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NOIDA, India, Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Food Automation Market was valued at more than USD 10 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% from 2022-2028. The analysis has been segmented into Type (Motor Controls, Discrete controllers & visualization, Rotary products, Others); Application (Processing, Packaging & Repackaging, Palletizing, Sorting & Grading, Others); End-User (Dairy, Bakery, Confectionery, Fruits and Beverage, Meat-Poultry & Sea-Food, Others); Region/Country.

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Food Automation Market: Current Analysis and Forecast (2021-2027)

The Food Automation market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the Food Automation market. The Food Automation market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Food Automation market at the global and regional levels.

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Market Overview

Rising disposable income, surging demand for processed food, etc., are some of the key factors that are contributing to the growth of food automation. Also, the decreasing labor productivity, labor working hours, and the total output as well. Deployment of robotics helps in increasing output, time-saving, smooth, and efficient operations as well. As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food manufacturing employs around 1.6 million workers. Furthermore, with surging mishappening during food processing and other operations, there is a greater demand for food robots. In 2018, the incident rate for food manufacturing workers in the U.S. was 4.2%. Burns, cuts, and slips are among the most common types of injuries in food processing plants.

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COVID-19 Impact

The COVID19 pandemic has negatively impactedseveralindustries, including industries engaged in food and beverages manufacturing. Due to the social distancing norms and regulations by the government. Many F&B industries were operatingbelowcapacity. Furthermore, in April and May 2020, worker illnesses from COVID-19 led to the shutdown of several large beef and pork packing plants, as roughly 40% of processing capacity was brought offline in the United States. Also, the shortages of food items and price hikes were registered.As per Brain Corp, afirm that designs softwareused in automated floor cleaners, autonomous floor care robotusage has risen in recent months toabout 8,000hours of dailywork, a13%increasefrompre-pandemicuse.

However, with the stabilization in the economy, the demand for robots in the food sector is also started uplifting. As per Association for Advancing Automation, robot orders increase 67% in q2 2021 over the same period in 2020, showing a return to pre-pandemic demand for automation.

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Food Automation Market: Current Analysis and Forecast (2021-2027)

The global Food Automation market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

The palletizing segment grabbed the major market share and dominated the market in 2020. however, the packaging & repackaging segment would witness an astronomical CAGR during the forthcoming years. as per the association for packaging and processing technologies, around 33% of the food processing and 94% of packaging operations are using robotics.

The meat-poultry & seafood segment grabbed majority market share in 2020. As per Food and Agriculture Organizations in the United States, World total meat production is estimated at 337.2 million tonnes (in carcass weight equivalent) in 2020. However, the growing demand for dairy products by consumers is contributing to the growing share of this segment.

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Food Automation Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America (United States, Canada, and Rest of North America)

Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, and the Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Rest of the World

Based on the estimation, the Asia-Pacific to witness significant share growth in the market. Surging disposable income coupled with the rising number of working parents across the globe is contributing to the growth of the demand for ready-to-eat food products, therefore, the demand for food automation is also rising. However, the North America region would witness considerable growth in the forthcoming years.

The major players targeting the market include

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Siemens AG

ABB Ltd

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Schneider Electric SE

Yokogawa Electric Corporation

GEA Group

Fortive Corporation

Yaskawa Electric Corporation

Rexnord Corporation.

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the Food Automation market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the Food Automation market?

Which factors are influencing the Food Automation market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the Food Automation market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the Food Automation market?

What are the demanding global regions of the Food Automation market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

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Food Automation Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute

Details

Base year

2020

Forecast period

2021-2027

Growth momentum

Accelerate at a CAGR of over 6%

Market size 2020

USD 10 billion

Regional analysis

North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World

Major contributing region

APAC to Dominate the Global Food Automation Market

Key countries covered

United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, India, and Australia

Companies profiled

Rockwell Automation, Inc., Siemens AG, ABB Ltd, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Schneider Electric SE, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, GEA Group, Fortive Corporation, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Rexnord Corporation.

Report Scope

Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling

Segments Covered

By Type; By Application; By End-Users; By Region/Country

About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI)

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

ContactUnivDatos Market InsightsAnkita GuptaDirector OperationsPh: +91-7838604911Email: Ankita.gupta@univdatos.comWebsite: https://univdatos.com/

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Stringent International Food Safety Regulations to Proliferate Food Automation Market to Reach Higher by 2027, Globally | UnivDatos Market Insights -...

Advances in automation and robotics are helping manufacturers improve quality, fill labor shortages and promote personnel.

Matt Knutson, Donatelle

Medical device companies are competing for workers in one of the tightest-ever job markets. Meanwhile, there is pent-up demand for medical products worldwide due to increasing need along with pandemic-fueled supply chain problems.

There is a way medical device companies can overcome labor challenges and fulfill orders to take advantage of market demand. High-volume production facilities have long relied on help from multimillion-dollar automated assembly lines and robotics. For decades, those systems were too expensive or impractical for medium- and low-production runs.

But robotic technology has advanced and expanded to the point where flexible automation makes sense for lower volumes and to bolster workforces.

