Survey and inspection.

Ashtead Technology has joined The Survey Association (TSA) as a supplier of rental equipment to the survey and inspection industry.

The TSA is the trade association for commercial survey companies in Great Britain. It promotes best practise in the survey industry, provides guidance on new methods and techniques, and lists suitably qualified and experienced companies who carry out surveying or who supply the survey industry.

This comes as Ashtead Technology has grown its suite of survey and inspection equipment which includes GNSS systems, levels, pipe lasers, scanning systems, total stations, utility locators and CCTV drain inspection cameras.

Ben Travis, Regional General Manager, says: “We are delighted to have been accepted by The Survey Association as a Supplier Member in recognition of the rental equipment we offer to the survey and inspection industry. We are looking forward to all of the opportunities our membership will create.

“Further to this, we are excited to be attending GEO Business where we’ll be showcasing our growing range of survey equipment (Stand GA49-18th-19th May 2022 - London GB). We’re looking forward to meeting and talking to plenty of experts in the geospatial field.”

Survey and inspection companies hire this equipment when their own is unavailable, or when they need more during peak demand. Hiring survey and inspection equipment is also an excellent way to try new technologies before committing to purchase, and it offers significant cost savings. Ashtead Technology offers market-leading rates and is currently offering generous discounts on rental quotes to new customers.  

@AshteadTech @surveyassoc @_Enviro_News #TandM #Britain

Robots to address future workforce shortages - survey.

Potential of robotic automation to help address impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and protect against future workforce shortages

A survey of 250 British SME and large manufacturing companies carried out by ABB Robotics reveals a change in attitudes towards robotic automation in the region, with 81.2 per cent of companies saying that they are considering an investment in robots because of recent events including COVID-19.

“The huge impact that COVID-19 has had on the economy will be felt long after the virus has gone and will permanently influence the way businesses conduct themselves moving forward,” says Nigel Platt, General Manager – Robotics and Automation UK and Ireland. “The inherent flexibility and high performance of today’s robots, coupled with the expanding range of options on offer, from small cobots through to heavy duty industrial robots, enables manufacturers to better prepare themselves against future uncertainties caused by impending pandemics or economic instabilities.”

Conducted as part of the launch of ABB’s new GoFa™ and SWIFTI™ collaborative robots, the survey shows how the impact of the pandemic has been widely felt by many businesses across Britain, with many affected by restrictions on workforce availability caused by lockdown and strict social distancing measures that have reduced their production capacity. Asked whether the COVID-19 pandemic has been “game-changing” for their business and industry, 90.8 per cent of the 250 respondents replied yes, with 45.6 per cent stating that their business has had to make some adjustments and 45.2 per cent stating their business and industry sector has been completely impacted.

A particular problem for many businesses has been a lack of contingency planning. Research by People Management magazine in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revealed that two in five organisations had no contingency plans to manage the COVID-19 outbreak as organisations have previously adopted a mentality of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. This lack of preparation and planning for the future is now hurting organisations as they try to adjust their business operations to the new normal.

The results of the survey suggest that robots are increasingly being seen as a way of addressing this, with 48.8 per cent of respondents stating that they were likely to invest in robotic automation within the next five years.

Regarding the potential of robotic automation to help alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses, 50.4 per cent of the survey respondents reported that robots would enable them to comply with social distancing requirements and avoid cross-contamination. There was also recognition of the value of using robots to help improve workplace safety, with 40.4 per cent stating that robots could help them to meet health and safety (H&S) rules, while 32.8 per cent saw the potential for using robots to help compensate for staff short shortages/ staff illness.

The survey results also underline the benefits that can be achieved by using robotic automation.

Asked “what have been the main benefits of robots or robotics to your business”, 57 per cent of the 142 companies that are currently using robots in their operations responded by stating that robots reduced operating costs in their business. 42.3 per cent organisations cited that robots improved product quality and consistency and 37.3 per cent claimed that it improved the quality of work and job satisfaction for employees. 32.4 per cent stated it increased production output closely followed by 31.7 per cent who cited that it improved workplace health and safety. 23.9 per cent experienced reduced staff turnover and 23.2 per cent improved the use of space.

The contribution that robotic automation can make towards increased flexibility was also highlighted, with 32 per cent of respondents stating that robots have helped them to increase their manufacturing flexibility and 25 per cent using them to develop new business models and revenue streams.

