Industries have been facing so many transformations over the years. Off late, industries have been adopting methods to stay lean and efficient which includes industrial automation. Industrial automation means replacing laborious works that were previously done by humans with machines such as computers and/or robots. The reason for adopting industrial automation is that it is capable of increasing productivity, safety, quality and accuracy. Not just that, but the automation process can decrease the number of laborious hours that are being put into work.
In order to adopt industrial automation, companies need powerful software that can work as intended and as much efficient as possible to keep the workflow going. But, a lot of investments had to be made in developing and maintaining such software. This is why companies started adopting SaaS into their business models. SaaS works on a subscription basis, so, there is no need to pay a bulk amount of money in either developing or in updating and maintaining the software as all of these are done by the service provider. SaaS is very flexible and it allows data to be accessed and monitored from remote locations. Meanwhile, companies prefer vertical SaaS integration as they want specific solutions that meet the needs as per their requirements.
Industrial automation generally comprises technologies like robotics, IoT, AI, Big Data, cybersecurity and predictive analytics.
Robotics in industrial automation
The main purpose of using robots in industrial processes is to replace manual labor. Right from designing assembly lines to conducting complex surgeries, robotics play a vital role. Robotics in the industrial sector will soon bring in a new set of standards that can be adopted by all the manufacturers globally. With advancements in robotics, machines can be built using complex technologies like machine learning, natural language processing to increase the ability to collaborate with other devices. Since the time where robotics has been involved in the industrial field, it has become an essential part of manufacturing because of its ability to provide increased accuracy and worker at greater speed.
The global robotics market is expected to reach $189.36 million by 2027 with an increasing CAGR of 13.5% over the forecast period.
Internet of things (IoT)
IoT characterizes a number of devices with specific functionalities that are connected over the internet. These devices, together, have the ability to solve complex problems, which can enhance business operations by increasing productivity. IoT provides a lot new business opportunities and can increase the control over business processes.
The global IoT market is forecasted to grow around $1.6 trillion by 2025.
Artificial intelligence in industrial automation
Artificial intelligence along with machine learning and deep learning will have the ability to extract useful information from raw data. AI can be used to keep track of every step of the production process, from which data can be gathered and manufacturers can use the collected data to work towards increasing the quality of the products. AI can also be useful in understanding consumer behavior, thus understanding the needs of the consumer, based on which products can be further developed.
The global artificial intelligence market will reach $266.92 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 33.2% from 2019 to 2027.
Big data in industrial automation
Big data analysis can be used in automating production management. It can also be used in understanding the business pattern and the current market trends that are collected as consumer data, thereby, making suitable business decisions. Challenges in opening new branches and transferring production can be handled using big data. With big data analysis,keeping track of the data, with which ERP solutions can be obtained to manage day-to-day business operations.
Cybersecurity in industrial automation
Cybersecurity is being a key factor in process automation. Since the software used in automation are cloud-based, it is very vulnerable to cyberattacks. A productive cybersecurity system must provide visibility of all users and device, reducing the possibility of attacks by protecting classified information and prevent the existing threats effectively. Ultimately, security system must be capable of automatically detecting and preventing all known, unknown and newly occurring threats. Regularly updating the security system will patch up or fix the errors that were in previous versions and provides improved security measures against cyberthreats.
According to a study, enterprises will be spending $12.6 billion in developing or buying cloud security solutions.
Predictive analytics
Predictive analytics uses techniques such as data mining, statistics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze the data that is being collected during day-to-day business operations and makes predictions based on the collected data. predictive analytics has been helpful in anticipating the changes in the market, according to which the manufacturing processes in the supply chain can be optimized.
SaaS Platforms that offer industrial automation
1) Salesforce
Description: Salesforce provides automation tools that are user-friendly and can be easily integrated into the existing industrial systems. Salesforce also provides expert guidance in finding the right tool for business automation purposes. Salesforce helps in building SaaS-based productivity tools with incredible UX/UI, real-time data processing.
User ratings: 4.4/5
Cost: $25 per user per month
Website: https://www.salesforce.com/in/
2) Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Description: AWS offers high-performance computing that enables developers and engineers in solving complex problems using simulations. AWS offers AI/ML technologies that offer predictive analysis using real-time data. One of the best services offered by AWS is impeccable security. AWS also offers tools that can estimate the amount of investment for the project.
User ratings: 4.6/5
Cost: The pricing for AWS varies with the services used.
Website: https://aws.amazon.com/
3) Seebo
Description: Seebo offers process-based industrial AI solutions that can predict and prevent the factors that affect the production process. Seebo’s solutions are highly flexible and can adapt to the changes in industrial processes. These solutions can be connected to multiple data points and different design topologies which enables them to be accessed across multiple lines of business.
User ratings: 4.5/5
Cost: Seebo offers pricing as per the requirements put forth by the users.
Website: https://www.seebo.com/
4) Upland
Description: Upland provides cloud-based solutions for digital transformation such as customer management, sales and marketing, workflow automation and enterprise management.
User ratings: 4.7/5
Cost: $20 per user per month.
Website: https://uplandsoftware.com/
5) IBM
Description: IBM offers software for automation services that can be designed and built according to the specific needs of the organization. This software can work on any cloud and requires a minimal coding process.
User ratings: 4.1/5
Cost: platform starter pack, $840 per month.
Website: https://www.automationworld.com/home/company/13307848/ibm
6) K2
Description: K2 provides a platform for building customized business applications which can easily be built by the user using drag-and-drop method. These platforms can be integrated with SQL, CRM, etc.. These platforms can either be deployed on-premise or on the cloud.
User ratings: 4.4/5
Cost: K2 dynamically allocates pricing as per the needs of the client.
Website: https://www.k2.com
7) HyperScience
Description: HyperScience provides AI-based solutions which can convert hand-written forms and applications into digital texts. HyperScience also offers high-speed automated evaluation of files and applications which are as good as human judgments.
User ratings: 4.6/5
Cost: pricing per project depends on the solutions that are provided for the client to meet their business requirements.
Website: https://hyperscience.com/
The global industrial automation control platform is expected to reach $25.18 billion by 2024. This shows that automation in the industrial sector has been greatly improving the business by providing so many beneficial end-user applications. Not to miss, companies that have been providing the necessary automation tools have paved the way for such a transformation in the industrial sector. By looking at the speed of growth of automation process, it is clear that it will provide much more productive products and tools in the upcoming years.
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