Automation can be traced as far back as 270BC when the Egyptians first used a float regulator for a water clock. Over the centuries, automation processes have entered many areas of life and helped power the industrial revolution from the 17th century. At the heart of automation is the desire to improve humanity by improving consistency, accuracy and productivity. In essence, making things easier to carry out.
Indeed, automation has become so integral to our lives that we take for granted our dishwashers, washing machines and traffic lights. Examples of automation are all around us alleviating the mundane, elevating levels of safety and freeing up precious time on a daily basis.
Automation and autonomics are here and organizations that don’t take advantage of the new technology will fall behind. The immense benefits to efficiency, labor costs, and customer satisfaction cannot be ignored. WGroup has decades of collective experience in supporting the implementation and optimization of automation and autonomics. Our team can help your company solve the automation puzzle and gain the perspective it needs to effectively deploy new automation systems or increase the effectiveness of existing ones.
Minette Compson : AI Trends in the Workplace Streamlining Business Operations...Minette Compson
Discover the profound impact of automation revolution on jobs and the workplace. Explore strategies for navigating workforce transitions, embracing innovation, and fostering a future-ready workforce. Gain insights into the benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations of automation.
introDUction there is a lot of new process technology .docxtarifarmarie
introDUction
there is a lot of new process technology around. there can
be few, if any, operations that have not been affected by the
advances in process technology. and all indications are that
the pace of technological development is not slowing down.
this has important implications for operations managers
because all operations use some kind of process technology,
whether it is a simple internet link or the most complex
and sophisticated of automated factories. But whatever the
technology, all operations managers need to understand what
emerging technologies can do, in broad terms how they do it,
what advantages the technology can give and what constraints
it might impose on the operation. Figure 8.1 shows where the
issues covered in this chapter relate to the overall model of
operations management activities.
process technology
Key questions
❯ What is process technology?
❯ What do operations managers
need to know about process
technology?
❯ how are process technologies
evaluated?
❯ how are process technologies
implemented?
8
Operations
management
Direct
Design Develop
Deliver
Design
Layout
and flow
Process
design
Process
technology
People in
operations
Topic covered in
this chapter
Figure 8.1 this chapter examines process technology
M08_SLAC8678_08_SE_C08.indd 246 06/02/16 4:57 PM
CHAPTER 8 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 247
WHAT IS PROCESS TECHNOLOGY?
How operations managers deal with process technology is now one of the most important
decisions that shape the capabilities of operations. This was not always the case, at least not
for all operations. There used to be a simple division between those operations that used a
lot of process technology, usually manufacturing operations, and those that used little or no
process technology, usually service operations. But this is no longer true, and arguably has
not been true for decades. High-volume services have for years understood the value of pro-
cess technology. Online transactions for retail and other services are vital for their success.
Yet even professional services such as legal and medical services can benefit from new and
value-adding technologies (see the section on telemedicine later in this chapter).
So what do operations managers need to know about process technology? It must be
important to them because they are continually involved in the choice, installation and man-
agement of process technology. But operations managers are not (or need not be) technolo-
gists as such. They do not need to be experts in engineering, computing, biology, electronics
or whatever constitutes the core science of the technology. Yet they should be able to do three
things. First, they need to understand the technology to the extent that they are able to articu-
late what it should be able to do. Second, they should be able to evaluate alternative technol-
ogies and share in the decisions of which te.
The importance of artificial intelligence in this advanced worldusmsystems
Artificial intelligence or AI is nothing but the science of computers and machines that develop intelligence like humans. With this technology, machines can do some simple things for humans to do on a regular basis.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners are on the front lines, navigating the realities of automation. And they have unique advantages. The very fact that they are small and nimble makes small businesses well suited to the realities of the 21st century economy. They are able to quickly adapt, take advantage of new opportunities, and to pivot to serve customer expectations in a rapidly changing world.
To better understand how small businesses are adapting to the age of AI, Intuit conducted a survey examining attitudes towards automation technology today as well as perceptions on how automation technology will impact their business and lives over the next 5 years.
Automation and autonomics are here and organizations that don’t take advantage of the new technology will fall behind. The immense benefits to efficiency, labor costs, and customer satisfaction cannot be ignored. WGroup has decades of collective experience in supporting the implementation and optimization of automation and autonomics. Our team can help your company solve the automation puzzle and gain the perspective it needs to effectively deploy new automation systems or increase the effectiveness of existing ones.