“While the UK has lagged behind other countries when it comes to embracing robotic automation in manufacturing applications, those companies that have made the switch to robots have reported a range of benefits that underline their ability to transform productivity, efficiency and competitiveness,” says Julian Ware, Sales Manager – Robotics and Automation UK and Ireland. “The results of our survey provide hope that these benefits will be realised by a growing number of companies in the next few years as robotic automation becomes recognised for its ability to provide a greater degree of certainty in challenging times.”

@ABBRobotics @ABBgroupnews @NapierPR #Robotics #Covid19

Industry trends' effects on automation profession.

As ISA celebrates its 75th anniversary, they are exploring the global societal trends shaping the world and their effect on industry, institutions and the professionals who work there.

They are seeking inputs on how these trends will impact asset owners, engineers, product and services suppliers, and the rest of the automation ecosystem. The survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete. They value experiences and opinions of automation professionals on these important topics and will use these insights to reflect and inform the entire automation profession.

Here they hope to find how these trends will impact asset owners, engineers, product and services suppliers, and the rest of the automation ecosystem.

"This survey should take you less than 15 minutes to complete. We value your experiences and opinions on these important topics and will use your insight to reflect and inform the entire automation profession."

#PAuto @ISA_Interchange @automation_com

Interested in but discouraged from STEM?

Survey shows growing interest in STEM careers but lack of encouragement, especially for women!

As the world faces a skilled workforce gap, the fifth annual STEM survey by Emerson found that six out of 10 Americans are interested in pursuing STEM careers – but fewer than four in 10 (39%) have felt encouraged to do so. The disparity is even more pronounced among women: two out of three US women say they were not encouraged to pursue a career in STEM.

While the survey found that younger generations across the globe are three times more likely to be encouraged to pursue STEM careers than generations before them, there are still several critical gaps to address – particularly as industries continue to report that they cannot find individuals with the skills required for today’s advanced workplaces. For example, the National Association of Manufacturers found that more than 70% of manufacturers in the US are concerned about finding workers with appropriate skills.

“As automation and technology become truly ingrained in our workplaces and schools, there’s a growing urgency to prepare the workforce with STEM skills that will be critical to the continued strength of the global economy,” said David N. Farr, chairman and chief executive officer for Emerson. “We want to lead the charge in making strategic investments that will provide both the current and future workforce with the right skillsets to succeed in one of the many tremendous careers made available through STEM – from software development to new technologies in manufacturing.”

Stereotyping about gender a key barrier for women entering STEM fields!

Empowering more qualified workers of both genders to explore a STEM career could have a significant impact on the workforce gap. Of the women who said they were not encouraged to pursue STEM careers, most attributed this missed opportunity in the workforce to stereotypes against women and a lack of female role models in the field.

To keep up with the rapid pace of change, workers of both genders are increasingly looking to their employers to address these upskilling needs: 79% of global respondents said they believe companies should do more to train and prepare their STEM workforce. The growing emphasis in boosting STEM education is little surprise, as most of the world (94%) say they consider STEM education important to their respective country’s future.

Despite this universal understanding of the importance of STEM, less than half of people surveyed believe their country is ahead in STEM innovation. Creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to pursue STEM can help address this perception – and contribute to growing the global STEM workforce.

“Empowering individuals of all ages and backgrounds with the tools necessary to thrive in STEM is a crucial step in solving the growing talent gap across several key industries,” said Kathy Button Bell, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Emerson. “We have long been dedicated to fostering a culture at Emerson that attracts and advances women through a variety of initiatives, including our 4,000-member Women in STEM group, which provides support and mentoring for our female engineers globally.”

Emerson is helping to address this skills gap issue for people of all ages through its We Love STEM initiatives, partnerships with more than 350 universities and technical colleges worldwide, and investments in employee training. Emerson’s recent STEM investments include the Performance Learning Platform, which enables hands-on training for current employees; training facility and equipment updates for Singapore Polytechnic; automation training technology centres at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M College of Engineering; and an automation technology centre at Colorado State University.

#PAuto @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis

How does your salary compare?

It's that time of year again when Automation.com, ISA and InTech survey automation professionals about salary and career information.

To see how your salary and company compare to others in the industry, please take a few minutes to complete the survey.