Many have feared advances in manufacturing would take away jobs and push more costly and fallible human workers out. However, automation systems and humans are both needed to operate manufacturing facilities efficiently, consistently and safely. Not everything can or should be fully automated, and not everything can or should be done by humans.

Flexible automation allows manufacturers to move workers off menial, repetitive tasks, and retrain them for higher-level roles that require cognitive agility and decision-making. Rather than stealing jobs from humans, automation and robotics can promote us.

Recently, one medical manufacturer with a product family produced through a labor-intensive, manual assembly and insert molding process invested in new molding equipment. The team deployed an automation cell with a cobot (collaborative robot) to perform many repetitive tasks previously completed by a human operator. The switch resulted in consistent cycle times which is key in injection molding and a consistent level of quality with automatic separation of non-conforming parts. It also met the customers pricing target by reducing costs over prior models. In addition, the manufacturers investment helped alleviate the labor shortages it faced and enabled them to train plant floor employees for more complex tasks needed in higher-level positions.

There are generally two types of robots used for medical device production: industrial robots and cobots. Medtech manufacturers often deploy industrial robots in automation cells. They require hard guarding and/or light curtains to prevent injuries.

Cobots can be programmed to learn multiple tasks, and with built-in controls can safely work alongside human colleagues in production. Generally, manufacturers use cobots to perform repetitive tasks that may need to be moved between jobs or work centers. Setup is quick and easy. With proper risk assessment, they do not require hard guarding. Cobots often are deployed for loading/unloading inserts into a thermoplastic or liquid silicone molding process, and automated inspection with machine vision systems or pad printing.

Cobots have revolutionized manufacturing automation cost-effectiveness. Cobots are far less expensive than a full-fledged robot and easy to program. As a result, they take over menial jobs while improving precision in tedious tasks and increasing the overall safety of personnel and equipment. Before cobots came into their own, manufacturers spent much time and money designing and implementing safety systems to protect personnel and equipment from hazards. Now cobots can perform many of these tasks.

Once a cobot is programmed, assessed/tested, approved and deployed, its ready to handle whatever task its assigned. Its possible to reassign a cobot as needed.

Companies need to ensure internal staff or contact manufacturing partners have the knowledge and expertise to deploy and maintain their automation systems compliantly. In highly-regulated markets like the medical device industry, there are numerous, often complex regulations and international standards for automated systems in manufacturing applications. Therefore, proper automation system installation and operational and performance qualification, including process validation, are musts.

Choosing when, where and how to deploy robots requires strategic planning. The goal is to maximize operations and productivity and optimize personnel. Manufacturers should keenly focus on putting employees into roles that require cognitive agility and real-time decision-making. These roles generally are more enriching, which can help recruiting and retention.

Take inspections, for example. Those that are straightforward, such as measuring a known feature or confirming the presence or absence of a component, can be done efficiently and effectively by robots. But thats repetitive and often tedious work for humans. However, an inspection process to determine whether foreign material is inside a sealed package can be difficult and nuanced. All the surfaces of the part need to be assessed in all directions. A human can hold the package and tip it every which way, and put it under a microscope if they think they see something. A human has the ability to infinitely manipulate the product being inspected, whereas automation would typically follow a sequence and programming. Its possible to achieve quality and consistency through thoughtful and deliberate deployment of automation with vision systems.

Humans are needed to design, maintain and oversee operations. This is where the labor shortages are critical and intensely competitive. Manufacturers need technicians who are well-versed in setting up and adjusting systems and engineers with the deep expertise and knowledge to develop, qualify, troubleshoot and oversee the systems. They also need skilled personnel on the production and assembly lines who can operate and work alongside machines. All of these roles now require a higher level of training and education than the tasks that machines can now perform.

Medical device manufacturers can automate many critical tasks, enabling the exact operation to be done in the same manner at the same time. Compared to a multi-shift operation with a variety of skilled human operators, they could be doing the same task, but slightly differently or vastly differently. A robot will do what it is programmed to do repeatedly and consistently. It wont get fatigued, distracted or bored. The endgame is improved productivity to meet supply and demand, reduced risk and better allocation of resources for all involved.

The opinions expressed in this post are the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of MedicalDesignandOutsourcing.com or its employees.

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Leverage automation to get ahead of supply and demand - Medical Design & Outsourcing

Robotic process automation is defined as a software technology that reduces or removes human effort involved in business processes by using virtual robot software or bots, which are often powered by artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), optical character recognition (OCR), and other cognitive technologies. This article explains how RPA works, its uses and the top five RPA software to use right now.

Robotic process automation is a software technology that reduces or removes the human effort involved in business processes by using virtual robot software or bots, which are often powered by artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), optical character recognition (OCR), and other cognitive technologies.

While RPA refers to robots in its name, the technology doesnt use robotics, unlike industrial automation. Instead, it relies on pieces of software which could be standalone automation scripts or end-to-end automation apps to replace human effort. For example, the software may fetch data from a system at a given time and transfer it to another after running a series of checks without human intervention. The software used in RPA is known as bots, which could be either pre-packaged or custom-built.

While automation has been around since the 1900s, RPA rose to prominence only after the evolution and growing accessibility of AI and machine learning. These cognitive technologies allow bots to respond to various event triggers and perform complex tasks.

