuation of $39.2bn. UiPath, especially, appears to have convinced investors that robotic process automation is A Thing, with a $35.8bn valuation after its recent IPO in April.

However, the total RPA market is still tiny compared with the enterprise application market, worth $225bn in 2029, according to IDC. Nonetheless, vendors in the bigger market are still tempted to get a slice of the action. Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft have all made significant investments knitting RPA into their platforms in recent years, but only the Redmond OS giant is likely to make headway, Forrester said.

It predicted that two pure-play RPA vendors plus Blue Prism, which offers RPA and low-code tools, would control 32 per cent of the market by 2023, while Microsoft would command 5 per cent because it is integrating RPA with its Power platform, which includes low-code and self-service BI offerings and is integrated with Office and Dynamics application products.

"With the exception of Microsoft, IA acquisitions are less of a threat to pure-play RPA vendors. Tech giants have 'license power' but may bundle RPA as a check-off item or loss leader, and therefore, they lack focus on what makes RPA so compelling," the report said.

Speaking to The Register, report co-author and Forrester principal analyst Craig Le Clair said users might want to look at applications vendors' RPA products if they were looking for specific automations in those environments.

"If a large percentage of uses are in these domains like ServiceNow for IT Service Management or Salesforce for CRM, then it's absolutely fine to do a technical automation that links with those capabilities," he said. "But there are companies that are using [RPA] broadly across so many use cases across HR, finance and in their line of business that are trying to build an enterprise shared services for RPA, so they're better off with the alpha players."

The alpha players, the report explains, are the companies that specialise in RPA without also having products in applications or infrastructure, such as Automation Anywhere and UiPath, the two biggest.

RPA has been seen as a fragile approach to automation because it can rely on scraping application user interfaces, which, should they change, can make the whole process fall over.

But Le Clair claimed the leading vendors were beginning to overcome these problems.

Machine-learning techniques such as computer vision can help sense when a user interface changes and understand what those changes are, and help to automate an adjustment to the bot, he said.

"Those changes are likely to be a character field is moved from this location to another. A lot of these issues can be treated with relatively simple service automation capabilities that are evolving pretty well."

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Only one software giant to make impact on the robotic process automation market, says analyst - The Register

London, Aug. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report titled, Network Automation Market by Component, Deployment Mode, Industry Size, Networking Type (Physical Networking, Virtual Networking, Hybrid Networking), Industry Vertical (CSPs, Data Centers, and Enterprises) Global Forecast to 2028, published by Meticulous Research, the network automation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.8% from 2021 to 2028 to reach $32.4 billion by 2028.

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Network automation uses software to automate network and security provisioning and management to maximize network efficiency and functionality. Several industries and organizations, including IT and telecom, data centers, enterprises and communication service providers, are deploying network automation solutions worldwide on a considerable scale.

Increasing demand for safer smart healthcare systems with intent-based networking technology, growing need to detect and identify old hardware, compliance issues, and storage issues, and increasing need for zero-touch provisioning and unified network visibility are the key factors driving the growth of the network automation market. However, lack of standards for software-defined networking and the absence of a blueprint and well-established route for migrating to a semi-automated network are expected to pose serious challenges to the growth of the network automation market.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Network Automation Market

The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the global network automation market started in early 2020 in China, one of the world's largest producers for endpoint and connected devices, including smartphones, computers, tablets, network sensors and routers, firewalls, and modems. The temporary closing of production plants for few months in China and restrictions imposed on export and import of the hardware solutions to and from Chinas restricted area affected the supply chain process and has strongly impacted the production, sales, and operations of the network automation market.

Speak to our Analysts to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Business:https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=5202

Leading network automation players are providing network automation solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic to deal with the sudden downturn. Several industry players are exerting extensively to bring the network automation market back on track. For instance, in June 2021, Honeywell International Inc (U.S.) have implemented different solutions, including Catalyst Series Access Points, Cisco DNA Spaces, and Webex Room Kit Series from Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.), to prepare for a safe workplace for the future. Furthermore, local governments worldwide are also undertaking several relief steps to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19. As a result, the network automation market is expected to slowly regain its original track over the forecast period.