As an incentive for your participation, you will be entered into a drawing to win one of five US$50 Visa gift cards. Please take about 5 minutes to complete this important survey.

These answers are COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL. 

Results will be published in the Autumn issues of InTech and Automation Insights e-Newsletter.

 @automation_com #PAuto  @ISA_Interchange

Industrial Ethernet is now bigger than fieldbuses.

Industrial Ethernet has overtaken traditional fieldbuses in terms of new installed nodes in factory automation. This is the main finding in HMS Industrial Networks’ annual study of the industrial network market.

Industrial Ethernet now accounts for 52% of new installed nodes (46% last year), while fieldbuses are on 42% (48). EtherNet/IP is now the most widely installed network at 15%, followed by PROFINET and PROFIBUS, both at 12%. Wireless technologies are also coming on strong with 6% market share.

HMS Industrial Networks has presented their annual analysis of the industrial network market, which focuses on new installed nodes within factory automation globally. As an independent supplier of products and services for industrial communication and the Internet of Things, HMS has a substantial insight into the industrial network market.

Here are some of the trends they see within industrial communication in 2018, also looking back on the network market share evolution during the last 5 years.

Industrial Ethernet has been growing faster than traditional fieldbuses for a number of years and has now overtaken fieldbuses. With a growth rate of 22%, Industrial Ethernet now makes up for 52% of the global market compared to 46% last year. EtherNet/IP has emerged as the largest network with 15% of the market. Ethernet runners-up globally are PROFINET, EtherCAT, Modbus-TCP and Ethernet POWERLINK.

Anders Hansson

“We have seen the transition to industrial Ethernet for a long time, but it isn’t until now that it has actually overtaken fieldbuses when it comes to number of new installed nodes,” says Anders Hansson, Chief Marketing Officer at HMS. “The transition to industrial Ethernet is driven by the need for high performance, integration between factory installations and IT/IoT-systems, as well as the Industrial Internet of Things in general.”

Boosted by a strong industry and cyber-security concerns in the industry, fieldbuses are still growing slightly. However, despite an increased growth rate at 6% (4 last year), the number of fieldbus installations are expected to decline steadily over the next few years. The dominant fieldbus is still PROFIBUS with 12% of the total world market, followed by Modbus-RTU and CC-Link, both at 6%.

Wireless technologies are also growing by 32% (32) and accounts for 6% (6) of the total market. Within Wireless, WLAN is the most popular technology, followed by Bluetooth. “Wireless is increasingly being used by machine builders and system integrators to realize innovative automation architectures. Users can reduce cabling and create new solutions for connectivity and control, including Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solutions via tablets or smartphones,” says Anders Hansson.

In Europe and the Middle East, PROFINET and EtherNet/IP are leading and PROFIBUS is still widely used. Other popular networks are EtherCAT, Modbus-TCP and Ethernet POWERLINK.

The US market is dominated by the CIP networks, with a clear movement towards EtherNet/IP. In Asia, no network stands out as truly market-leading, but PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, PROFIBUS, EtherCAT, Modbus and CC-Link are widely used, with the Ethernet version CC-Link IE Field also gaining traction.

A special feature in this year’s study is that HMS is looking back on 5 years of steady industrial network growth. HMS concludes that during 2017, industrial Ethernet finally passed fieldbuses in terms of market share. “The growth of industrial networks has been steady over the last 5 years, and it is interesting to see that industrial Ethernet now has passed fieldbus, currently accounting for 52% of the market with EtherNet/IP as the leading network," according to Anders Hansson.

“Nevertheless, our study confirms that the network market remains fragmented – users continue to ask for connectivity to a wide variety of networks, depending on application. Looking ahead, it is clear that industrial devices will become increasingly connected, boosted by the Industrial Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. From our point of view, we are well-suited to grow with these trends, since HMS is all about ‘Connecting Devices.’”

@HMSAnybus #PAuto 

How do you care for your asset!

A free, on-line, Operator Asset Care Survey, from the MCP Consulting Group, offers manufacturers the chance to list their current practices in a scored Agree/ Disagree survey.

Categories such as Maintenance Approach on Site, Relationships Between Production and Technical Staff, Personnel Attitudes and General Conditions and Performance are listed.

Tick boxes and final score lead to an understanding of their current situation which when addressed by trained consultants’ could lead to a potential 200% ROI.

@ConsultingMCP #Pauto #Survey

Serialisation research survey!