For example, the OCR AI technique allows RPA bots to extract or read information from an image, much like a human can. Further, thanks to machine learning algorithms, the bots get increasingly more powerful and effective every time they are used. For instance, if a human user matches an image with a text the first time, the bot can use ML to learn from this correction and do it automatically the next time.

RPA is rapidly evolving as these cognitive technologies become increasingly more advanced. For example, in 2020, Gartner coined the term hyperautomation to refer to next-gen RPA that uses exceptionally intelligent AI/ML to make decisions and execute actions perfectly aligned with business objectives.

See More: Top 10 Open Source Artificial Intelligence Software in 2021

While robotic process automation can be classified in terms of its purpose, there are only three types of RPA as per their internal operations. These are:

1. Attended RPA: Attended RPA is a tool used by a human employee and is not automatically triggered. For example, let us say an employee must go through six different steps to complete a task. Instead, they can simply run an RPA program to perform the same task automatically, but there needs to be a human to launch the code. iPhone Shortcuts is an excellent example of this type of automation in our daily life.

2. Unattended RPA: Unattended RPA is typically event-based and operates at the backend of IT infrastructure. When a specific event occurs, the RPA bot kicks into action and launches a sequence of tasks. The event could also be a date or time, allowing unattended RPA to run in the background per a preconfigured schedule. Sometimes, unattended RPA can have a human in the loop (HTTL) to handle rare exceptions.

3. Hybrid RPA: This is probably the most common type of RPA adopted by enterprises. An end-to-end automated workflow will have both attended and unattended bots that work together to perform a more significant function. For example, an unattended bot could analyze data in the background and present the insights to the user. After looking at the insights, the user presses a button to execute a series of actions: attended automation. Together, these make up a hybrid RPA process.

See More: What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a Service? Definition, Architecture, and Trends

Robotic process automation (RPA) employs computer software robots to conduct repetitive, rule-based digital operations such as reentering data or copying and pasting. RPA functions by tapping into your current IT architecture and database management solutions. One may integrate RPA technologies with applications in a variety of ways:

RPA may function via linkages to data systems and enterprise web services. There is also the option of front-end or desktop connections, which come in various ways. On the front end, your automation may link with desktop apps (like SAP, PeopleSoft, and Salesforce CRM) and other resources to complete the task in several ways. Similar to a human operator, front-end automation may read and write data and record events directly from the UI of the target application.

A distributed strategy for automation development is frequently the best solution for complicated scenarios, while process recording is effective for more straightforward and standard business processes. The layered method divides the many components of process automation into several levels, each of which is responsible for specific functionalities. The process layer is at the top, followed by subprocesses that may be layered inside the main processes. Users may construct objects or processes for particular activities from a lower-level layer of elements or screen interactions.

In some respects, the notion of process recording is comparable to configuring a Microsoft Excel macro to handle a series of actions. Process recording transforms the users actions into a procedure that duplicates them. It may facilitate the rapid and straightforward development of process automation.

Advanced automation using artificial intelligence (AI) and associated technologies like optical character recognition or OCR, machine learning, and text analytics. Cognitive automation may use unstructured data sources such as scanned documents, emails, and letters, while supervised and unsupervised RPA flourish with operations that utilize information from organized databases.

See More: What Is Machine Learning? Definition, Types, Applications, and Trends for 2022

The automatic production of invoices is one of the most popular instances of RPA. It is a vital role for every organization, but it may also be a crucial responsibility sometimes. This work is often repetitive, making it iterative (and time-consuming) for human staff who must do tens of thousands of such activities daily.

Because they are repetitive and organized, these procedures are great candidates for RPA automation. In a typical company, the workflow for this procedure may look as follows:

All of these tasks may be automated using the RPA tool. As soon as a consumer sends an initial email, all these actions will be completed instantly by RPA bots without human intervention. Data preparation and purification in a structured manner enables software bots to simply copy and paste information from one area to another without human involvement.

If data is insufficient, erroneous, or absent, these software bots may send an acknowledgment to the originator and request the correct data. It avoids all types of errors that may originate from human error. One must realize that not all processes are suitable for RPA. You should search for procedures that are very predictable and repetitious; unpredictability is our enemy here.

See More: What Is Artificial Intelligence: History, Types, Applications, Benefits, Challenges, and Future of AI

RPA software may be seen as a subset of the no code or low code trend since it needs little or no original programming. The goal is to allow non-programmers, such as a business consultant, threat intelligence analyst, or anyone outside of IT, to construct software successfully in this instance, RPA bots that perform rules-based, repetitive computer activities. The top five applications capable of doing this include:

Automation Anywhere is a U.S.-based software company that creates software for robotic process automation. The company was established in 2003 and has its headquarters in San Jose, California. The Automation Anywhere Platform provides safe business automation in conjunction with process intelligence to enhance operational efficiency.

The Control Room aids in the management of automated processes. It is mainly used at the organizational level and improves operations. Importantly, Automation Anywhere Community Edition is a free RPA application that enables users to automate various basic and complicated processes.

