6 JANUARY, 2022The impact of COVID-19 and soaring e-commerce demands have massively accelerated plans for both distribution centers and manufacturers. Notably, they have pushed robotics technologies such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to the forefront. Many operators who thought they had plenty of bandwidth for growth, throughput, and capacity are trying to reconfigure to meet demand quickly. Consequently, the rapid proliferation of e-commerce has also drastically changed client expectations. A fewyears ago, the norm was three days from order to delivery. However,as e-commerce has become ubiquitous, customers are now looking fortwo-day, one-day, and, in some categories, same-day delivery.Facing increased competitive demands and consumer expectations amid labor shortages, rising labor costs, and high turnover, many companies are shifting from person-to-goods processes to automated, software-driven, goods-to-person technologies. Additionally, many manufacturers traditionally working in a business-to-business model face pressure to ship directly to consumers. To meet those expectations, midsize and small companies must now respond to compete and survive. Thus, the tipping point in favor of automation has arrived for companies with two or three shifts or with thousands or tens of thousands of items moving each day.But how do companies successfully implement automation? Essential elements in developing an appropriate plan for automation include ­ understanding what clients currently do, the processes in use, and the anticipated outcome. Some customers reduce labor costs, while others focus on ergonomics and safety. In this edition of Manufacturing Outlook, we bring you the story of some of the most promising industrial and engineering services companies that deliver the best outcomes for their clients. This edition also offers a combination of thought leadership articles from subject matter experts and exclusive insights from CIOs and CXOs. We hope this edition will provide you with the right assistance in choosing the best industrial and engineering services company according to your requirements.Let us know your thoughts!Martin Thomas Managing Editoreditor@themanufacturingoutlook.comEnhancing Tech-enabled Optimization to Boost Growth in Industrial ServicesCopyright © 2022 SiliconMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine and accordingly, no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof.Editorial StaffAlex D'souzaRussell ThomasCatalina JosephManaging EditorMartin Thomas*Some of the Insights are based on the interviews with respective CIOs and CXOs to our editorial staffVisualizersRonald DonovanDavid ParkerContact Us:Email:sales@themanufacturingoutlook.comeditor@themanufacturingoutlook.commarketing@themanufacturingoutlook.com January 24, 2022 - Vol 04 Issue 01 (ISSN 2689-8047) Published by ValleyMedia, Inc.To subscribe to Manufacturing OutlookVisit www.themanufacturingoutlook.com
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