10
May 2019
7
an image of iot for manufacturers and the tools predictive maintenance delivers to manufacturers

Top 10 Benefits Of IoT For Manufacturers

Top 10 Benefits Of IoT For Manufacturers Chances are you have come across the terms Internet of Things

Top 10 Benefits Of IoT For Manufacturers

Technology , , , , Sean Balogh

Top 10 Benefits Of IoT For Manufacturers

Chances are you have come across the terms Internet of Things (IoT) or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). These are networks of connected devices that communicate data to a central system to make sense of it all. These networks consist of connected edge devices, terminals, and machines in an enterprise. The data captured through this network provides an understanding of what is successful and what is not in terms of operations and processes. The system that helps you interpret the captured data is, more often than not, your company’s ERP system. Read on to learn how you can leverage the top 10 benefits of IoT for manufacturers in your facility.

Internet of Things (IoT)

When it comes to everyday devices capable of the connectivity we are talking about, the numbers are staggering. Billions of devices exist with this capability. It is estimated that there are roughly 7 such devices for each person on the planet, totaling roughly 50bn devices by 2020.

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

When it comes to IIoT devices, the vast majority reside in manufacturing, followed closely by the healthcare and retail industries. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) puts a focus on this interconnectivity and data provided by the terminals, sensors, and other systems on the factory floor. These data-fueled factories become “intelligent” environments, which are capable of informing enterprises from the top down. They provide visibility regarding the efficiency of factory processes and performance both in real-time and over time. In short, the data enables manufacturers to refine and improve operations with relevant and up-to-date data.

an image of IIoT statistics top 10 benefits of iot for manufacturers

Source: Accenture

So, how can your organization stand to benefit from investing in IoT connectivity? Here are the top 10 benefits of IoT for manufacturers.

1. The Connected Factory – Blindspots Begone

IoT-enabled machines and endpoints are capable of communicating operational information to personnel both inside and peripherals to your organization. That includes machine operators, managers, field service personnel, and even partners like suppliers, subcontractors, and OEMs. This connectivity delivers mission-critical data and information to operation managers and factory leadership on-site and out-of-office. The power to control operations and manage factory activity on a remote level increases opportunities for process optimization and automation. view the Connected Factory In Action infographic at Manufacturing Tomorrow.

2. Production Visibility – Identifying Bottlenecks And Improve Processes

When it comes to production, the continuous monitoring of processes that IoT connectivity provides will enable improvements to be made on a rolling basis. Hangtime in assembly and manufacturing operations gain particular benefit when bottlenecks are identified and adjustments can be made in nearly real-time to realize better approaches to production management and the reduction of operational costs. Additionally, part waste is reduced alongside fewer resources tied up in inventory and better overall product delivery. For some organizations, IoT connectivity will lead to a 15 percent productivity increase in delivery and supply chain performance.

3. Better Inventory Management – Find It Fast, From Anywhere

With technologies like RFID and IoT connectivity, personnel tasked with managing inventory can leverage automated asset tracking and reporting through ERP to avoid the costly mistakes that come with working within antiquated inventory tracking systems. This connectivity allows items to be tracked and the data recorded to the ERP system automatically. These performance management capabilities made possible through IoT connectivity and ERP can help organizations reduce the number of working hours committed to inventory management each month and reduce the probability of human error. Track your stock from shop to dock with IoT technologies in your facility.

4. Build A Safer Work Environment

While there are no doubts that IoT connectivity and ERP improve production on the factory floor; these technologies can also help create a safer working environment for employees. This can be in the form of vision and spatial awareness systems for human-machine interactions or wearable safety technologies your staff keep on their person throughout the day. There are several safety concerns in any manufacturing facility. IoT-connected devices can communicate to larger systems within the organization of aberrations, such as too much vibration or heat being exhibited from a machine or pressure loss within piping segments, and even gas leaks that might be otherwise undetectable to human perception. Staff moving through dangerous parts of your facility can signal to connected machines that a human is nearby and appropriate action can be taken automatically. An employee that sustains an injury in a remote location of the facility or even off-site can receive faster care with the inclusion of IoT-connected safety equipment. These are only a handful of examples of how IoT for manufacturers can improve safety in your facility.