Blue Prism is the trade name of Blue Prism Group plc, a global software company based in the United Kingdom that provides corporate RPA software to support a digital workforce. It was created to automate complicated, end-to-end operational processes. Blue Prism develops Intelligent Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software to equip businesses with a more secure, agile, and intelligent digital workforce.

Blue Prism expands the area of work your company can automate by combining AI and ML, which is supported by an intelligent workforce that handles jobs wherever theyre required.

IBM Robotic Process Automation (RPA) involves using intelligent automation robots in any process demanding efficiency, consistency, and speed without the possibility of error. In essence, it replicates the actions of a human user. It is possible to automate processes via the employment of digital bots, or bots, which carry out pre-programmed, error-free, repetitive operations. To that end, IBM RPA comprises the following components IBM Robotic Process Automation Studio, the Web Client, a Dashboard, and Accessibility features.

The IBM Robotic Process Automation Studio tool (the softwares central component) offers a fundamental value proposition no prior knowledge of programming languages is required to design, run, test, and launch bots on the platform using the tool.

Microsoft Power Automate, previously known as Microsoft Flow till November 2019, is an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) technology for automating recurring processes. It is a component of the Microsoft Power Platform family of tools, including Power Apps and Power BI. Power Automate is a tool that facilitates the creation of automated processes between your preferred applications and services to synchronize files, receive alerts, gather data, and more. Due to its low-code, drag-and-drop capabilities and numerous pre-built connections, Power Automate enables anyone to create automated operations using flows and leverage Azure cloud for scalability.

UiPath is an international software business that develops RPA software. It was established in Bucharest, Romania, but has its HQ in New York City. UiPath is a tool for substantial end-to-end robotic process automation. It offers organizations tools to automate ordinary office tasks for transformational change. It employs a number of techniques to convert monotonous jobs into automated processes.

The advantage of UiPath is its ability to retain enormous amounts of data and ease a process that would otherwise be difficult and laborious. By simply moving and dropping related jobs onto the graphical workspace, the UiPath user will create visual process steps. Then, using the characteristics of the user interface, they may convert these process stages into a visual workflow.

See More: What Is Deep Learning? Definition, Techniques, and Use Cases

An industry that implements RPA may automate its whole labor-intensive and time-consuming workflow, infrastructure, and backend activities. All industries may automate their processes using robotic process automation, which removes the possibility of human inaccuracy entirely. Here are a few scenarios where RPA use makes perfect sense for an organization:

Automated customer service and contact center systems can categorize consumer inquiries and provide initial responses. The automated system may divide inquiries into many groups, including the tech department, customer service department, and others. Processing by an RPA bot guarantees that customer service inquiries reach the appropriate team member for a speedy response. There is no need to transfer the customers call from one agent to another.

Consistency of data across enterprise-level systems is a challenging task. Salespeople must input data into a CRM system and an ERP system. This data must be duplicated and entered into yet another database or module by finance analysts. This leads to duplication, inefficiencies, and a decrease in production. RPA may execute end-to-end sales operations such as data input and invoicing. In addition, bots may maintain databases by deleting redundant information.

Most B2C (Business-to-Consumer) and B2B (Business-to-Business) companies adhere to a client onboarding procedure. So that clients continue to use their goods and services, they must maintain strong customer relations and prevent errors. Utilizing cognitive RPA and OCR (Optical Character Recognition), organizations may accomplish most client onboarding duties relatively easily.

Similarly, establishing and onboarding new staff is a laborious and time-consuming procedure for HR and IT professionals. It involves generating new accounts, email IDs, and access privileges, among other responsibilities. Due to the repetitive and rule-based nature of employee onboarding tasks, it is possible to automate the application of a specified process when a new user account is established. New workers may get notices and documentation via email via RPA bots.

From PDFs, internal databases, and online apps, RPA bots may transfer incoming bills. In addition, the RPA bot may install a duplicated PDF on an internal server, which is essential for ensuring regulatory compliance and can minimize contractor invoice processing timelines by up to 60%. Bots can maintain client master records and credit approvals with greater speed and precision. The same applies to AP cash documents and order processing. In addition, late alerts may be issued through email more swiftly and with less difficulty than is customary for last-minute adjustments.

Finally, accounting data from various sources, like Excel sheets or client bills, must be reconciled. Using automation, one may prepare and download the information into the proper format and check the data for exceptions.

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As the number of patients continues to increase, healthcare companies prioritize cost savings and efficiency as two of the most critical advantages of RPA adoption in healthcare services. Personnel in the healthcare industry may now manage a more extensive patient base, particularly in delivering individualized care and attention.

Implementing RPA reduces expenses associated with maintaining patient medical records, data input, and claim processing, among other tasks. This allows the staff to devote more time to critical operations, such as patient care, rather than tedious and laborious tasks.

Data may appear in several forms, including editable text and handwritten notes. Data entry specialists struggle to read and input the data into the system. It is simple for OCR technology to read information from various formats and input it into the system.

It is simple for OCR technology to read information from various formats and input it into the system. The whole procedure can be computerized with minimal loss of information accuracy. RPA is an excellent investment if your company has to gather and archive information from several sources. Most employee hours are spent on repetitive IT jobs like this one. RPA saves this time and redirects it to other productive pursuits.

