Peer Insight―Network with fellow professionals, discuss common challenges and share solutions while enjoying all that Nashville has to offer
Expert Insight―Hear from Epicor executives regarding what lies ahead and schedule meetings with Epicor experts
Education ROI―Extended education sessions offer a deep dive into the business software you’re using today
You can view the full agenda here, including extended education sessions and hands-on labs. The events begin next week and we couldn’t be more excited!
Join Encompass For A Customer Appreciation Event At Epicor Insights 2018
We are looking forward to seeing you all at Insights. This is a great chance for all of our customers to both meet each other and exchange war stories, but also for you to get a chance for some face-time with your Encompass team ― this year there will be representation at both an Executive and Operations level, as well as the account management team ― Sonia and Dave both look forward to meeting new customers and spending time with those of you who have done business with Encompass for years.
Our team will be available throughout the event for meetings to discuss how we might support your organization in those endeavors. After a long day of training please join us for food and drink while surrounded by natural splendor beneath a soaring glass atrium in the Delta Pavilion Gazebo!
Encompass Solutions’ strategic partner Bezlio has added further enhancements to its mobile dashboard and user interface capabilities within ERP software. The latest feature comes in the form of streamlined and intuitive customer service portals that enhance the overall experience when it comes to providing documentation and service to clients at all hours. An effective ERP solution, with the latest in customer-focused tools, can help differentiate your business from competitors and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
ERP Integrated Self-Service Portals
Customers want access to their essential documents, invoices, and purchase orders, and not just during office hours. Customer portals have fast become a crucial component of the customer experience. As a result, their availability has risen to the top of expected features in any business environment. And why shouldn’t they be?
Bezlio has delivered an attractive and seamlessly integrated answer to customer demand with a customer service portal that can be easily incorporated into an existing EPR system and accessed via desktop or mobile device. Within the ERP integrated self-service portals, customers can:
Open orders
Review order history
Track orders
Review shipping records
Access inventory in real-time
Access invoices
These powerful capabilities are the new normal when it comes to the customers’ experience and businesses must keep up to satisfy an increasingly discerning audience of current and prospective clients. However, reading and displaying data is just the beginning.
An Open Channel Of Communication
Now more than ever, Customers want an open channel of communication available for when questions are asked and answers are needed, on-the-fly. Two-way communication within the customer portal ensures that your customers are empowered to write data and complete transactions directly to your source application. Cut out the complication of modern e-commerce systems and let your customers place orders on their time with the Order Entry functionality of Bezlio’s customer self-service portal.
Security Is Key
As with all digital information exchanges, security is of the utmost importance. Bezlio’s approach ensures you never synchronize a single byte to the cloud, and receive the benefit of top-level encryption and security measures to protect your business and your associated data.
The Gauntlet of Bezlio Security Measures Keeping Your Data Safe.
How To Implement The Bezlio Self-Service Center
So, you know you need a functional ERP integrated self-service portal, but don’t know where to begin with integration. Fortunately, the process is made simple and enterprises will only need to follow a few simple steps before they are up and running with this powerful integration from Bezlio.
Initially, the data agent from Bezlio will need to be installed inside of an enterprise’s firewall, be it through Bezlio, a partner, or an ambitious enterprise with a crack IT squad. The agent will be configured to communicate with the sources of data within the enterprise ERP, which can be assigned permissions based on the data to be shared. After that, queries to pull the data are linked up with Bezlio. These can be existing queries or built from scratch to fit a particular purpose within your enterprise. Once the backend is set up, templates and custom HTML/CSS/JavaScript can be utilized to create an attractive interface on the customer-facing end. Once things are set up, all that’s left is to bring your customers into the fold and show them the new and powerful tools at their fingertips. The benefits of more satisfied customers and enhanced ROI are now yours to enjoy.