"What is the biggest challenge you face when preparing for pharmaceutical serialisation? Are you clear what the global requirements for serialization are?" asks Zenith Technologies.

Zenith along with with SEA Vision is conducting some serialisation research to better understand users' views.

Participants in this short serialisation research survey will gain exclusive access to a free e-book with tips and guidance to prepare for new serialisation regulations, while also helping to significant business improvements.

Participation in serialization research will ensure receiving a summary of the findings (though responses will of course remain anonymous).

 @ZenithIre  #PAuto @SEA_Vision

Automation priorities post Brexit: Survey Report!

GAMBICA, the Trade Association for Instrumentation, Control, Automation and Laboratory Technology in Britain, has published a report that summarises the priorities and planned actions of its members following BREXIT vote to leave the European Union. Over the months of July and August 2016, GAMBICA ran a survey with member companies and this report analyses the results.

In terms of priorities, Access to the Single Market came out as highest by a clear margin, ranked number one by 79% of participants and in the top 3 by 92% of participants. It was also ranked number one priority by all sizes of company and both manufacturers and non-manufacturers.

Access to Skilled Workers came out as the next priority, especially for manufacturers and medium / large companies. Influence on Standards was also in the top 3, for both small and large companies and again particularly for manufacturers.

In terms of actions in the shorter term, there was a theme of employment freezes, exchange rate monitoring and postponements of investment decisions. Longer term, the high level of uncertainty is a cause for questioning future investment, expansion and partnerships.

"The results of the survey give GAMBICA a clear direction for all our areas of operation, whether we are influencing government policy, regulation or standards. We know that access to the single market and skilled labour are critical in bringing stability and that both standards and regulation are essential to support that goal," said a statement.

@gambica #PAuto #TandM #Laboratory

Automation Services: Trends and Developments!

Automation Services are growing in importance to end users because many of them lack experienced internal resources. Services also offer an excellent opportunity to suppliers and OEMs to grow their business and improve client relationships. Still, throughout the value chain, from suppliers to end users, there is a considerable lack of benchmarks and guidelines.

Click image to take survey!

While ARC Advisory Group has conducted research on Automation Services for many years, they now want to increase our efforts with a broad scale online survey. This will accompany our extensive quantitative research to better understand automation related services provided by the suppliers as well as OEMs and third parties.

The survey is designed for suppliers, OEMs, SIs & EPCs, and end users of automation equipment. It contains different set of questions for each group.

Privacy is assured, and identification of participants will not be released to others. Total responses are accumulated with others to chart the results and only aggregated information will be published.

Benefits
Suppliers will be supported by an overview of the market and what their counterparts are doing. End user will be supported with KPIs and trends from their peers. All participants receive a FREE summary of the key findings.

Customer retention in Ireland! Survey has commenced!

"Beginning on the 9th of June, Endress+Hauser (Ireland) will be conducting a customer retention survey and we would like to invite you to take part and let us know your opinion!" says their notification to automation users in Ireland.   "Your opinion will help us to integrate your needs, concerns and requirements in our planning, and serve you better in the future. The survey will be conducted by international market research institute, TNS Infratest, and should only take younot more than fifteen minutes to complete and probably less! "

The TNS Survey is a customer retention survey conducted by marketing research institute, TNS Infratest. It is to find out from our customers themselves, their opinions so we can improve our service to them.

This survey is one that the Endress+Hauser group require each E+H sales centre to run every two years. I am not sure when Endress+Hauser in other countries run their survey, it would depend on when they did their last one, however Endress+Hauser Ireland are running theirs currently at this time, with the invitations being sent out to our customers in Ireland tomorrow.
Its aim is to help us improve our offering and service to our customers, and is also helpful in letting us to know how we are doing from the point of view of our customers." 

• The survey itself will then be sent out by TNS on the 9th of June, and will run until the 23rd of June. 

If your copy hasn't arrived or you require a copy contact the Endress+Hauser Ireland operation here. 

Customer satisfaction measured!

A critical element of the mission of the Measurement, Control & Automation Association (MCAA) is to provide meaningful and useful benchmarks and business tools to its member companies. MCAA launched this program for measuring Customer Satisfaction in 2003 with a survey instrument developed by the Board of Directors and members working with experts in this area. The Customer Satisfaction Survey program helps companies obtain necessary customer feedback while at the same time allowing them to benchmark their own performance (in the eyes of customers) against their peers in the industry—other providers of process controls, measurement and analysis instrumentation, and plant automation systems and software.