Minette Compson : AI Trends in the Workplace Streamlining Business Operations...Minette Compson
Discover the profound impact of automation revolution on jobs and the workplace. Explore strategies for navigating workforce transitions, embracing innovation, and fostering a future-ready workforce. Gain insights into the benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations of automation.
introDUction there is a lot of new process technology .docxtarifarmarie
introDUction
there is a lot of new process technology around. there can
be few, if any, operations that have not been affected by the
advances in process technology. and all indications are that
the pace of technological development is not slowing down.
this has important implications for operations managers
because all operations use some kind of process technology,
whether it is a simple internet link or the most complex
and sophisticated of automated factories. But whatever the
technology, all operations managers need to understand what
emerging technologies can do, in broad terms how they do it,
what advantages the technology can give and what constraints
it might impose on the operation. Figure 8.1 shows where the
issues covered in this chapter relate to the overall model of
operations management activities.
process technology
Key questions
❯ What is process technology?
❯ What do operations managers
need to know about process
technology?
❯ how are process technologies
evaluated?
❯ how are process technologies
implemented?
8
Operations
management
Direct
Design Develop
Deliver
Design
Layout
and flow
Process
design
Process
technology
People in
operations
Topic covered in
this chapter
Figure 8.1 this chapter examines process technology
M08_SLAC8678_08_SE_C08.indd 246 06/02/16 4:57 PM
CHAPTER 8 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY 247
WHAT IS PROCESS TECHNOLOGY?
How operations managers deal with process technology is now one of the most important
decisions that shape the capabilities of operations. This was not always the case, at least not
for all operations. There used to be a simple division between those operations that used a
lot of process technology, usually manufacturing operations, and those that used little or no
process technology, usually service operations. But this is no longer true, and arguably has
not been true for decades. High-volume services have for years understood the value of pro-
cess technology. Online transactions for retail and other services are vital for their success.
Yet even professional services such as legal and medical services can benefit from new and
value-adding technologies (see the section on telemedicine later in this chapter).
So what do operations managers need to know about process technology? It must be
important to them because they are continually involved in the choice, installation and man-
agement of process technology. But operations managers are not (or need not be) technolo-
gists as such. They do not need to be experts in engineering, computing, biology, electronics
or whatever constitutes the core science of the technology. Yet they should be able to do three
things. First, they need to understand the technology to the extent that they are able to articu-
late what it should be able to do. Second, they should be able to evaluate alternative technol-
ogies and share in the decisions of which te.
The importance of artificial intelligence in this advanced worldusmsystems
Artificial intelligence or AI is nothing but the science of computers and machines that develop intelligence like humans. With this technology, machines can do some simple things for humans to do on a regular basis.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners are on the front lines, navigating the realities of automation. And they have unique advantages. The very fact that they are small and nimble makes small businesses well suited to the realities of the 21st century economy. They are able to quickly adapt, take advantage of new opportunities, and to pivot to serve customer expectations in a rapidly changing world.
To better understand how small businesses are adapting to the age of AI, Intuit conducted a survey examining attitudes towards automation technology today as well as perceptions on how automation technology will impact their business and lives over the next 5 years.
The Future of Work: How AI is Shaping Employment and IndustriesKelvin Martins
"The Future of Work: How AI is Shaping Employment and Industries" is a concise eBook exploring AI's impact on workforce dynamics and industry landscapes. Through real-life examples and practical insights, readers gain an understanding of how AI is transforming job roles, organizational structures, and the overall landscape of work.
London Atil | Impact of Artificial Intelligence on BusinessLondonAtil1
Your company may be able to: by implementing the appropriate AI technology:
Automate and streamline repetitive procedures to save time and money.
Boost output and operational effectiveness
depending on the results of cognitive technology, and make business decisions more quickly.
https://issuu.com/londonatil/docs/london_atil_
Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2022.docxAdvance Tech
Strategic technology trends can be difficult to predict, but many technology observers think that the 2024 Olympics and the autonomous cars of the 2020s are inevitable.
Regardless, strategic technology trends can inspire companies and entrepreneurs looking to maximize their exposure and reach, increase their revenue, and drive new products and services.