Key Findings in the Network Automation Market Study

The global network automation market is segmented on the basis of component (solutions/software, professional services), deployment mode (on-premise and cloud-based), enterprise size (large enterprises, small and mid-sized enterprises), networking type (physical networking, virtual networking, hybrid networking), industry vertical (CSPs, data centers, and enterprises), and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyses the market at a country level.

Based on component, the solution segment is expected to emerge as the largest segment in the network automation market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to the rising investment in R&D activities, increasing and varying connectivity demands by communication service providers, and well-established network automation solution providers. Enhanced productivity, security, and easy deployment of network automation solutions further support the growth of this segment. Owing to the benefits offered by these solutions, several providers are investing in R&D to make the solutions better and more affordable, even for small and medium-scale enterprises.

Based on the deployment mode, the network automation market is segmented into on-premise and cloud-based deployment. In 2021, the on-premise segment is expected to command the largest share of the overall network automation market due to high acceptance among large enterprises, rising demand for advanced security and control, increasing deployments of network automation solutions across on-premises data centers, and rising demand to personally configure solutions to complete exact needs. On the other hand, the cloud-based segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Quick Buy Network Automation Market Research Report: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/80683927

Based on industry vertical, the data center segment is expected to command the largest share of the overall network automation market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to the growing demand to automate routine workflows and processes of data centers; increasing deployments of network automation solutions for data centers; and the growing need to reduce repetitive or mundane tasks, speed up processes, and drive down overhead in data centers.

Geographically, the North American region is expected to command the largest share of the global network automation market in 2021. This is mainly attributed to the presence of prominent players offering network automation solutions and services to various sectors in the region. The North American region is a home to a larger and more established sales force for network automation solutions due to the increasing penetration of well-established technologies, technically developed workforce, and economic support for sales operations, consequently driving the market growth.

Furthermore, North American service providers heavily deploy network automation solutions to meet the ever-escalating demand for bandwidth, enterprise business services, improved efficiencies, and lower operating expenses, consequently driving the market growth. As North America is the hub for IT and data center operations, several companies are demanding network automation solutions to facilitate several benefits for IT and data centers, including unification, pooling of resources, and reduced complexity in networking. Thus, the rising demand for effective infrastructure in IT companies and data centers is driving the market's growth. Besides, increasing deployments of network automation solutions in the North American region are driving the growth of the North American Network Automation market. For instance, in May 2020, Rollins Inc. (U.S.) implemented a Fortinet Secure SD-WAN solution across 700 locations to obtain network stability and improved user experience.

However, Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period. Over the years, Asia-Pacific enterprises are rapidly investing in technologies like software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) and their readiness to work with service providers to implement these technologies. These complementary technologies, including SDN and NFV, are considered effective techniques to reduce networking and operational costs while enabling innovative business models and service innovation. Malaysia, Korea, and Thailand were the most advanced markets in NFV deployments. In addition, enterprises across the countries such as the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia are driving the second wave of NFV deployments in the region. Thus, increasing deployments of NFV by major countries across the Asia-Pacific region is driving the growth of the market. Besides, increasing focus on the deployment of network automation solutions across Asia-Pacific is driving the growth of the network automation market in APAC. For instance, in May 2020, NTT West (Japan) has implemented Secure SD-WAN and SD-Branch solutions from Fortinet Inc. (U.S.) to provide WAN and LAN centralized management.

The report also includes an extensive assessment of the key strategic developments adopted by the leading market participants in the industry over the past four years (20182021). The network automation market has witnessed a number of product launches in recent years. For instance: in March 2021, Cisco Systems Inc. (U.S.) launched new network automation architecture, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). Furthermore, in November 2020, VMware, Inc. (U.S.) launched a modern network framework for data center and cloud networking.

The global network automation market is consolidated and dominated by few major players, namely, Cisco Systems, Inc., VMware, Inc., Red Hat, Inc., IBM Corporation, Juniper Networks, Inc., Micro Focus International plc, BMC Software, Inc., Fujitsu Group, AppViewX, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Forward Networks, Inc., SolarWinds Corporation, Apstra, NetBrain, BlueCat Networks, Itential, NetYCE, Microsoft Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Dell Technologies, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Arista Networks, Inc., Anuta Networks International LLC, Nokia Corporation, Palo Alto Networks, Inc., and Fortinet, Inc. among others.