5. Secure Your Facilities

With a growing number of bad actors participating in malicious attacks on manufacturers across the globe, manufacturing facility security is a topic of conversation every organization should be discussing. When it comes to security, IoT provides manufacturers with a way to monitor their data coming into the system as well as going out. Terminals and end-points can signal foreign devices being connected to infrastructure, large amounts of data being moved, and individuals accessing data they otherwise shouldn’t have access to. Leveraging IoT for manufacturers can help guard against security threats to vital hardware, software, and cloud-stored data. You can even manage devices and policies throughout an enterprise from a single point using IoT connectivity. For more information on Practical Security for the Internet of things – view the infographic from Entrust.

6. Predictive Maintenance – Minimize Machine Downtime

Predictive maintenance identifies the condition of equipment while it is in service and determines the optimal service interval. It saves time and money by completing maintenance activities only when necessary. A special focus has been placed on predictive maintenance, as opposed to preventative maintenance, more recently. This is because it allows longer periods of operation between maintenance tasks, resulting in less downtime for essential machinery. When coupled with technologies like IoT for Manufacturers, everything from vibration, voltage, temperature and other performance indicators feed into sensing tools attached to machines. This information is interpreted and visualized by intelligent software solutions, such as ERP platforms, into updates, warnings, and alerts. Your teams can use this information to evaluate the situation and take the most appropriate action. Intelligent and connected devices assist in setting data points that indicate when a part is reaching end-of-life, too.  Automated systems can be directed to order replacement parts if none are on-site and schedule the replacement or repair in such a way that minimizes unplanned production downtime, which can cost manufacturers as much as $300,000 an hour.

an image of iot for manufacturers and the tools predictive maintenance delivers to manufacturers

The Volvo Group provides one real-world example of how an IoT-based predictive maintenance solution can predict damage to spindles, as well as identifies cracking and spalling of rotating equipment, gearing, and motor defects. The resulting improvements to OEE saw a 70 percent reduction in diagnostic time and a 25 percent reduction in repair times.

7. Predictive Forecasting – Real-Time vs. Historical Data

Today’s global economies move too quickly for manufacturers to rely on historical data to forecast demand. Weather events, materials shortages, and a host of other environmental factors can influence demand for any given product at any given time. Accurate forecasting is critical for manufacturers that want to sell as much of a product as possible without oversaturating their markets.

Take, for instance, a widget. A consumer buys a connected widget, which in turn collects data about usage, wear and tear, and overall performance. The relative data is then sent back to the manufacturer to determine what adjustments need to be made to the product for more predictable forecasts of future demand. If the product is satisfactory for customers across a wide range of environments and uses, then the average life-cycle can be taken into account, and manufacturing volume can be adjusted to match. The result is more accurate demand forecasting, fewer wasted resources, and stock tied up in inventory. What follows is an increase in overall customer satisfaction based on quality and deliverability when consumers return for a replacement part.

IoT for Manufacturers in this sense can go far beyond demand forecasting to include the entire supply chain with traditional forecasting, statistical bottom-up forecasting, and ship-to forecasting. Zara is one retailer using IoT to forecast demand and minimize waste.

8. Increased Energy Efficiency – A Smaller Footprint

If you didn’t already know, industries like discrete and process manufacturers are responsible for the majority of energy consumption worldwide. Industrial manufacturing is responsible for consuming 54% of globally delivered electricity. This leads to pretty sizable operating costs. fortunately, IoT for manufacturers can significantly increase energy efficiency in several ways.

initially, managers can easily identify hardware and devices that use the most energy. This information can be used in creating advanced operating profiles that tell machines when to power up and operate or power down and conserve energy. Systems draining too much power, or more than they should be, can be a sign of malfunction. IoT connectivity can highlight these abnormalities right away and address problems more immediately than if the power consumption of machinery were not being monitored. This capability keeps machines operating at peak efficiency and capacity without draining resources unnecessarily.

Beyond this, IoT connectivity can give you an energy profile of your entire facility, or many facilities. The data can then be used to create the most appropriate and efficient backup systems to keep operations running smoothly despite adverse environmental factors. As a result, you can keep operating during tight deadlines and production schedules despite outages.