In every organization, workers must submit frequent progress reports to their management. Preparing and distributing such reports to management may divert workers focus from regular tasks. Enterprises may use RPA systems to create reports automatically from various data analytics platforms, evaluate their contents, and send them to the appropriate management personnel.

See More: Data Science vs. Machine Learning: Top 10 Differences

Robotic process automation (RPA) is fast becoming a business staple as it dramatically reduces workers efforts. By 2023, Gartner predicts that worldwide spending on RPA will cross $3 billion, which is also due to the pandemic. The COVID-19 period compelled businesses to find new efficiencies and implement ways to do more with less. That is why understanding and implementing RPA and selecting the right RPA software for your needs is an essential lever for enterprises.

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How RPA Transforms Business: Key Tools and Use Cases - Spiceworks News and Insights

Automation and robotics are changing the world. What will their impact be in the coming future? The last couple of years have seen a rising interest in and need for technological solutions in many sectors. Whether driven by the pandemic, labour shortages or supply chain troubles, many sectors are looking for ways to use robotics and automation to improve their business model.

Simply, automation and robotics impact everything from how people travel to the way their favourite goods are created.

Automation and robotics in manufacturing

Automation is a new age modern technology that mechanises a repetitive process, thereby reducing the need for human assistance. As youre likely aware, automation can describe anything from self-checkout lanes at the food mart to automated teller machines (ATMs) at the bank.

Today, Robotics plays a vital role in the manufacturing sector. Automated manufacturing solutions act as a central part of any operation which strives for optimal efficiency, safety & competitive advantage in the market. Manufacturing robots not only automate repetitive tasks, but they also help in reducing margins of error to negligible rates and most importantly empower human workers to focus on more productive areas of the operation.

The industrial robotics market is anticipated to reach $75.3 billion by 2026. Some factors which are bolstering the growth of this market is owing to the anticipated skilled labourers shortage in manufacturing industries and surging demand for cobots (collaborative robots) across industries.

Reducing costs with manufacturing robots

Manufacturing robots offer numerous benefits, including cost savings. This may be surprising, since smaller manufacturing companies may assume that purchasing robotics is an expensive investment. While the initial cost may be steep, the benefits can save manufacturers thousands of rupees in decreasing costs and improved productivity.

The first and probably the most considerable way that robots reduce manufacturing costs is that they do not require compensation. Although the initial cost may seem discouraging, manufacturing businesses will see a long-term return on their investment. This is due to many other benefits:

In nutshell, manufacturing robots offer manufacturers greater consistency and better quality when performing repetitive tasks. Their behaviour is also predictable and their movements are accurate. It also means that they are able to produce high-quality products with little variation and better consistency than their human counterparts.

Also, robotic workers do not need to take breaks and can work 24 hours a day without shift changes or other interruptions. Once a robot has been perfectly programmed and trained to do a certain work, it can speed up production by decreasing part cycle times and creating more effective manufacturing processes which translates into higher profits.

Robots in manufacturing applications

One of the most prevalent applications where around 40% industrial robots are used is material handling landscape. Material handling robots have the potential to automate some of the most daunting and unsafe tasks in the production line.

With the introduction of collaborative robots, into the manufacturing sector at a reasonable price, the capacity to revolutionise manufacturing/production lines is proliferating.

While around 30% of the robots implemented in the manufacturing sector are welders, the welding segment mainly consists of spot welding and arc welding and more and more welding robots are being integrated by small manufacturers into the fabrication line. The cost of welding robots is plunging which has made it easier to automate a welding process. Also, these robots not only provide better efficiency, accuracy, speed, but also offer enhanced performance for welding parts of various shapes & sizes. It also supports a large variety of intelligent functions that include ready-to-use robotic vision, as well as collision avoidance.

Future of robotics and automation

Automation and robotics in manufacturing has brought forth many beneficial changes in the industrial sector. The impact of automated manufacturing robots are far-reaching and widespread, contributing to increased productivity and business performance throughout the organisation. When humans are released from duties these automated robots can readily perform, they can devote more time and energy to higher-level organisational positions. A definite enhancement may be seen in how a company conducts its business when robots are properly integrated into those processes.

(The author is Mr. Siddhant Bery, Managing Partner and CEO, of KSP INC and the views expressed in this article are his own)

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THE RISE OF AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS IN MANUFACTURING - CXOToday.com

A new study has listed `factories automation as one of the top three emerging trends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the UAE in 2023. The other two upcoming trends for 2023 in the two GCC countries, according to the study by Poly, are smart living and smart working.

Factories automation

As KSA works to establish several smart cities, there is a tendency within the kingdom toward factory automation. The main objective is to benefit from Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and smart innovations, reduce costs, and raise efficiency, the study revealed.

In the near future, around 4000 factories all over the KSA will be largely dependent on automated machines and smart technologies. This is part of the recently launched The Future Factories Program, initiated by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, it noted.

The Saudi government aims to utilise the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to achieve considerable progress in its production sector, through the blend of various innovative technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, robots, 3D printing, and the internet of things to establish a strong economy based on the latest technologies and innovations.