Several technologies will be an important part of the 2022 strategy of any large firm, including software, cloud computing, and mobile technology.
A discussion that the following is the main focus on the impact of these technologies on the business functions of large firms and their future strategies. We finally brought together the sectors that will largely influence the future world economy in this post.
Strategic technology is the combination of strategic thinking, best practices, and financial effectiveness.
https://advancetech.info/gartners-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2022/
Leverage cutting edge cognitive automation ml and rpa to elevate business valueEclature
Automation is revolutionizing the way business functions are conducted. Together with artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, automating events, processes and tasks offer cross-enterprise IT visibility that results in improved productivity and superior user experiences.
Automated Operations: Five Benefits for Your OrganizationHelpSystems
While there are countless benefits to automating your organization’s operations, this paper addresses the five core
advantages automation offers: cost reduction, productivity, availability, reliability, and performance. Learn about the
benefits and obstacles of automated processes and how Skybot Scheduler can help you overcome potential roadblocks
to successful IT automation.
Automation's Perfect Storm! These Changes Aren't Coming, They're Here!Walt Boyes
Process manufacturing is facing a perfect storm of changes: Millenials, Mobile Devices, the Internet of Things, Big Data and Complex Systems Analysis, new, smarter sensors, smarter more agile control systems...the use of apps like Legos...and it is all going to hit at once over the next five years. These are the trends that will change our lives.
Artificial Intelligence can Offer People Great Relief from Performing Mundane...JPLoft Solutions
AI refers to the recreation of human-like intelligence in machines created to function like humans and mimic their actions. Artificial Intelligence solutions can be applied to any device that exhibits traits similar to the human brain, such as the capacity to learn and analytical thinking.
In this presentation, Vivek introduces automation and associated trends. His interest area lies in applying automation techniques for the betterment of the society.
In this presentation, Junaid discusses the various applications of automation and talks about the importance of automation in the IT industry. Self-service automation is Junaid's interest area.
Artificial intelligence and its impact on jobs and employmentafp11saurabhj
This presentation outlines the impact of AI on employment and jobs. which jobs will get obsolete faster and how the education system should change to reap the benefits of AI developments.
Aidrivers provides cutting-edge AI-enabled Autonomous Mobility Solutions for port terminal automation to deliver resilience, productivity, safety and sustainability in port operations.
The Future of Work: How AI is Shaping Employment and IndustriesKelvin Martins
"The Future of Work: How AI is Shaping Employment and Industries" is a concise eBook exploring AI's impact on workforce dynamics and industry landscapes. Through real-life examples and practical insights, readers gain an understanding of how AI is transforming job roles, organizational structures, and the overall landscape of work.
London Atil | Impact of Artificial Intelligence on BusinessLondonAtil1
Your company may be able to: by implementing the appropriate AI technology:
Automate and streamline repetitive procedures to save time and money.
Boost output and operational effectiveness
depending on the results of cognitive technology, and make business decisions more quickly.
https://issuu.com/londonatil/docs/london_atil_
Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2022.docxAdvance Tech
Strategic technology trends can be difficult to predict, but many technology observers think that the 2024 Olympics and the autonomous cars of the 2020s are inevitable.
Regardless, strategic technology trends can inspire companies and entrepreneurs looking to maximize their exposure and reach, increase their revenue, and drive new products and services.
Several technologies will be an important part of the 2022 strategy of any large firm, including software, cloud computing, and mobile technology.
A discussion that the following is the main focus on the impact of these technologies on the business functions of large firms and their future strategies. We finally brought together the sectors that will largely influence the future world economy in this post.
Strategic technology is the combination of strategic thinking, best practices, and financial effectiveness.
https://advancetech.info/gartners-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2022/
Leverage cutting edge cognitive automation ml and rpa to elevate business valueEclature
Automation is revolutionizing the way business functions are conducted. Together with artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, automating events, processes and tasks offer cross-enterprise IT visibility that results in improved productivity and superior user experiences.
Automated Operations: Five Benefits for Your OrganizationHelpSystems
While there are countless benefits to automating your organization’s operations, this paper addresses the five core
advantages automation offers: cost reduction, productivity, availability, reliability, and performance. Learn about the
benefits and obstacles of automated processes and how Skybot Scheduler can help you overcome potential roadblocks
to successful IT automation.
