MOVING UP THE BUSINESS AGENDA
Our industry survey found that 73 % of those surveyed believed automation to be business-critical moving forward . Automation is beginning to reach the board room table , reaching the C-suite who are now embracing automation having realised its potential for driving their business forward . In their Predictions 2022 blog , Forrester summarises it in a nutshell , predicting that those fully embracing automation – will ‘ obliterate – not merely beat – the competition ’.
CREATION OF A GLOBAL AUTOMATION PLATFORM
In recognition of this new , elevated positioning , Automation technology providers whether in the RPA , BPA or AI space are vying to create a unified , enterprise-wide platform that combines technology , robot and human data and processes taking the global , industrial automation market to the next level . This is not surprising , considering its market value - according to Statista , the automation industry is estimated to be worth $ 207bn by 2022 with the UK taking a $ 2bn share of this .
LEADING THE WAY WITH AMRS IN 2022
The logistics industry in particular , has been predicted to be the fastest growing sector for Automated Mobile Robots ( AMRs ) and Automated Guided Vehicles ( AGVs ) in 2022 . Common drivers for this are rising costs and the acute labour shortage - there are 2.5 million logistics roles in the UK , many of which remain unfilled . Wages are therefore driven up and accompanied by the need for flexible manufacturing in line with market conditions . Research by Interact Analysis shows that robotics and software products accounted for 51 % of all new product launches in 2021 with piece picking robots predicted to have an annual growth
rate of 90 % by 2025 . This is not surprising considering the continued pressure on supply chains to guarantee next-day or same-day delivery in response to a sharp shift towards e-commerce over the past 18 months .
ADDRESSING THE WORK FORCE DEFICIT
The worker shortage we are currently enduring will be here for a while yet , with many industry critics believing it will actually get worse before it improves . Serviceled roles and manual roles including warehouse jobs will be harder to fill due to their physically intensive nature and lower wage , therefore more and more companies will invest in automation to address this . At least 35 % of service companies will introduce physical robot workers , altering the manual worker landscape forever . This advanced hybrid workforce model will get the best out of the human and the robot relationship , using resources more efficiently , speeding up workflow while reducing human error . The most advanced robot workers – referred to as ‘ Cobots ’, that is , collaborative robots , work in partnership with humans , often within a shared space .
These Cobots have superior enabling technologies such as machine intelligence , increased performance capabilities and superior mobility and we will hear more and more about these moving into next year as word spreads of the business improvements they , in partnership with human workers can offer .
INCREASED DEMAND FOR COMMERCIAL PREMISES
Although the home-working model will continue as a successful format to operate within , many industries including manufacturing and logistics require employees to work from a central location . This will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on workspace design with future layouts being considerably different from those pre-pandemic formats . This in turn , will inevitably impact on demand for commercial premises and drive up prices in future years . The jury is still out on what this new format will look like but undoubtedly it will continue to evolve over the next five years as we learn to work within a changeable environment .
CONCLUSION
It ’ s clear that 2022 will be a year of significant innovation with automation rising to the top of the business agenda . We are undoubtedly entering a new era , one that is irreversible - we are set on a path of automation to not only protect ourselves from continued adversity but because it makes sound business sense for the future .
There are still many hurdles ahead but if we can negotiate these , businesses can be confident they can endure another pandemic with structure and defence . But what of those that are reticent to join the journey towards automation ? Well , if Forrester is right , they will fall behind while those adopting these advancements will soar .
For further information , please visit www . guidanceautomation . com
Issue 55 PECM 69