MCAA Customer Satisfaction Index 

Nearly 18,000 customers (including buyers, users, resellers and channel partners) were surveyed in 2015. In all, 2,733 surveys were completed by customers or channel partners resulting in a 15.2% absolute overall response rate and an average response rate of 19.5%. Because the MCAA survey statistics include surveys fielded by 27 different companies in 74 individual survey instruments, the more appropriate response rate is the AVERAGE rate since all participants may have not vetted their lists to level of confidence that they were reaching out to individuals who had knowledge of their company and their products or services. Typical response rates for similar surveys fall in the 10-15% range. The highest response rates occur where manufacturers surveyed their channel partners with whom they have important business relationships and with whom they achieved up to a 50% response rate.

Measured by the two main metrics (overall satisfaction and loyalty), 2015 Customer Satisfaction results for manufacturers indicate overall customer satisfaction at its second highest level in 12 years and customer loyalty in third place in the time period. For manufacturers relative to their channel partners (where historical data is available for seven years), the 2015 satisfaction index is in a virtual tie for second with 2014. The loyalty index is not calculated for manufacturers-to-channel because of the nature of the business relationship. Finally, for channel firms surveying their customers (where there is a six-year history) the past three years have seen the highest marks. In 2015 this group has both a satisfaction index and a loyalty index that is above the 6-year average.
To view the results of the 2015 Customer Satisfaction Survey in its entirety, please go to the website and select “Customer Satisfaction Surveys” from the “Services” tab. MCAA exists to help the management teams of process and factory automation product and solution providers run and grow successful businesses by offering timely, unique and highly specialized resources acquired from shared management benchmarks where proprietary company information is secure.

Survey response shows customer satisfaction improvement

A new customer survey published early in 2015 by Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) specialist, Autoscribe, has shown an across-the-board increase in customer satisfaction levels compared to a similar survey carried out in 2013. In addition response levels to the survey, which was conducted in both the USA and Britain, was up nearly fourfold.

The survey contains a number of questions which allow customers to rate some aspect of the Matrix LIMS products or the service provided by Autoscribe on a scale of 1-10. Every survey question with this metric showed an improvement.

Autoscribe Managing Director, John Boother, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the results. The purchase of a LIMS and ongoing customer support requires a good deal of interaction between customers and our staff, and we are constantly striving to ensure that our personnel are knowledgeable, helpful and personable to make this experience as positive as possible. It is therefore a great compliment to our sales and support staff in both countries that the biggest increases in the score ratings came in the ‘assistance given by the sales team’ and ‘assistance given by the support team’ categories.”

“It is also encouraging that these improvements have all been achieved against a respectably high baseline (generally over 7/10) achieved in 2013”, he continued. “We are also pleased to report that even more people would be prepared to recommend Autoscribe to another potential user. However, we must not rest on our laurels. There is still room for further improvement and that must always be our objective.”

LIMS customer survey results announced!

Autoscribe has recently conducted a satisfaction survey with its Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) customers worldwide. 

Their CEO, John Boother, said: “Producing management software suitable for use in wide and varied laboratory environments requires much more than just programming skills. We wanted to understand our customers’ feelings about all the aspects of our business, from the sales experience through implementation and support services as well as the quality of the software itself.” 

While careful attention is being paid to the response to every single question in the survey, they were heartened by the overall levels of satisfaction expressed by its customers. When asked what they saw for the future of the Matrix Gemini LIMS in their organisation based on their needs and experiences of the product, over 90% of the respondents said that they would either continue as they are, expand use to other departments or sites, add more licences or upgrade the current version.

By far and away the most popular feature of Matrix is its flexibility and ease of configuration according to the survey and almost half of the respondents make use of the web-based user interface which is supplied as standard. Sales assistance, implementation services, support services together with software quality and reliability all received very similar high scores.

“Only by listening to customers’ opinions can we understand where we should concentrate our efforts to improve”, continued Boother. “We felt the survey was very representative, covering many geographic areas and a wide range of laboratory sizes, with some handling as few as 250 samples a month and others handling up to 75000 samples per month so we were particularly delighted to hear that 81% of respondents would recommend Matrix to another user.”