Automation's Perfect Storm! These Changes Aren't Coming, They're Here!Walt Boyes
Process manufacturing is facing a perfect storm of changes: Millenials, Mobile Devices, the Internet of Things, Big Data and Complex Systems Analysis, new, smarter sensors, smarter more agile control systems...the use of apps like Legos...and it is all going to hit at once over the next five years. These are the trends that will change our lives.
Artificial Intelligence can Offer People Great Relief from Performing Mundane...JPLoft Solutions
AI refers to the recreation of human-like intelligence in machines created to function like humans and mimic their actions. Artificial Intelligence solutions can be applied to any device that exhibits traits similar to the human brain, such as the capacity to learn and analytical thinking.
In this presentation, Vivek introduces automation and associated trends. His interest area lies in applying automation techniques for the betterment of the society.
In this presentation, Junaid discusses the various applications of automation and talks about the importance of automation in the IT industry. Self-service automation is Junaid's interest area.
Artificial intelligence and its impact on jobs and employmentafp11saurabhj
This presentation outlines the impact of AI on employment and jobs. which jobs will get obsolete faster and how the education system should change to reap the benefits of AI developments.
Aidrivers provides cutting-edge AI-enabled Autonomous Mobility Solutions for port terminal automation to deliver resilience, productivity, safety and sustainability in port operations.
The autonomous truck is truly a gamechanger for the ports industry, capable of operating alongside
manual trucks in mixed traffic operations, in all weather conditions, without any requirement for
environment changes or infrastructure upgrades.
An AI-enabled autonomous ecosystem is the primary digital infrastructure for ports that delivers sustainable transport automation to meet the need for resiliency, efficiency, productivity and decarbonisation, without any requirement for environment change or infrastructure upgrade.
AI-Enabled Autonomy in Container Handling : It Isn't All or Nothing - PTI Jou...Aidrivers Ltd.
If there’s one lesson to be learned from the current upheavals in shipping, ports and supply chains, it is this: we can’t simply go on the way we are. As shipping lines, ports, hauliers, rail operators and others struggle to cope with unprecedented demand and congestion, shippers are enduring rocketing freight rates, unsustainable delays and often a complete lack of visibility. Meanwhile, the entire logistics sector is juggling the challenge of a shortage of skilled labour with the need to decarbonise operations and get up to speed with digitalisation.
Digital Transformation Depends on Effective Implementation of Intelligent Sys...Aidrivers Ltd.
Most port operators recognise that digitalisation is going to transform the way ports work. But where to start on that journey?
Digital transformation can sound alarming and somewhat overwhelming to many! As with any ambitious task, this is a concept that needs to be broken down into manageable pieces.
Defining Sustainable Innovative Container Handling is the Real Virtue : Effic...Aidrivers Ltd.
Tomorrow’s successful container terminal operations must be efficient, productive, safe and resilient (including having the agility to be forward-compatible).
No debate there, but there is a tendency to focus on the first three virtues and forget about the fourth.
Autonomous Mobility for Sustainable Automation - The Turbocharge - PTI JournalAidrivers Ltd.
In the overall architecture of port terminals, there has long been a heavy focus on
investment in upgrading ships and the onwards logistics chain to meet global supply
needs. Now it is time to turn the spotlight
on dockside autonomous mobility to create increased productivity, efficiencies and
crucially sustainable resiliency to establish
ports fit for the future.
Delivering Green Initiatives with AI-Enabled Autonomous Solutions to Boost Po...Aidrivers Ltd.
As the US inaugurates its 46th president and re-joins the Paris Climate Agreement, the status of climate change will climb back up the global agenda and reignite the need to drive down global carbon emissions.
The US is the world’s largest economy and the second biggest emitter of carbon so gives this cause true political heft.
Joe Biden’s decision to re-enter the accord will increase the importance of green issues and spotlight sustainability for other countries to follow suit. There is no better time to focus our attention on our efforts, planning and execution of greener goals.
A Collaborative Vision for Sustainability - PTI JournalAidrivers Ltd.
You can’t be eco-friendly all by yourself. In a new article for Port Technology International, Aidrivers Founder and CEO Dr Rafiq Swash explains why a collaborative vision is essential to achieve true sustainability.