In the UAE, the government announced in October 2021 the plan to harness the technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The purpose of this plan, The Projects of the 50, is to raise productivity and deliver more innovative products using automated systems during the coming fifty years in an initiative that is unprecedented in the region.

These automated systems that will be managing functions in several factories would enable employees to have more flexibility in their working hours and pattern. According to the new Poly study, Recruit, Retain and Grow, 88% of UAE companies believe that employees should be allowed to request flexible working hours from day one. Furthermore, Over half (56%) of all organizations, and 69% of UAE-based organizations, believe that if they dont address their hybrid work processes and plans, theyll start to lose staff and be unable to attract new talent.

Bob Aoun, Sales Director at Poly, says: The operation of factories and various production facilities which relies on AI- technologies became a vital element in the success of the production in any given sector. This move is crucial to increase profit and maintain growth and sustainability.

Smart cities will boost smart working

Smart working, aka hybrid working, is equally popular among employees and employers because it boosts productivity. Almost 70% of the UAE firms believe that failing to address their hybrid work procedures and strategies will result in employee turnover and an inability to recruit new talent.

We are moving a step further as a world and seeing the conversations around smart cities start at the same time. The linear city "The Line" in Saudi Arabia has been proposed with the objective of facilitating a perfect work-life balance for its residents.

The same trend is getting quite prevailing in the UAE. Arising from the Emirati government's vision for 2021, one of the most important priorities is to establish a sustainable environment and infrastructure that achieves the goals of the future.

The first smart city to be launched in the UAE goes back a decade ago. Masdar City is the first smart and sustainable city in the region. This progressive city benefits from a blend of advanced technologies and methods from the architecture of the city to the utilization of solar energy to depend on sustainable and renewable resources.

We are entering an era of smart living where smart working will become non-negotiable. This requires smart working methods and tools to empower this change, the study points out.

Aoun says: The entire KSA is a progressive region. We no longer have an excuse to not believe in hybrid working or smart working. For example, 33% of companies are seeing productivity gains from hybrid working in excess of 50% within the UAE itself.

Smart working

Smart working has put the power in the employees hands, and autonomous decision-making is on the rise as more people are adopting hybrid working patterns. However, the lack of sufficient resources for hybrid work enablement, such as technology, policies, and manager training, ultimately disempowers employees. Only 51% of organizations globally have taken steps to prevent people from feeling like they need to be always on. Weakened organizational culture leaves the workforce demotivated and unwilling to go the extra mile quiet quitting.

Companies should provide employees not only with flexibility in working conditions but also armor them with the technology and communicate how to utilize the technology to their advantage. Technology should equalize hybrid working experience no matter where the job is done from, rather than causing overwork and burnout.

Aoun comments: Dont just give employees the technology and let them figure it out. It is extremely important to communicate to employees regarding the company culture, rules of engagement, and especially training managers who are responsible for people management. 10% of UAE organizations have seen employee burnout, and 13% have seen a reduction in employee engagement because everyone worked from a different location.

The three new trends in KSA and the UAE reflect the future vision of the country to have a progressive lifestyle from all aspects. The transformation towards relying on cutting-edge technologies has become crucial for the advancement of any country. However, the provision of the required tools and devices plays a significant role in this regard.--TradeArabia News Service

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Automation, smart working among top trends in region - Trade Arabia

MOORESTOWN, N.J.and MUMBAI, India, Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nividous has recently introduced improvements to its platform's Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) capabilities. These new advancements allow out-of-the-box data extraction from any document type (such as invoices, identity cards, and loan applications) and various formats, including structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. The new IDP improvements are enabled by the Natural Language Processing (NLP) and intelligent Computer Vision (CV) technologies natively available within the Nividous platform.

Shvetal Desai, Co-founder of Nividous, says, "The advancements in our platform's IDP capabilities have helped several of our customers, from automobile to consumer goods companies, cut down the upfront time spent on building automation workflows by 10x. Moreover, end users can train these models for further customization on top of what is available out-of-the-box."

A general form processor allows any format and type of documents, including skewed and rotated, to be processed with utmost accuracy. There is no need to create templates for each document or document type. Users simply pick out the fields that need to be extracted based on the selected pre-built model type (e.g., invoice) and can then add as many additional fields as are required. Tabular data fields can also be extracted without defining each column. Once the extraction is done, the extracted data is presented in an intuitive maker-checker split view for users to review and make corrections if required. Check out this video to see Nividous Bots in action performing intelligent automation to process invoices using IDP.

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Nividous Launches Enhanced IDP Capabilities within its Integrated Intelligent Automation Platform - PR Newswire

A recent Gartner survey reveals that 85 per cent of infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders who do not currently have full automation expect to become more automated in the next 2-3 years.

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 70 per cent of organizations will implement structured automation to provide greater flexibility and efficiency, a significant increase from 20 per cent of organizations in 2021.

I&O teams most often use automation for deployment tasks, such as deploying applications (47 per cent), I&O workload automation (43 per cent), and deploying end-user devices (41 per cent).