AboutBezlio
Bezlio is a US-based company with 15 years of experience in customizing and optimizing ERP (enterprise resource management) systems and manipulating data. Specializing in mobile, cloud-based integrations, Bezlio offers many supplemental tool integrations for existing Epicor systems, such as mobile crystal reports, Amazon Seller integration, Salesforce + ERP, tableau write-back, and the recently added self-service customer portals.
Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm specializing in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
With the many concepts of Industry 5.0 already lending fantastic possibilities to manufacturing industries across the board, the disruption potential of its components in the world of beverage manufacturing is nothing short of groundbreaking. Beer, Wine, and Spirits are some of the most complex and subjective tastes being explored among discerning palates the world over. Here’s how AI and mass personalization are bringing a personal touch to these industries.
A Mass Personalization App For Your Tastebuds: Gastrograph
The beverage aisles of convenience stores, groceries, and big-box stores offer the illusion of diversity, with dozens, if not hundreds, of drinks available for purchase. However, these beverages have undergone massive amounts of testing and QA to market them to the widest audience possible. The overarching “cast the widest net” philosophy of food and beverage manufacturers has left a sour taste in the mouths of many consumers. CEO of NYC-based Analytic Flavor Systems, Jason Cohen, offered as much in an interview with The New Food Economy, “My take is that pretty much all the food and beverage products on the market today are awful,” he explains. “There are no products engineered for me.” And Cohen is right. Manufacturers have formulated snacks and drinks for decades with the right amount of salt, sugar, and fat to hit the proverbial “sweet spot” for consumers. What Cohen’s start-up aims to do is enable consumers to find the foods that fit their ideal flavor profile. How does he plan to do so? Artificial Intelligence and mass personalization.
It doesn’t stop at the taste, either. Moisture level, texture, gaminess, and a host of other characteristics fall under designations in the Analytic Flavor Systems Gastrograph app, a categorization spectrum that takes into account 24 different touchpoints with varying levels of intensity. Submenus under each characteristic allows for even further analysis. A sample Flavor Analysis of Dogfish Head’s 120-minute IPA was mapped in The New Food Economy’s article highlighting the app and the larger topic of AI and mass personalization in beverage manufacturing.
A flavor analysis of a craft beer, Dogfish Head’s 120-minute IPA, mapped using the Gastrograph app.
The personalized flavor profiling concept emerged during Cohen’s studies in Information Sciences and Technology. Cohen didn’t finish his graduate degree but instead opted to pursue his project with Analytic Flavor Systems and Gastrograph App. Now touted as the first artificial intelligence platform to understand human sensory perception. Some of the biggest names in the beverage are leveraging Cohen’s services. While it remains to be seen how strongly one can lean on the findings of the Gastrograph AI, the happening could signal a new era of consumer profiling practices where food and beverage makers will make this sensory profiling a compulsory part of research when developing new products.
Craft Beverage Makers Make Impact Among US Manufacturers
Among the 10 fastest growing industries in the US is the beverage manufacturing industry ranks third, which only highlights the importance of innovation in the fields of gastronomy and manufacturing. Beverage manufacturing ranks just below Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction and the highest-ranking Support Activities for Mining. The three experienced 44.9%, 17.1%, and 17.1% growth in sales, from first to third ranking. This designation for beverages included everything from breweries to water and soft drinks. Sageworks analyst Libby Bierman offered comment following the recently released report “If you think about the rise in microbreweries and taprooms, it may not be that surprising to see these manufacturers nearing the top of the list.” The report itself relies on cooperative data gleaned from financial statements from private companies, like accounting firms, banks, and credit unions.
Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
We are pleased to announce that legendary NFL quarterback, Peyton Manning, will be joining us as the Epicor Insights 2018 guest keynote speaker.
(Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
Peyton Manning, the NFL’s only five-time Most Valuable Player and a 14-time Pro Bowl selection, has earned his place among the greatest quarterbacks in league history as a leader in nearly every statistical passing category. During the 2015/2016 season, Manning led the Denver Broncos to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, making him the first starting quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
Manning has continued his efforts off the field and was honored as the recipient of the Byron “Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award and the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2005, the Bart Starr Award in 2015, and the Lincoln Medal in 2017.