“Sustainability means understanding that your business is not just your business, but part of the global supply chain that keeps the world running,” he says. “In a sense, we have become victims of our own success; trading has become so successful that almost no country is self-sufficient. One entity makes the bottle; another makes the drink; we are dependent on each other, and that global supply chain has become the backbone of the global economy.”
The article examines the implications for port operations. Ports must be able to change and adapt, says Dr Swash – who also emphasises that ‘eco-friendliness’ is all about the circular economy. “Long-term all industrial equipment will have a much longer lifecycle than currently.” Ultimately, AI-enabled autonomous solutions will deliver the efficiency, resilience, productivity and safety that will make a port sustainable for the future.
Aidrivers - Journey to a sustainable future.Aidrivers Ltd.
At Aidrivers, AI-enabled autonomy for industrial mobility automation has been our focus. We develop AI-enabled autonomous mobility solutions tailored to meet the needs of industrial operations, particularly in the ports and logistics sector.
Founded by Dr Rafiq Swash and powered by a team of seasoned professionals and scientists who work together to deliver autonomous mobility automation for demanding industrial applications, UK-based Aidrivers has a presence in the UK (London) with subsidiaries across the world and works collaboratively with leading strategic partners.
Our bespoke autonomous mobility paired with predictive analytics capability is pushing the frontiers for efficient and effective operations with safety across industrial applications.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
Empowering NextGen Mobility via Large Action Model Infrastructure (LAMI): pav...
New Era of Automation - PTI Journal
1. Automation can be traced as far back as
270BC when the Egyptians first used a
float regulator for a water clock. Over the
centuries, automation processes have
enteredmanyareasoflifeandhelpedpower
the industrial revolution from the 17th
century. At the heart of automation is the
desire to improve humanity by improving
consistency, accuracy and productivity. In
essence, making things easier to carry out.
Indeed, automation has become so
integral to our lives that we take for granted
our dishwashers, washing machines and
traffic lights. Examples of automation are
all around us alleviating the mundane,
elevating levels of safety and freeing up
precious time on a daily basis.
The capabilities of automation have
been extended multiple folds through
the invention of the computer. The rapid
acceleration in the development of
computing and its applications has led to
the subsequent ubiquity of computerised
systems. This has in turn greatly extended
the ability to automate complex processes.
In particular, engineers have sought to
automate complex repetitive manual work
so that tasks can be carried out smoothly
and efficiently without human error. This
normally require huge amount of attention
which create stresses which lead to making
mistakes and inefficiency.
Initially, the use of computerised systems
to control automation was beset with
many teething problems and created
some unexpected new challenges and
unanticipated down time. The early stages
of development were also characterised
by a lack of operational knowledge from
designers which ironically made the delivery
of secure and robust automated systems
more difficult and more time consuming.
Roll forward to 2020 and after years of
continuous technological development
from talented and creative engineers,
automation has reached a stage where
it regularly and consistently delivers the
specified operational requirements and,
in many cases, goes way beyond this.
Modern automation solves complex
industrial challenges of WHAT situations
efficiently and has created thousands of
high paid careers whilst removing multiple
thousands of low paid jobs. The World
Bank’s World Development Report in 2019
shows evidence that new industries and
jobs in the technology sector outweigh
economic effects of work being displaced
by automation. In economic terms there is
much to be gained by automating.
However, despite the excellent results
achieved from automation, in the majority
of cases the automated systems are
based on rule-based approach and still
lack cognitive processing ability. The most
effective decision-making takes place when
there is awareness of the situation and
the ability to adjust to changing situations
within that space. In addition, current
automation is hugely dependent on the
hardware, peripheral products and sensors
without true cognitive which is creating new
challenges. The outcome of this problem is
that we currently have unsustainable long-
term solutions.
AUTOMATION - NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
Current levels of automation could be
considered in the most critical sense merely
‘good’ at carrying out complex tasks safely
and reliably. However, the next stage of
automation will need to incorporate better
decision making into the process to take
account of our rapidly changing modern
AI
NEW ERA OF AUTOMATION
Dr Rafiq Swash, Founder, Aidrivers
WWW.PORTTECHNOLOGY.ORG
22 EDITION 95
AUTOMATION & OPTIMIZATION
2. world. This will extend the operational
capabilities of current methods in place and
crucially ensure new automation systems
are able to respond to the constantly
appearing and changing problems of
modernity.