To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here:https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/network-automation-market-5202

Scope of the Report

Network Automation Market, by Component

Network Automation Market, by Deployment Mode

Network Automation Market, by Industry Size

Network Automation Market, by Networking Type

Network Automation Market, by Industry Vertical

Network Automation Market, by Region

DownloadFree Sample Report Now @https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5202

Amidst this crisis, Meticulous Researchis continuously assessing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on various sub-markets and enables global organizations to strategize for the post-COVID-19 world and sustain their growth. Let us know if you would like to assess the impact of COVID-19 on any industry here-https://www.meticulousresearch.com/custom-research

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https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/virtualized-evolved-packet-core-market-5201

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Market by Component (Orchestration, Professional Services), Virtualized Network Function, Application (Virtual Appliances, Core Network), End User (Enterprises, Service Providers, Data Centers) - Global Forecast to 2027

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About Meticulous Research

Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth.

Contact:Mr.Khushal BombeMeticulous Market Research Inc.1267WillisSt,Ste200 Redding,California,96001, U.S.USA: +1-646-781-8004Europe : +44-203-868-8738APAC: +91 744-7780008Email-sales@meticulousresearch.comVisit Our Website:https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Connect with us on LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-researchContent Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/422/network-automation-market-2028

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Network Automation Market Worth $32.4 Billion by 2028 - Exclusive Report by Meticulous Research - GlobeNewswire

COVID-19 has placed many healthcare organizations under intense cash-flow pressure and created volatile claim volumes and workloads for revenue cycle teams. These dynamics are driving more revenue cycle leaders to look to automation to provide flexibility and resiliency in their operations while minimizing their organization's cost to collect. The survey also found that 37% of organizations currently not using automation plan to do so this year or sometime in 2022.

"The findings underscore that automation serves as a backbone for healthcare financial leaders looking to streamline complex staff workflows," said Malinka Walaliyadde, co-founder and CEO of AKASA. "The opportunity going forward for provider organizations is to expand their ambitions and scope for automation. Instead of identifying dozens of small, discrete use-cases and never getting past the first few due to high setup and maintenance costs, leaders should consider solutions that can be deployed rapidly with minimal disruption. The goal is foundational, end-to-end automation for entire functions, driving giant leaps in efficiency."

Commissioned by AKASA, the survey fielded responses from nearly 400 chief financial officers and revenue cycle leaders at hospitals and health systems across the United States through the Healthcare Financial Management Association's (HFMA) Pulse Survey program between May 27, 2021 and June 28, 2021. The national survey was designed to assess the adoption of automation in revenue cycle operations at hospitals and health systems across the U.S.

About AKASA At AKASA, we believe every dollar spent on healthcare matters because healthcare matters to everyone. The only Unified Automation company for healthcare, AKASA uses the same machine learning approaches that made driverless cars possible to provide health systems with a single solution for automating revenue cycle operations. AKASA's unique expert-in-the-loop approach, Unified Automation, combines modern machine-learning with human judgment and subject matter expertise to provide robust and resilient automation. Unified Automation adapts to the highly dynamic nature of revenue cycle operations and has been purpose-built for healthcare. AKASA enables health systems to decrease their cost to collect so they can invest more in patient care and be better stewards of the healthcare dollar. AKASA is based in the heart of Silicon Valley. Learn more at http://www.AKASA.com.

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Automation in Healthcare Revenue Cycle Operations Jumps from 66% to 78% in Less Than a Year - PRNewswire

Canadian tech success story ATS Automation Tooling Systems (ATS Automation Stock Quote, Charts, News, Analysts, Financials TSX:ATA) has come a long way over the past 12 months, but dont think the run is over yet, says David Burrows, who has ATS as a Top Pick for the year ahead.

ATS has been around forever. They had a lot of business in the transportation area, says Burrows, president of Barometer Capital Management, who spoke on BNN Bloomberg on Thursday.

It was always a pretty thin stock, so it was difficult for an institution to own [it]. The stock has become more liquid, but they really have grown into life sciences and food and beverage and consumer products, he said.