Manning serves as a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet and The Pat Summit Foundation Advisory Board. He and his wife, Ashley, established the PeyBack Foundation in 1999 to promote the future success of disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk. The payback Foundation has provided more than $13 million of impact to at-risk youth through its grants and programs since its inception.
Register today so you can secure your spot for Peyton Manning’s keynote!
Join Encompass For A Customer Appreciation Event At Insights 2018
We are looking forward to seeing you all at Insights. the good news doesn’t end with the announcement of the Epicor Insights 2018 guest keynote speaker, either. This is a great chance for all of our customers to both meet each other, and exchange war stories, but also for you to get a chance for some face-time with your Encompass team – this year there will be representation at both an Executive and Operations level, as well as the account management team – Sonia and Dave both look forward to meeting new customers and spending time with those of you who have done business with Encompass for years.
Our team will be available throughout the event for meetings to discuss how we might support your organization in those endeavors. After a long day of training please join us for food and drink while surrounded by natural splendor beneath a soaring glass atrium in the Delta Pavilion Gazebo, Wednesday, May 23, 2018, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM!
Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm and Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
Epicor’s annual meeting, Insights, of Epicor customers, partners, and employees is right around the corner! Taking place May 21 – 24 in Nashville, TN at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Insights 2018 will bring together 3,000 attendees from around the world to learn, network, and celebrate together. The event is hosted by the Epicor Users Group and Epicor Corporation. Encompass Solutions will also be holding our annual customer appreciation reception.
The Benefits of Attending Epicor Insights 2018
Here’s what you can expect to get out of your attendance at Insights 2018:
Classes – Dozens of 60-90 minute classes are held that are interactive, headed by subject matter experts, and allow questions.
Hands-On Labs – The labs are more detailed and hands-on with lab exercises to enter into Epicor and view the results. Two people share a computer to perform the exercises.
Extended Education Sessions – These unique classes are held the Saturday and Sunday before the conference. The sessions are far more in-depth than the labs held during the conference. Each session costs an additional $260 per attendee. The benefits they offer include smaller class sizes and product-specific training with access to technical experts in each instance.
Solutions Pavilion – An on-site installation where Epicor and the Epicor Alliance partners demo solutions that extend the Epicor application. This is an opportunity to meet face-to-face with personnel to answer your business and technical questions.
Latest Epicor Version – Take advantage of witnessing the latest version of Epicor 10 firsthand. If you’re running an older or legacy version of Epicor, this is the best opportunity to see what tools you’re missing out on.
Solutions – Calculating the cost of independent research vs. getting real-time solutions at the conference is made easy and, in the case your team decides to implement, it can be enacted immediately.
Discount – Your company receives a significant discount if you register four or more employees for the event.
One-on-One Meetings – Opportunity to schedule One-on-One meetings with Epicor executives and subject matter experts who normally charge by the hour.
In addition, Insights is an excellent networking opportunity. Attendees each receive a color-coded lanyard according to the specific Epicor product used. This allows attendees to quickly identify others running the same products. This is an excellent opportunity for to you will identify attendees running the same version of the software as your company and allow you to discuss issues that your company is having.
Epicor ERP solutions are designed to address the essential functions of all enterprises, small to large.
Are you interested in attending Epicor Insights 2018?
Here are some tips and suggestions to address in a justification letter to present to management when seeking approval to attend:
Compile a list of specific session topics, speakers, and other attendees that can speak directly to challenges your company is currently facing.
Compare the cost of outside or on-site consultants versus the conference fee. Your meetings with subject matter experts and class time are included in the overall attendance price!
Explain your networking strategy with other Epicor customers and experts and link this to company areas of interest, specific projects, or implementations.
Additional talking points to justify your attendance can include:
A Focus on user efficiency and education, as well as cost savings, is provided by interactive lab sessions with Epicor product experts.