Automation is essential for I&O to scale for the rising demands of digital business, said Yinuo Geng, VP, Gartner. I&O automation technologies can support IT in enabling speed to market, increasing business agility, ensuring compliance with security and regulatory requirements and optimizing service costs.

Gartners survey was conducted in April and May 2022 among 304 I&O leaders and their direct reports at companies with annual revenue of at least US$1 billion in North America, APAC (Asia Pacific) and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

Ninety percent of respondents who automate application deployment say it has brought value.

However, only 22 per cent of I&O managers currently automate patching and vulnerability remediation, though 70 per cent of those who automate these activities find it has a business impact, stressing the urgency for I&O to extend automation to operational domains.

Only 21 per cent of survey respondents reported high levels of success in their automation efforts. Commonly cited challenges include estimating return on investment to select the best use case opportunities, shifting ways of working towards more consumer-centric approaches, improving legacy processes and infrastructure, and developing and acquiring relevant skills.

When selecting automation initiatives, I&O leaders tend to look towards feasibility and demand volume rather than potential business value, said Melanie Freeze, senior principal, Research at Gartner. I&O leaders can extract more future returns from automation investments if they also prioritize initiatives that are reusable and support innovation and emerging business priorities, she added.

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85 per cent of I&O leaders expect to increase their automation within 3 years: Gartner - IT World Canada

SEATTLE & CHENNAI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Botminds Inc., a leader in Intelligent Automation, will host Fusion 2022, its inaugural partnership conference on 09-Nov-2022 at 10:00 AM IST (08-Nov-2022 at 11:30 PM ET). The virtual event will assemble the best, to re-invent the Intelligent Automation (IA) space. Fusion 2022 will feature speakers from the Botminds partner ecosystem, demonstrated case studies and deep insights for practitioners in the Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) and IA. The event will also highlight skills teams must master to stay competitive and engaged to hyper-automate document heavy processes.

Fusion 2022 will begin with Gokul Ganapathi, CEO & Co-Founder, Botminds Inc., talking about this exciting phase of our journey where we are enabling partners to display their authority in the Intelligent Automation space. Vikas Anand, VP, Head of Growth, Partnership & Alliances, Botminds Inc., will introduce the Botminds Partner Program and the types of partnerships we have. Ansari Ismail, Co-founder, Botminds Inc. will share his views on the world of Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) and where it is headed. Anizudeen Imamudeen, Head of Community Development & Evangelist, will present details of the invite-only Botminds AI Community and the Developer Certification program that Botminds Inc offers to partners, to leverage the full potential of the Botminds AI platform.

Esteemed speakers from Microsoft, Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH), RR Donnelly, Tredence, SLK and OptiSol will talk about the association with Botminds Inc. and how the platform has enabled them to address business challenges within their enterprise. The speaker line-up includes some leaders from our partner ecosystem such as -

We are excited to formally launch our Partner Program and create a space for our partner ecosystem to share best practices and lessons on Intelligent Automation, said Gokul Ganapathi, CEO at Botminds Inc.

We welcome enterprises to pre-book your seats through the registration link.

A recording of the event will be available on LinkedIn after the event.

About Botminds

Botminds Inc. is a new generation Intelligent Automation company that helps enterprises automate document-heavy, knowledge-centric processes with its AI-First, no-code document automation platform. Botminds AI is a unified platform to capture, search, analyse and automate documents and web data. Botminds Inc. stays on top of the research happening at the intersection of Deep Learning & NLP continuously, so you do not have to. We have built our own semantic engine, developed on top of state-of-the-art algorithms and networks. Botminds Inc. is headquartered in Seattle, WA, USA, with our R&D center in Chennai, India. To learn more, visit: http://www.botminds.ai

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Botminds Announces Fusion 2022, a Partner Conference for the Best Minds in Intelligent Automation - Business Wire

Piggly Wiggly Midwest will pilot the Focal Operating System (FocalOS) from Focal Systems at its Wisconsin and Illinois stores. FocalOS digitizes the entire store to automate and optimize ordering, inventory management, merchandising and in-store labor, with the aim of delivering an enhanced customer experience.

Were thrilled to work with such a beloved and historic grocer that has been a staple in American lives for more than a century, said Francois Chaubard, CEO and founder of San Francisco-based Focal Systems. Im seeing the first signs of massive adoption of [artificial intelligence] and computer vision in the grocery and retail industry and its exciting to see one of the best grocery chains helping to lead the charge. In partnering with Focal Systems, Piggly Wiggly Midwest is demonstrating how it continues to be a pioneer in the industry. We look forward to expanding our partnership in years to come.

Focal Systems recently raised $25 million in Series B funding, and its solution rolled out this past May at Cooportunity Market, the only organic food cooperative in Los Angeles. To date, Focal Systems has raised more than $40 million in venture capital funding.

Piggly Wiggly has been changing the industry since it launched its first store, noted Mark McGowan, SVP, retail, at C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc., whichoperates Piggly Wiggly Midwest corporate stores and services independent franchisees under a chain-style model. Our partnership with Focal Systems will enable us to provide an even better shopper experience by leveraging the most innovative retail automation technology available.