We all know that companies are looking for ways to automate. In a world where input costs are going up and employment costs are going up, there is going to be no shortage of companies that as they look to start investing in their capital infrastructure are going to look to add to their automation, Burrows said.

After literally years of going no place special, ATS Automation started to pop last fall as the impact of COVID-19 on businesses caused a surge in demand for its products and services. The stock went from about $20 last September to above $35 by July of this year. Now, with its most recent quarterly earnings report, ATS is now up above $40.

Cambridge, Ontario-based ATS Automation makes custom automation and integration solutions for companies in markets such as life sciences, food and beverage, transportation, consumer products and energy. The company is international in scope with now 28 facilities across 20 countries and over 5,000 employees.

Burrows says the tailwinds for ATS are still strong.

Theres a great backdrop for automation, he said. I recommended a couple of years ago the ROBO [Global Robotics and Automation NYSE: ROBO] and BOTZ [Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence NASDAQ:BOTZ] ETFs, which have exposure to robotics and automation.

But in our own backyard here, I think ATS is a great business and it could grow for a long time. With their most recent earnings they beat the estimate by 50 per cent. I think their order book was up 74 per cent year-over-year, and theyre going to have opportunity to make acquisitions along the way, he said.

So, I think this can be quite an exciting story and one that I hopefully will own for quite some time, Burrows said.

Stifel GMP analyst Justin Keywood would tend to agree. The analyst said in a July 27 report that the backdrop for ATS Automations business features rising costs, supply chain challenges and a tight labour market, all of which point to a strong demand for automation, one which has been clearly evident in the results of ATSs peers in the industry.

We forecast 37 per cent year-over-year growth in sales and 44 per cent growth in EBITDA over the next 12 months [for ATS], said Keywood in his report. Our sales forecast includes ten per cent organic growth, which we see as conservative, with the remaining attributable to recent M&A. Our 37 per cent growth forecast, combined with 14 per cent EBITDA margins, sums to 51 per cent and exceeds the Rule of 40, which we see as leading to a premium valuation.

We see a strong investment case for higher valuation for ATA, despite the recent outperformance, Keywood wrote.

For ATSs fiscal first quarter 2022, delivered on August 11 and for the period ended June 27, the company showed revenue up 57 per cent year-over-year to $510.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA almost doubled from $39.2 million for the Q1 2021 to $77.9 million, while EPS came in at $0.37 per share compared to $0.11 per share a year earlier.

Whats more, the companys order bookings jumped by 96 per cent from a year ago to $637 million, while the order backlog climbed 37 per cent to $1.248 billion.

First quarter performance featured strong organic revenue growth, contributions from strategic acquisitions, record Order Bookings and progress toward our margin expansion objective, said Andrew Hider, CEO, in a press release.

These results reflected good execution, and compared to a year ago, a more stable economic environment. We are proud of the ongoing efforts of the ATS team worldwide to address customer needs during the pandemic while maintaining our focus on continuous improvement through the ATS Business Model. Looking ahead, our record Order Backlog provides good revenue visibility, our balance sheet enables us to pursue our M&A strategy and we are positioned well to create long-term shareholder value, Hider said.

Looking ahead, the company said in the fiscal Q1 report that the funnel (which includes customer requests for proposals and identified customer opportunities) in its life sciences and food and beverage businesses remain robust, while strategic opportunities lie ahead in transportation and funnel activity in consumer products has improved.

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Still more upside to ATS Automation, this investor says - Cantech Letter

Imagine what a lawyer does on a given day: researching cases, drafting briefs, advising clients.

While technology has been nibbling around the edges of the legal profession for some time, it's hard to imagine those complex tasks being done by a robot.

And it is those complicated, personalized tasks that have led technologists to include lawyers in a broader category of jobs that are considered pretty safe from a future of advanced robotics and artificial intelligence.

But, as we discovered in a recent research collaboration to analyze legal briefs using a branch of artificial intelligence known as machine learning, lawyers' jobs are a lot less safe than we thought. It turns out that you don't need to completely automate a job to fundamentally change it. All you need to do is automate part of it.