Automation currently lacks the cognitive
processing capability needed to give a
system a sense of self-awareness which
would vastly improve procedures. There is
also the restrictive issue of the dependency
of most automated procedures on single
systems whether software, machinery or
other hardware. Another problem area
is that automation programming has
finite modes of operation which prevents
agile responsiveness to in situ problems.
Automation at present is quite simply
not designed to adapt sufficiently at
HOW situations instead deals with WHAT
activities. One of the key elements of a
successful new wave of automation will
be the adaptability of the software which
would be able to continues learn to reflect
and respond to any situation it faces and
execute the appropriate commands as the
problems arise. This will help bring about
thenextstageofproductivityimprovements
of error free task completion.
Another huge hurdle to overcome in the
current model of automation is that to put
an automated process in place it is typical
to adapt, at huge cost, the environment
around the process to allow it to work thus
it requires huge amount of environment
preparation. This is not a sustainable
method of work as we move into a world
which holds green credentials at the top of
the list.
Automation has not kept pace with the
advancements in technology. There have
been significant developments in the fields
of sensors, computing power, Ai enabled
algorithms and Ai driver models which
are all capable of creating new operations
cognitive and knowledge to handle much
more complicated operational tasks in an
uncertain world.
Tie all these issues together with the
current low levels of productivity and the
unsustainable amount of infrastructure
change that is necessary to allow
automation to work and it is abundantly
clear that we urgently require a new era of
automation to meets the need of industries
and sustain the future.
AI ENABLED AUTOMATION
Ai is the next advancement in technology
that will accelerate the field of automation
onwards to the next stage. Ai will allow
the necessary learning to generate a
new knowledge to understand different
behaviours and evolve with new
knowledge appropriate to the situation and
environment. This is the obvious next layer
of advancement to ensure automation
moves from its score card of ‘good’ to
above and beyond.
The innovation of Ai has given a new
dimension to learning. It has the capability
and capacity to evolve by processing
operations information and create new
knowledge that humans may never have
previously generated. One of the most
commonly revered benefits of Ai is its ability
to take large amounts of complex data and
analyse the different permutations within
and without a dataset that would otherwise
take a human an unmanageable length of
time. Incontrovertibly the jewel in the
crown is the power of Ai to uncover and
recognise hidden patterns.
An example of power of Ai layered into
automation is the Ai driver algorithms
which allow the design and development
of new automation systems with cognitives
and these can respond to a huge range
of uncertain situations appropriately,
promptly and safely. The element of human
error is removed in a space without loss
of cognitives which is expected to deliver
heightened levels of accuracy. In addition,
Ai enables us to develop a system and
infrastructure independent solutions which
overcome system dependencies such as
supporting any type of sensors rather than
being dependent on a particular model or
make.
FUTURE OF AI AND AUTOMATION
Ai enabled automation is the only
approach which can meet the needs of
future sustainability. This new version of
automation will continuously learn from
operations information to create a new
knowledge to adapt to the environment.
The ability to embed cognitive processing
capabilities in an automated system will
only enable further improvements to
productivity and ongoing cost reductions.
Ai enabled automation is self-aware, self-
adjusting and environmentally responsible
for how situations in uncertain world.
We are heading into a new era of
automation where its marriage to Ai will
flex the work environment, shape processes
and improve all areas of sustainability by
continue evolving and creating new true
knowledges. It will feel as exciting and
revolutionary as the Egyptian float-regulated
water clock twenty-four centuries ago and
will become the driving force behind the
current fourth industrial revolution.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aidrivers’ founder Dr Rafiq Swash of
Brunel University London contributes
to international research in Ai, visual
information search and retrieval, computer
vision, 3D sensors, predictive data analytics
and automation. Professionally this has
expanded into further international leading
collaborations in connected robotics, Ai
enabled automation, sensor intelligence
and fusion, digitization and behaviour and
pattern modelling.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Aidrivers provide specialised Ai enabled
autonomous mobility solutions for port
terminal automation that meet the
needs of port operators. The company is
working passionately to address industrial
mobility challenges by optimising industrial
operations and improving the quality of
service towards a sustainable future.
ENQUIRIES
Dr Swash
Founder & Believer
Tel: +44 74 550 777 88
Email: swash@aidrivers.ai
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AUTOMATION & OPTIMIZATION