Details regarding how you will implement at least one performance change based on what you’ll learn at the conference
Documenting or highlighting specific savings associated with past attendance from a colleague or you personally.
Form execution teams after the event, distribute the information, act on it, and follow up.
A plan to train others and deliver a presentation to co-workers based on what you learned at Insights.
The networking components of attendance and professional contacts that you can consult long after the conference ends.
Detailed calculation of the cost of your independent research vs. getting real-time solutions at the conference.
An outlined schedule of one-on-one meetings with Epicor executives, senior managers, and product experts during the 20-minute meeting sessions is provided in a special briefing room format.
Encompass Solutions Customer Appreciation Mingle
If you plan to attend Insights 2018 and wish to join us for the Encompass Customer Appreciation Mingle on Wednesday, May 23 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Opryland Delta Pavilion Gazebo, you can RSVP below. We hope to see you there!
About Epicor
Epicor aims to provide the most powerful ERP capabilities alongside accessibility to innovate how ERP is used, deployed, and managed by businesses. According to the company, this goes beyond reinventing interfaces and focuses more on the relationship between ERP systems and people. By removing the barriers standing between business and information, Epicor minimizes the steps taken to gain actionable insights and drive growth.
Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm and Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
‘Daisy’, the disassembling robot, is Apple’s answer to reclaiming the valuable materials that go into the creation of nearly every Apple mobile and tablet device. Aluminum, cobalt, gold, silver, platinum, and many other valuable metals and rare earth can be extracted using this useful technology. Daisy’s efficiency is punctuated by an exceptional rate of recovery, disassembling, and collecting materials from outdated devices at the rate of 200 iPhones per hour.
Not only has the recycling robot enabled Apple to recover these valuable resources, but the machine’s creation process has yielded valuable information on recycling many of these materials in a cleaner and more efficient manner. New processes have eliminated the need to introduce contaminants and other dangerous substances into the recycling process, leading to an unsullied recycling process all around.
Daisy is not the first iteration of a mechanical recycler, though. Liam was the predecessor announced by Apple back in 2016. A very specialized robot, Liam was designed to specifically disassemble iPhones to access the recyclable materials inside. Some of the crucial components Liam sought, and Daisy seeks, out in each iPhone carcass include cobalt and lithium from the phone’s battery, gold and copper from the camera, silver and platinum from the device’s logic board, and aluminum from the enclosure.
Additional Charity With Apple’s GiveBack
Alongside the Daisy announcement, which coincided with Earth Day, Apple has announced the commitment to match customers’ turn-ins of devices with charitable contributions to the Conservation International environmental non-profit based in Virginia until April 30th. Some devices being turned in will even knab in-store gift cards and credit for those donating.
The press release detailing Daisy and Earth Day campaigns from Apple, along with all media associated with the announcement, can be found in the Apple Newsroom.
Cleaner Streams Of Recycling With Material Recovery Facilities
Daisy’s announcement is just one of the many emerging advancements taking place in the world of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). The recent WasteExpo 2018 in Las Vegas highlighted many of the recent advancements in the world of cleaner recycling and material recovery in electronics recycling, cleaning and sorting equipment, and municipal recycling endeavors.
Robotics and Artificial intelligence, in particular, are assuming significantly larger roles in the advancement of recycling efforts, enabling greater efficiencies in:
Heavy lifting
No deviation due to fatigue
Repetitive tasks
Continuously high levels of concentration
Purity rates and consistent and accurate identification of products
Pre-emptively tracking and managing work
Maximal operating time
Evolutive identification of products and more meaningful data
Reproductivity of results
Reduced labor and training
Lower operating costs
While these innovations in the field of material recovery have enabled companies like CleanRobotics, and AMP Robotics to function with greater efficiency, difficulties remain within the variety of materials flowing into the recycling stream. The resounding answer to the challenge emerges again and again with machine vision.