While this may be bad news for tomorrow's lawyers, it could be great for their future clients particularly those who have trouble affording legal assistance.

Our research project in which we collaborated with computer scientists and linguists at MITRE, a federally funded nonprofit devoted to research and development was not meant to be about automation. As law professors, we were trying to identify the text features of successful versus unsuccessful legal briefs.

We gathered a small cache of legal briefs and judges' opinions and processed the text for analysis.

One of the first things we learned is that it can be hard to predict which tasks are easily automated. For example, citations in a brief such as "Brown v. Board of Education 347 U.S. 483 (1954)" are very easy for a human to pick out and separate from the rest of the text. Not so for machine learning software, which got tripped up in the blizzard of punctuation inside and outside the citation.

It was like those "Captcha" boxes you are asked to complete on websites to prove you're not a robot a human can easily spot a telephone pole, but a robot will get confused by all the background noise in the image.

Once we figured out how to identify the citations, we inadvertently stumbled on a methodology to automate one of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of legal practice: legal research.

The scientists at MITRE used a methodology called "graph analysis" to create visual networks of legal citations. The graph analysis enabled us to predict whether a brief would "win" based on how well other briefs performed when they included a particular citation.

Later, however, we realized the process could be reversed. If you were a lawyer responding to the other side's brief, normally you would have to search laboriously for the right cases to cite using an expensive database. But our research suggested that we could build a database with software that would just tell lawyers the best cases to cite. All you would need to is feed the other side's brief into the machine.

Now we didn't actually construct our research-shortcut machine. We would need a mountain of lawyers' briefs and judicial opinions to make something useful. And researchers like us do not have free access to data of that sort even the government-run database known as PACER charges by the page.

But it does show how technology can turn any task that is extremely time-consuming for humans into one where the heavy lifting can be done at the click of a button.

Automating the hard parts of a job can make a big difference both for those performing the job and the consumers on the other side of the transaction.

Take for example, a hydraulic crane or a power forklift. While today people think of operating a crane as manual work, these powered machines were considered labor-saving devices when they were first introduced because they supplanted the human power involved in moving heavy objects around.

Forklifts and cranes, of course, didn't replace people. But like automating the grind of legal research, power machines multiplied the amount of work one person could accomplish within a unit of time.

Partial automation of sewing machines in the early 20th century offers another example. By the 1910s, women working in textile mills were no longer responsible for sewing on a single machine as you might today on a home sewing machine but wrangling an industrial-grade machine with 12 needles sewing 4,000 stitches per minute. These machines could automatically perform all the fussy work of hemming, sewing seams and even stitching the "embroidery trimming of white underwear." Like an airline pilot flying on autopilot, they weren't sewing so much as monitoring the machine for problems.

Was the transition bad for workers? Maybe somewhat, but it was a boon for consumers. In 1912, women perusing the Sears mail order catalog had a choice between "drawers" with premium hand-embroidered trimming, and a much cheaper machine-embroidered option.

Likewise, automation could help reduce the cost of legal services, making it more accessible for the many individuals who can't afford a lawyer.

Indeed, in other sectors of the economy, technological developments in recent decades have enabled companies to shift work from paid workers to customers.

Touchscreen technology, for example, enabled airlines to install check-in kiosks. Similar kiosks are almost everywhere in parking lots, gas stations, grocery stores and even fast-food restaurants.

At one level these kiosks are displacing paid labor by employees with unpaid labor by consumers. But that argument assumes that everyone could access the product or service back when it was performed by an employee.

In the context of legal services, the many consumers who can't afford a lawyer are already forgoing their day in court altogether or handling legal claims on their own often with bad results. If partial automation means an overwhelmed legal aid lawyer now has time to take more clients' cases or clients can now afford to hire a lawyer, everyone will be better off.

In addition, tech-enabled legal services can help consumers do a better job of representing themselves. For example, the federal district court in Missouri now offers a platform to help individuals filing for bankruptcy prepare their forms either on their own or with a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer. Because the platform provides a head start, both the lawyer and consumer can make better use of the 30-minute time slot.

More help for consumers may be on the way there is a bumper crop of tech startups jostling to automate various types of legal work. So while our research-shortcut machine hasn't been built, powerful tools like it may not be far off.