Building on its more than a century in the grocery business, Piggly Wiggly continues to grow its presence with stores throughout the Midwest, South and Northeast. Each store contains a specialized local assortment to meet area shoppers needs.

Founded in 1918 as a supplier to independent grocery stores, Keene, N.H.-based C&Sservices customers of all sizes, supplying more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases and institutions with 100,000-plus products, in addition to operating corporate stores. The company is No. 17 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocers 2022 list of the top retailers of food and consumables in North America.

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Piggly Wiggly Midwest to Leverage AI, Automation in Stores - Progressive Grocer

New Customer Attractiveness Scoring provides organizations with flexible models that assess credit worthiness to reduce risk and identify revenue opportunities

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackLine, Inc. (Nasdaq: BL) has unveiled Customer Attractiveness Scoring, new capabilities in its AR (accounts receivable) Intelligence solution designed to provide real-time insights into the risk profile and behavior of an organization's customer base.

Using behavioral insights gleaned in real time during the cash collection and management process, companies can better identify customers who are at risk of defaulting on and/or delaying payments and reduce the risk of debt going bad. BlackLine's added capabilities also will help organizations to better identify customers whose credit risk is minimal, allowing companies to raise credit limits for those who demonstrate consistent payment behavior, thereby becoming a better partner to the business.

As concerns over inflation and an impending economic recession persist, the ability to tap into powerful insights around payment behaviors could help to significantly improve an organization's cash flow. Additionally, as the cost of borrowing continues to rise, companies are looking internally for ways to release working capital to invest elsewhere, without having to borrow from financial institutions. In fact, accordingto the The Hackett Group's report, "2022 Working Capital Survey", the 1,000 largest public companies in the US had almost $1.7 trillion tied up in excess working capital in 2021. As a result, The Hackett Group recommends large companies review and fine tune their credit risk management and collections management processes to capture changing payment behaviors and minimize exposure to bad debt.

Unlike credit risk profiles provided by credit agencies, BlackLine's Customer Attractiveness Scoring shows customer risk based on payment behavior as it's happening, providing the most up-to-date assessment of risk, specific to the trading relationship, instantly to credit teams. Customer Attractiveness Scoring features the following capabilities:

"Given evolving global economic conditions, companies are under increasing pressure to maximize their cash positions, meaning they are spending more time scrutinizing cash flow metrics, such as credit risk management and collections management processes. In fact, we are now seeing executives being asked to report on cash flow and working capital as much as on earnings and revenues," said Andy Lilley, managing director and head of Global AR at BlackLine. "With cash management more critical than ever, we are seeing more customers looking to BlackLine for intelligent insights, as businesses look to harness real-time data and powerful analytics to improve critical decision-making across the enterprise."

The new Customer Attractiveness Scoring sits within BlackLine'sAR Intelligence solution, which enables customers to manage financial risks and opportunities by providing access to real-time, actionable data, which helps them understand their customers' financial behaviors and use the information to impact strategic and operational decision-making. Customer Attractiveness Scoring is generally available now as part of BlackLine AR Intelligence at no additional charge.

Kevin Permenter, research director, Financial Applications, IDC, added: "Navigating the current economic headwinds means looking for ways to free up working capital, and the best way to release working capital is to better manage cash. One of the best ways to do this is by accurately assessing credit risk in real time; after all, global economic uncertainty goes hand in hand with rapid and unexpected changes to business conditions. Therefore, the more information an organization has about customer behavior in a timely fashion, the better they can assess this risk and minimize exposure to bad debt. As such, BlackLine has developed a potentially impactful product feature with BlackLine's Customer Attractiveness Scoring which is specifically designed to help companies better navigate a tough financial environment."

For more information on BlackLine's market-leading AR automation solutions, please go here.

About BlackLine

Companies come to BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL) because their traditional manual accounting processes are not sustainable. BlackLine's cloud-based financial operations management platform and market-leading customer service help companies move to modern accounting by unifying their data and processes, automating repetitive work, and driving accountability through visibility. BlackLine provides solutions to manage and automate financial close, accounts receivable and intercompany accounting processes, helping large enterprises and midsize companies across all industries do accounting work better, faster and with more control.

More than 4,000 customers trust BlackLine to help them close faster with complete and accurate results. The company is the pioneer of the cloud financial close market and recognized as the leader by customers at leading end-user review sites including G2 and TrustRadius. BlackLine is a global company with operations in major business centers around the world including Los Angeles, New York, the San Francisco Bay area, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. For more information, please visit blackline.com.

BlackLine Forward-looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "plan," anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "intend," "potential," "would," "continue," "ongoing" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding our growth plans and opportunities.

Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon BlackLine's current plans, estimates and expectations and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith beliefs and assumptions as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize or if any assumptions prove incorrect, actual performance or results may differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to the Company's ability to execute on its strategies, attract new customers, enter new geographies and develop, release and sell new features and solutions; and other risks and uncertainties described in the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including the risks described under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional information will also be set forth in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

SOURCE BlackLine

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BlackLine Unveils Industry's 1st Accounts Receivable Automation Capabilities to Deliver Real-Time Insights into Customer Risk and Growth Opportunities...