Material Recovery Pushes Advances In Machine Vision Systems
Coupled with robots on recycling conveyor systems, machine vision systems identify elements and materials according to several characteristics. Once identified, the robotic component will employ suction, grippers, and grabbers to remove materials from the conveyor and sort them accordingly, for either direct recycling or further disassembly, if necessary. Eagle Vision and Bulk Handling Systems are two entities addressing the need for more robust machine vision systems in MRFs.
Interconnectivity between MRF system components read as the Industrial Internet of things (IIoT), allows devices to “speak” with one another across the facility. The results can be presented as simply as “I’m getting too much plastic” to which screens can be adjusted to narrow or expand the flow of specific materials, according to Nathanaël Lortie, co-founder, and president of Eagle Vision.
With accuracy rates reaching upwards of 85 -95 percent, these robots and their associated systems far surpass the public shoddy-by-comparison 30 percent accuracy.
Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
To scale operations alongside the company’s recently enjoyed growth, Metaphase has contracted the services of Encompass Solutions to implement Epicor ERP, train staff, and support operations through Go-Live and beyond. With the project plan finalized, implementation, testing, and user training are projected to be completed by the end of this year. Find out why Metaphase chose Encompass Solutions to implement their ERP solution in our interview with Metaphase President Kevin High, here.
The Project
Metaphase Technologies Inc. is a leading manufacturer of machine vision and specialty LED lighting. They develop products that advance “The Quality of Light” through the engineering and manufacturing of LED illuminators for machine vision, military, and specialty lighting applications. Because Metaphase is projecting another year of 20% growth, they require a system that supports its growth without the necessity of increasing its labor force.
The Challenge
Currently, Metaphase Technologies operates on IQMS ERP and are looking to replace the system due to its labor-intensive nature. Most of Metaphase Technologies’ production is manual, but it is necessary to scan in and out of those processes on the shop floor. Quality is critical to their business; therefore, quality checks are performed when materials are received, during the manufacturing process, and before shipping. Because Metaphase Technologies ships its products globally, multi-language support is essential. Additionally, the ability to price for shipping companies, integrate UPS and FedEx into the system for customer information, and maintain the applicable rates in real time is essential to the project’s success.
The Goals
Metaphase Technologies will be implementing their Epicor ERP solution with the following goals in mind:
Efficiently managing global business operations
Providing better information to make more informed decisions
Supporting Engineer-to-Order Manufacturing (ETO)
Providing visibility to manage and track costs to measure and improve profitability
Supporting traceability requirements for warranties and material tracking
Growing revenue and profitability
The Metaphase Technologies team will be taking advantage of this project to review and update business processes while leveraging standard software capabilities whenever possible. Additionally, there is a desire to streamline ETO processes through the use of technology.
For more than two decades, Metaphase Technologies has been developing products that advance “The Quality of Light” through the engineering and manufacture of uniform diffuse high brightness and ultra brightness LED illuminators. Metaphase’s illuminators are specially designed for applications in machine vision, military, and specialty lighting. Metaphase boasts expertise in engineering flexible lighting solutions for ease of integration into vision systems design. The company’s LED illuminators are currently utilized in thousands of applications throughout the world, including vision-guided robotics, automation systems, line scan inspection units, and many others across the machine vision industry.
As the first to standardize built-in constant current drivers, Metaphase continues to synergize cutting-edge machine vision LED lighting & control technologies to simplify innovation and increase customer return on investment.
Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm specializing in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
Doxsteel Fasteners recently achieved a significant milestone in bringing its Mexico-based operations up to speed with a complete implementation of Epicor version 10 software and user training for their Mexico-based teams. Skilled consulting, implementation, and training services provided by Encompass Solutions, Inc. ensured the project was a success.
The Project For DoxSteel Fasteners
Up to the point of implementation, Doxsteel Fasteners had been utilizing Microsoft Excel to manage their business. Because of the technological limitations of their current system and the company’s rapid growth, Doxsteel Fasteners had outgrown the capacity and functionality of the software.
