NORTH/SOUTH DIVIDE IN ATTITUDE TOWARDS ROBOTS
A survey of over 2,000 UK workers has discovered a clear north and south divide when it comes to attitudes and opinions on the rise of robot workers. The research, conducted by Industrial Vision Systems (IVS), a supplier of machine vision solutions, found that just 16% of workers in both Brighton and Southampton would feel threatened that a robot would take their job if they had one assisting them at work. However, this number increases to 30% for cities such as Sheffield and Liverpool and 27% for workers in Leeds. Generally, 30% of workers surveyed across the north east
said they would be afraid that the robot would make a mistake, whereas just 19% in the south east believed this to be the case. A recent study from The Centre
for Cities think-tank analysed the likely impact of robot workers in the UK and discovered that the north and midlands are likely to suffer more than wealthier cities in the south. According to The Centre for Cities, 18% of jobs are under threat in southern cities, compared with 23% of jobs in cities elsewhere in the country. However, Earl Yardley, IVS
director, said: “I personally believe that it is somewhat misguided to think that because a robot
happens to be working in the same building as you, that it’s going to replace you. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. “Working with collaborative robots has the added advantage of working safely and efficiently in workspaces currently occupied by human workers. The misconception of working with vision enabled robots could hinder productivity levels in these local economies. By offering ready-to- run inspection solutions utilising robots and vision in tandem, we are opening a new era for real- time machine vision inspection in manufacturing.”
www.industrialvision.co.uk
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UK UNDER-PERFORMING AGAINST GLOBAL AVERAGE
The introduction of any new or updated legislation is usually met with a range of responses: how do I comply, how much will it cost, what happens if I don’t meet the deadline, is it really necessary etc.? The overriding feeling is usually one of negativity or apathy – just another thing to worry about. But equipment manufacturers are
suggesting that the latest phase of amendments to the European Commission’s Ecodesign Directive (introduced on 1st January 2018) could actually be a good thing. For example, the Directive will require industrial cooling and refrigeration equipment to meet new stringent minimum levels of energy- efficiency. And with process manufacturing
being a particularly energy-intensive sector, the availability of more energy-efficient equipment should be welcomed. Find out how to embrace the benefits on page 34. Michelle Lea - Editor
Globally, manufacturing business growth has increased by 3.7% (to 103.7 index points) despite the fact that half of manufacturers admit they have grown under challenging circumstances. This is one of the key findings of the annual Global Growth Index, launched by Epicor Software Corporation. The Growth Index is designed to
measure the state of business growth worldwide, by tracking the performance of manufacturing businesses in 14 territories. Taking last year’s results as a base figure (100), it has found that business growth has increased by 3.7 index points in the last year. “Businesses have affirmed that
investing in the right technology will help position them for growth in the future… a sentiment that we will track year-on-year,” said Scott Hays SVP, Product Marketing, Epicor Software Corporation. Contributing to this score is a
significant growth in the number of manufacturers reporting strong sales/turnover in the last 12 months—up 5% from last year to
70% overall. Comparing figures on a global
scale, the Global Growth Index shows a poor performance from the UK – with manufacturers here underperforming against global average figures in terms of expanding their product ranges (63%), profits (63%) and workforces (42%), but also geographic expansion (44%), exports (44%) and sales/turnover (62%). Against the backdrop of Brexit
negotiations, these figures back up the predictions of some economists, several of whom have estimated a GDP loss of nearly ten percentage points as a result of the UK leaving the European Union. Manufacturing businesses in
Mexico, India, and China, meanwhile, came above global average figures in all growth metrics, with the exception of workforce growth. European businesses such as France and Sweden have been most likely to experience growth in terms of geographic coverage and exports/ overseas sales.
www.epicor.com
Siemens Financial Services (SFS) has released a new research paper that describes ‘CFO 4.0’ - the new breed of Chief Financial Officer in the manufacturing industry. The CFO 4.0 has a deep, holistic understanding of the competitive advantages of digital transformation, the competencies required to identify, evaluate and implement new business models for Industry 4.0, and the essential capability to drive and enable the transformation process. Respondents to the SFS research
identified five key competencies that the CFO 4.0 requires. They are:- 1. A comprehensive understanding
of available financing options 2. The ability to introduce relevant
financing options at an early stage 3. Specific Industry 4.0 knowledge
and expertise – related to financial, technology, operations and market analyses 4. The capability to build predictive
Industry 4.0 business models, return- on-investment metrics and performance monitoring processes 5. The proficiency to create an
effective phased plan to move the business to Industry 4.0 These competencies will allow
each CFO 4.0 to deliver commercial gains for their company
www.siemens.com/cfo-4-0
4 MAY 2018 | PROCESS & CONTROL
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