And the lawyers themselves? Like factory and textile workers armed with new power tools, they may be expected to do more work in the time they have. But it should be less of a grind. It might even free them up to meet with clients.

Elizabeth C. Tippett, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oregon and Charlotte Alexander, Associate Professor of Law and Analytics, Georgia State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Could we replace lawyers with robots? In some cases, yes - Big Think

Syntegon Technology presents its latest processing and packaging solutions at PACK EXPO in Las Vegas from September 27 to 29, 2021. The focus of booth C-2800 is on intelligent robotics and automation technologies. Two automated lines and a series of live presentations offer visitors insights into Syntegons equipment and service portfolio for the factory of the future.

Each robotic cell of the new robotics pick-and-place platform RPP can be configurated individually to automate processes such as feeding, handling and loading. Picture: Syntegon

The Covid-19 pandemic has further fueled the automation megatrend. While Syntegon has been offering robotic solutions for decades, the newly developed pick-and-place platform, Syntegon RPP, has a modular and highly flexible platform that automates process steps such as handling, feeding, and loading for a wide range of products. Together with transport modules, the Delta robots can be flexibly connected and seamlessly integrated into an overall system.

With the Sigpack TTMD topload cartoner with integrated Delta robots, Syntegon showcases another solution for automated secondary packaging. The TTMD is equipped with one or more Delta robot cells. It processes products from mulitple infeed sources in random order and orientation. A camera-based vision system detects the individual products on the infeed belt. Robotic arms pick the products and place them flat or on-edge in the cartons.

The Sigpack TTMD topload cartoner with integrated Delta robots, picks the products and places them flat or on-edge in the cartons. Picture: Syntegon

Additionally, the Kliklok ACE offers food manufacturers full flexibility in carton forming. They can choose between glue, lock-style, or an innovative ultrasonic technology. Both the lock-style and ultrasonic versions are glue-free, making them a sustainable option for different carton format sizes. At PACK EXPO, visitors can experience the sustainability and efficiency benefits of the Kliklok ACE live and take a closer look at sample trays made from paper that can replace commonly used plastic trays for cookies.

Two automated lines provide a live overview of Syntegons line competence. The first line features the newly developed robotic pick and place platform RPP. The RPP Delta Robots load cookies into the infeed chain of the Pack 403 HE horizontal flow wrapper, which is specifically designed for a harsh environment and high production volumes. The flow-wrapped cookies are then packed into cartons on the Kliklok ITC integrated topload cartoner.

The second line demonstrates Syntegons international footprint: all technologies come from different sites and can be seamlessly integrated into one comprehensive bag-in-box line for crackers: the SVE 3822 vertical bagger feeds the crackers into a Kliklok MEC endload cartoner using the bag in box interceptor infeed with continous motion. A virtual display shows how the line can additionally be equipped with an Elematic case packer that is known for its pack style flexibility as well as tool-less and quick format changeovers.

In addition to the exhibited technologies, visitors to the booth can attend Syntegons live presentations. Robotics experts give detailed insights into the benefits of automated solutions, such as the Syntegon RPP pick-and-place platform or the Sigpack TTMD cartoner.

PACK EXPO also marks the virtual launch of Syntegons latest liquid filling machine: the LFS, which is available in clean and ultra-clean hygienic executions, fills and packages liquid and viscous food. Thanks to the new modular concept, manufacturers are able to react quickly to changing market demands and enhance their production.

Syntegon also presents an innovation for the pharmaceutical industry: with the flexible filling platform Versynta FFP, Syntegon offers pharmaceutical manufacturers, R&D laboratories, and biotech startups a standardized, modular small batch solution to safely fill liquid pharmaceuticals. Syntegon experts will be available to discuss solutions for both liquid and solid dosage forms at the booth.

With the Kliklok ACE food manufacturers can opt for innovative lock-style or ultrasonic technology both are glue-free, making them a sustainable option for different carton formats. Picture: Syntegon

All live presentations include corresponding service offers as well as a presentation of digital solutions. Syntegons comprehensive consulting and service portfolio along the entire machine lifecycle is tailored to specific customer needs. Remote Service is just one example to receive real-time assistance for fast and efficient support.