Doxsteel Fasteners had spent the previous 9-10 months unsuccessfully implementing another ERP solution due to challenges related to the inexperience of internal resources with ERP functionality and understanding business requirements, as well as the level of support from the assigned consulting team.
Taking these specific details into consideration, Encompass Solutions, Inc. was tasked with performing an effective business process review, recommending the best course of action, and executing the implementation and training necessary to achieve Doxsteel’s desired outcome.
The Details
30 Concurrent Office Users
20 Concurrent Data Collection Users
Multi-tenant SaaS
Implemented in approximately 4 months
The Challenge
The challenge this project posed was introducing an ERP system in a very manual environment that used handheld hardware and FTP for export invoice approval by authorities. A bilingual Operations Manager would need to facilitate training while new processes would need to be learned by rote on the plant floor. Forms, reports, and labels would need to be created separately for each language, as well.
The Goals
Doxsteel Fasteners implemented their Epicor ERP solution with the primary goals of:
Automating costly manual processes to eliminate inefficient processes.
Improving project planning, forecasting, and customer sales management.
Providing better information to make more informed decisions.
Providing visibility to manage and track costs to measure and improve profitability.
Growing revenue and profitability.
The Results
The training was conducted with bilingual ESI consultants, both in the Financial and Operations segments, side-by-side with the client’s Subject Matter Experts who were familiar with Epicor and US operations. On-site support both for Go Live and afterward was critical to the success of the project, which finished on time and under budget.
The Next Steps
The Doxsteel Fasteners team will be taking advantage of this project to review and update business processes while leveraging standard software capabilities whenever possible. The recommended business process workshops will address some of the additional challenges facing them today with visibility of data, consistent and accurate information, and a reduction in redundancy of data entry.
About Doxsteel Fasteners
Doxsteel Fasteners, a company consisting of two legal entities under one ownership with facilities in Toluca, Mexico, and The Woodlands, Texas, provides scientifically proven safer and cost-effective fasteners resulting from rigorous research and development efforts. Doxsteel Fasteners’ mission is to revolutionize bolt theory and practice in the fastener industry. It is the company’s goal to consistently conceptualize and deliver safer, less expensive, and more scientifically sound bolts to the industry.
Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm specializing in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, or renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
Technology and innovation tend to gain tremendous momentum, bringing about innovative changes that cause significant disruption for industries. Those businesses that choose to fight or simply can’t keep up with change share the same fate of falling out of competition. Those businesses that embrace disruption stand a better chance of riding the wave of perceived chaos, better equipped to secure position in the state of Industry that follows. So far there have been four major upheavals in industry, the most recent of which being coined Industry 4.0. Rumblings of Industry 5.0 are already being felt, but let us fill you in on where we are now for some perspective.
In industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and intelligent devices and systems have taken primary focus. Relating to the numerous devices involved in manufacturing and automation that have grown increasingly intertwined, the IIoT allows businesses to take full advantage of the “smart factory” concept, where devices speak to each other and offer a new level of visibility and interactivity at every stage of the manufacturing process.
Industry 5.0 Focus
With technology developing at a tremendous rate, Industry 5.0 isn’t as far away as experts may have predicted as recently as a few years ago. Just as Industries are getting a grip on Industry 4.0, exciting new developments are coming to light that already has those who are in the know detailing what comes next.
Collaborative Robotics
Using robotics, automation processes are becoming incredibly streamlined, however, the powerful machines that enable such progress, remain significant hazards on the shop floor alongside their human coworkers. The field of collaborative robotics is addressing this with a focus on collaborative robots, cobots for short. While the current state of automation enables fantastic capability on the manufacturing floor, it can only do what it’s told, with human ingenuity assuming the driving force behind every action a robot completes.
John Phillips, Senior Manager of Production Services at Paradigm, has high hopes for collaborative robotics and the field’s ability to address the shortcomings of automation and put cobots on the same level as their human counterparts to take production processes to the next level. As Phillips puts it, “Collaborative robots are a new technology that allows us to have a human and a robot working in the same workspace. They’re now working in a pendulum type of operation where they can safely interact, allowing the human to check whether the robot has done an adequate amount of work before the final polishing is handed over to the human. It’s a very hand-in-hand kind of operation.”
