What are the current challenges and opportunities for process automation in your industry?

Challenges: Cybersecurity: With more interconnected automation systems, vulnerable to cyberattacks, hence to protect critical infrastructure, continuous upgrades required. Data Management: Collecting and managing vast amounts of data from sensors and equipment can overwhelm operators. Effectively harnessing this data for decision-making is a challenge. Talent Shortage: The industry faces a shortage of skilled automation and control system engineers, making it difficult to implement and maintain advanced automation systems. Opportunities: Predictive Maintenance Remote Monitoring Environmental Sustainability Integration of AI and ML Robotics Supply Chain Optimization Energy Management Data Analytics O&M of the entire plant.

Understanding where GenAI can help automate the process of automating. For example Amazon CodeWhisperer help generate python code. That python code can then be leveraged in the automation steps of an AWS Systems Manager automation runbook. GenAI can help accelerate the process of automation which in turn can be useful for making environments more efficient and secure. You can lock these documents down via permissions so that you have a defined set of procedures that only do the steps necessary and on the resources necessary for which they have been given permission.

It is almost the top trend in process automation. The faster technology advances in that perspective the most efficient the new systems are.

In the manufacturing process automation domain AI and ML are one of the most overrated tools. They many not be the ones that provide best ROI. So consider all the facts and figures before you go for a big investment in this are else you may be in for some nasty surprises.

Job satisfaction for employees is another unexpected benefit of process automation. Nobody likes to perform those boring and repetitive tasks, so automating them helps the team to focus on cognitive tasks.

In my experience, when completing an automation project, we are able to free up staff and allow them to do what they have been employed to do. Automation takes away the clerking function of any position. With the increase in adoption of automation, businesses are looking inwards to streamline their processes and inter workings to make them more efficient. Lastly businesses are able to make proactive decisions on live data and normal paper work is now data streams that can be used.

At its core, automation drives productivity by streamlining workflows, removing inefficiencies, and significantly reducing the margin for human error, which can otherwise lead to delays or discrepancies. This increased efficiency translates into a consistent and higher quality of output, ensuring that every process yields uniform results, leading to improved customer experiences and fostering loyalty. But the benefits aren't limited to just efficiency and quality. The time and resources saved can be reinvested, setting the way for increased revenues. This not only provides a competitive edge in the market but also empowers businesses to innovate further, explore new avenues, and broaden their market presence.

Automation for the sake of automation doesn't take us far. "optimal" automation is the key. What is optimum and what is not depends on many factors like cost of the solution, the potential gains, longevity of the product cycle etc. So the biggest challenge in process automation is to locate the "low hanging fruits" relentlessly, so that the ROI is attractive. Especially in low wage economies like India automation is a much bigger challenge than western countries with higher wages.

All the points mentioned here are driving factors towards a ACoE's functioning but as per my experience the biggest issue is Identification or process for automation. If the processes defined are not apt for automation, ultimately it results as an overhead rather than positive driving component in Automation

Without any competition the need for education within the organization and most important within maintenance and IT. Today the biggest challenge for any industry is to find personnel who is able to maintain and work with the sometimes very complex automation solutions. One important factor is also the old style organization with one IT department that works with mainstream IT and the automation department that works with process close systems. The sometimes sharp division between the two departments is a limiting factor for rapid development within the automation area. There is a big gap between this two organizations that needs to be filled to facilitate the transformation to Industri 4.0.

I think the biggest opportunity in front of everyone- regardless of industry- is the use of AI to help automation go farther. Years ago in IT operations I dreamed of something that could read an incoming help desk ticket and take basic actions if it found key words… but that was super hard to achieve with accuracy until these large language models arrived on scene! DevOps and SRE have always talked about automating toil… now they have a chance to actually succeed at it. Companies that embrace this and intentionally innovate will find themselves light years ahead of their competitors.

Biggest advice: lots of small efforts rather than one big one. Think of each automation opportunity as “making a bet”… you don’t go all in on every hand. You win in small increments.

First, it's important to have a clear understanding of the process to be automated, ensuring that any inefficiencies are addressed beforehand. This is often coupled with the principle of "start small", which goes for beginning with simpler processes to gain confidence and understanding before getting into more complex workflows. It's also important to have a continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms allowing for rapid adjustments and iterative improvements. Not forgetting to engaging stakeholders, especially those directly impacted by the automation, might prove essential for insights and smooth adoption. Finally, ensuring that the automation tools and platforms chosen are scalable ensures they can allow future growth.

Automation helps organization to help to understand the Inventory, Process, Transaction level screening and most important Compliance in each Functional Area. In Current era, wherein Sanctions & Export Controls imposed on everyday movement of goods from one continent of world to another world can not control without Automation.