Syntegons digital solutions are designed to monitor and increase effectiveness in operations and maintenance on the shopfloor. For instance, a live presentation shows that the system not only displays machine performance data but also detects and tracks events. As of November, all Syntegon machines will be delivered IoT ready and provide interfaces for numerous digital solutions. Customers benefit from a holistic concept for generating, processing and analyzing machine data, entering a new level of digitalization.

Learn more about Syntegons robotics and automation solutions and meet the experts at PACK EXPO in Las Vegas (Central Hall, C-2800) from September 27 to 29, 2021.

Original post:

Syntegon to Showcase Robotics and Automation Solutions at Pack Expo 2021 - Healthcare Packaging

Eastman Kodak Company and Pacific Office Automation (POA), the largest office and printing technology equipment dealer in the US, have announced an agreement under which Pacific Office Automation will become a key distributor of Kodak digital print solutions.

The collaboration with Pacific Office Automation will increase accessibility of Kodak's digital print equipment, including KODAK NEXFINITY and KODAK PROSPER Presses to US-based customers.

"As digital print continues to gain momentum, we are excited to be working with POA to make Kodak's highly versatile and efficient digital print solutions even more accessible," said Jeff Perkins, US VP digital print, Eastman Kodak Company.

"Pacific Office Automation looks forward to our relationship with Kodak," said Doug Pitassi, President, Pacific Office Automation. "The technology they provide fills a demand that we know will satisfy our current customers and the new ones that we acquire."

Pacific Office Automation is a privately held technology company based in Beaverton, Oregon. With 31 locations and 1,200 employees across the western US, POA operates both nationally and internationally.

Originally posted here:

Kodak, Pacific Office Automation Announce Reseller Agreement - Covering the Printing Inks, Coatings and Allied Industries - Ink World - Ink World...

Digital twin simulations that provide end-users with a virtual copy of plant assets and production systems, though not yet widely used in industry, have been used for tasks such as production monitoring for some time now. However, new contributions from the field of video game development may both expand the core functionality of digital twins and extend their use from operations management to other departments such as sales and marketing.

According to Brad Hart, chief technology officer at Perforce Software, video game engines such as Unreal, which gave its name to the popular Unreal first person shooter franchise, boast sophisticated visualization capabilities and complex physics engines that make them the perfect tool for enhancing digital twin simulations. Current industrial digital twin software is, for the most part, highly technical and may require an engineering background to fully comprehend. By improving the accessibility, quality and realism of the visualizations, game engines like Unreal could help unlock new applications for digital twin technology.

For instance, automotive manufacturer Audi has brought physical data from its digital twin production pipeline into the Unreal engine to simulate the design of new vehicles. Not only can the performance of these vehicles be tested in a virtual environment, but these new digital twins powered by video game engines can more easily be exhibited to corporate executives in a highly realistic and interactive manner long before a single unit is actually produced. Similarly, aerospace companies that build private jets for high-class clientele can share design blue prints with customers far more effectively via the use of a digital twin simulation.

Think about 3D models put out by digital twins in the past. Theyre still for engineering mindsnot for the sales team, marketing executives, or consumers, Hart says. These people want to be as close to feeling the end product as possible. They want to be able to touch it before its physically built. These more sophisticated visualizations open up the utility of the digital twin to more people.

In addition, the use of powerful game engines may make rapid prototyping, digital planning, and virtual commissioning of plants and equipment easier to achieve. Tests that previously involved complex calculationseven with the aid of a digital twincan be iterated more quickly through the use of a more robust simulation.

Still, those in industry working on digital twin technology need not fear game developers stealing their jobs. While automotive, aviation, and several other manufacturing sectors are seeking game developers to help them build more realistic industrial simulations, the tasks they are performing complement rather than replace those performed by others.

Without a doubt, some of the biggest manufacturing industries are bringing game developers onto their staffs to assist with this. It really is opening up opportunities for people in game development to branch out into new industries, Hart says. But it doesnt preclude what people already in manufacturing working on digital twin are doing. Were just augmenting the skillsets that already exist within these organizations.

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Game Development Technology for The Digital Twin - Automation World