Mass Personalization
The phrase may sound like an oxymoron, but Industry 5.0 concepts are making mass personalization a reality. Working on the new functionality and process improvement that collaborative robotics will provide, human laborers will be a more specialized component of the manufacturing process. Alongside their cognitive machine co-workers, humans will be able to mass-produce customized and personalized products for consumers with speed and precision.
This personalization can take many forms. Going beyond the scope of retail goods, personalization could take the form of medical treatments, specifically smart applications that appropriately summarize a patient’s unique lifestyle, health requirements, and physical properties to create a completely customized health regimen. Surgery is another application for collaborative robotics that is unique to every patient placed on the operating table. With the expertise of a trained surgeon and the precision of a robotic assistant, operating rooms are already enjoying the benefits of collaborative robotics.
Artificial organs, medical implants, transplants, blood transfusions, Diabetes, and a host of other medical applications can benefit from AI-driven and collaborative robotics-supported manufacturing processes.
The Davinci surgical system has been one such medical advancement in cobot technology for its ability to enhance surgeons’ operational capability in the surgical theater.
Productivity And A New Relationship Between Man And Machine
Up to this point, it should be very clear that Industry 5.0 is shifting back to a human focus, whereas Industry 4.0 had a predominantly mechanized focus. Humans will have more control over the robots within the manufacturing space, while the dangers that came with large, powerful robots will dissipate as more articulated and nimble cobots are incorporated into the manufacturing process.
Productivity improves as a result. Toronto’s Paradigm Electronics found exactly this to be the case when they incorporated a polishing unit alongside a human worker in their loudspeaker manufacturing process. Utilizing Universal Robots’ UR10 robotic arm, Paradigm employed both man and machine to polish their speaker cabs to a mirror fine finish with a 50% increase in productivity. Not only does this cut out the monotonous and sometimes dangerous tasks for human workers, but liability and healthcare costs resulting from such tasks are reduced for the organization, as well.
The consulting firm Accenture recently released an outlook from a survey conducted among 512 manufacturing executives around the world. The results of the study revealed that 85% of those surveyed foresee a collaborative production line between humans and robots emerging in their facilities by 2020. While this may have many manufacturers anxious that they’re getting left behind, it’s only natural that larger industry players integrate new technology first. As the technology is proven and becomes more heavily relied upon, the supply and integration costs fall and allow small and medium enterprises to compete in a more open marketplace.
New Job Creation
The modern-day fear of robots replacing humans in the workplace is deep-seated but largely speculative. Collaborative robots allow manufacturing floor workers to continue operating in their roles, with a reduction in the dirty, dangerous, and dull tasks they need to carry out. Training and education in how to program, operate and maintain a new fleet of robotic workers value-add to their already critical and difficult-to-replace skill sets. Amazon is already making strides in equipping its current workforce to emerge as the next generation of robotics experts.
A Chief Robotics Officer Could Be Implemented At 85% Of Corporations With More Than $50 Million In Annual Revenues By 2050.
The Chief Robotics Officer is the latest C-suite position to emerge alongside the growing robot workforce. The role’s primary focus, according to the Chief Robotics Officer Research Scenario, revolves around Robotics & Intelligent Operational Systems (RIOS) technologies. As manufacturing operations become more entrenched with advancing technology, businesses will find new departments emerging to coincide with their growing mechanized workforces.
More Data, More Visibility
In the age of information, data is king. Industry 5.0 promises to deliver even more visibility in terms of data from the automated processes on the manufacturing floor. In giving employees with key roles the data they need to fine-tune and adjust these processes in real-time, efficiency goes up while waste and costs go down for manufacturers. Leveraging the benefits of the next stage in automation evolution employs a more collaborative species of the robot, a more skilled human workforce, and the data insights to turn creativity and intellect into ruthlessly efficient processes.
Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm specializing in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
As if the news of US-imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum didn’t upset a large enough portion of beverage manufacturers already, the most recent developments in US-China trade have left winemakers, along with US-based manufacturers of 127 other products, with a sour taste in their mouths.
Earlier this year, the White House sought to enact tariffs on countries it had described as taking advantage of the US trade policy for some time. To revitalize US-based metals manufacturing, the order to formally enact tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, as high as 25 percent and 10 percent respectively, was signed last month.
The Order To Formally Enact Tariffs On Steel And Aluminum Imports, As High As 25 Percent And 10 Percent Respectively, Was Signed Last Month.
The move will ideally lead to an injection of investment and job growth in the sector, according to supporters of the decision.
Food and Beverage Manufacturers Believe Things Will Get Worse Before Getting Better
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, on the other hand, have voiced serious concerns over the expected rise in costs and job losses resulting from the tariffs. Campbell Soup, Craft Heinz, Coca-Cola, and AB-InBev are among the largest companies broadcasting dire predictions. The craft beer industry, which has seen tremendous growth in the US over the last five years, is also expected to suffer serious ramifications to canning and racking operations. non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers, who have been enjoying a marked increase in popularity over the last several years, will no doubt be adversely affected by the imposed tariffs. It remains to be seen how the policy will affect the future of such niches.
US-China Trade Siphoning Beer’s Bottom Line
To begin, higher packaging prices are sure to increase prices for consumers; however, the impact could reach well beyond higher costs in the grocery aisle. According to Jim McGreevy, Beer Institute President and CEO, “this 10% tariff will create a new $347.7 million tax on America’s beverage industry, including brewers and beer importers, and result in the loss of 20,291 American jobs.” A frightening prospect, especially for those small and medium enterprises struggling to make their way in the craft brewing sector.
Beverage Manufacturers And Packaging Operations Will Be Significantly Affected By Aluminum and Steel Tariffs.
58 percent of the 2.1 million tons of tinplate used in the US last year, an insufficient amount of which is produced in the U.S according to a Campbell Soup representative, was produced in the US. CPG manufacturers will likely end up paying 10 percent to 25 percent more on the remaining 42 percent being imported because of the new tariffs.
While large food and beverage manufacturers will be able to offset the increase in costs through consumers, distributors, and retailers, smaller operations will bear the brunt of the import taxes, making growth amid volatility the latest of many challenges.
Winemakers Feeling The Squeeze Of US-China Trade
The latest response from China places the US wine industry in a position to bear a substantial impact on the back and forth between the world’s two largest economies. All this comes following the announcement earlier this year of reduced excise taxes on winemakers, distillers, and brewers that had these small and medium enterprises especially optimistic about the future of their operations.
Wine Inventory Is Sitting In Warehouses Across The Country, Waiting For Some Resolution To The State Of US-China Trade.
The new tariffs for wine can reach just as high as those imposed on imported steel by the US, 25 percent. As a result, inventory is sitting in warehouses across the country, waiting for some resolution to a spat that will have an impact that reaches farther than the vineyard. While wine exports to China account for roughly 5% of the market, or around $79m, winemakers are keeping a close eye on developments. Wine consumption in China has increased by 500% since 2000 and shows no signs of slowing down. This is further impacted by the dry spell of sorghum-based Maotai, the country’s most popular spirit.
In Napa Valley, Chinese wine tourists make up the majority of visitors, as well, with 20% of guided tours being booked in Mandarin. The figure will no doubt also be impacted by fewer Chinese wine drinkers being exposed to the varieties produced by US growers and winemakers. In a landscape dominated by French wines for decades, American wines had been in a state of perpetual grind to break into the Chinese market. Now, with the headway made over the last two decades threatened by a potential 25 percent import tax, inroads made into the Chinese wine market run the risk of drying up.
Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm specializing in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.