9. Improved Quality – IoT For Manufacturers’ Process Improvement

Quality can mean many things for manufacturers and their partners. Internally, improving processes through IoT devices can come from something as commonplace as alerting operators when there is too much material buildup on a machine’s end effectors or internal mechanisms. The addressing action would lead to improved machine performance, better output, and an improved process. in a temperature-controlled facility, aberrant tempt reading could be the result of a door left open, poor insulation, or a faulty HVAC system component. All of which can be identified and addressed with the help of IoT connectivity.

Alternatively, connected products and goods used in the field can relay valuable data that might not have been previously tested. This can include machinery performance when used in a cold, dry climate versus the humid tropics. Even phones that fail in freezing or sweltering temperatures can tell designers and engineers what components are of substandard quality, leading to improvements in future products manufactured with those conditions taken into account.

10. Increase Operational Efficiency – Maneuver Like A Tesla, Not An Oil Tanker

IoT-connected devices allow manufacturing operations and executives to utilize data flowing through their facilities to make smarter, more informed decisions. Using the information available enables the connected enterprise to undertake proactive, continuous improvement initiatives that create a more agile and stable future through both insight and action.

Truly, the benefits delivered by IoT-connected assets go beyond operational efficiency. The connected enterprise represents the next level of organizational maturity. It encapsulates predictive maintenance, higher quality products, more focused leadership, and overall organizational health. Overall, IoT for manufacturers allows staff throughout a company to work smarter, not harder, today. over the long term, cost benefits are realized many times over as upsets and disruptions in operations can be avoided entirely.

Epicor ERP IoT For Manufacturers – Workflow

Monitor equipment, assets, environmental factors, inventory locations, and their corresponding IoT data. Events and data—such as sensor and machine telemetry—flow into the Azure IoT Hub. From there, the data propagates to the IoT module of your Epicor ERP solution. Epicor IoT has an advanced rule-based engine that can detect patterns and raise alerts and notifications that propagate into Epicor ERP where they can be used to trigger business process changes like raising a maintenance suggestion when equipment degradation is detected.

Here are just some of the benefits realized when you implement Epicor ERP IoT for manufacturers:

  • Identify issues such as potential breakdowns before they happen
  • Optimize supply and reduce costs by monitoring events across your supply chain
  • Improve overall workers’ safety and security in the plant by monitoring the KPIs of health and safety
  • Improve decision-making by providing real-time, actionable information
  • Increase customer satisfaction and efficiencies and lower costs
  • Gain insights into the usage patterns and handling of products from customers
  • Predict issues and reduce inventory by tracking materials, equipment, and product as it moves through the supply chain

Contact Encompass Solutions, Inc. to learn more about implementing Epicor ERP IoT for manufacturers using the link below.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

06
Mar 2019
0
an image of the hariot-watt university logo, where the heriot-watt laser was developed

Heriot-Watt Laser System Facilitates Breakthrough In Welding Technology

The manufacturing industry has experienced a recent breakthrough in welding technology thanks to the efforts of scientists from

Heriot-Watt Laser System Facilitates Breakthrough In Welding Technology

Technology , , , Sean Balogh

The manufacturing industry has experienced a recent breakthrough in welding technology thanks to the efforts of scientists from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. The new Heriot-Watt laser system facilitates the fusing of metal and glass together. These two materials are difficult to join due to their strikingly disparate thermal properties. The technology utilizes an ultra-fast laser system that is capable of joining materials that, until recently, had to be joined through the use of messy and unreliable adhesives.

How The Heriot-Watt Laser System Works

The new Heriot-Watt laser system uses light that is aimed at connection points in materials to fuse them. The result is a more reliable connection than adhesives can provide. Traditional adhesives can be difficult to work with and lead to slippage or movement over time or in harsh environments. Outgassing is another issue manufacturers currently face when working with adhesives, especially in electronics and medical fields. This is a process by which the organic chemicals in these substances release gasses which can lead to a reduction in product integrity over time, as well as contamination of sterile environments. Materials that the system has been proven to join include optical materials, such as:

  • quartz
  • borosilicate glass
  • sapphire

which have been successfully welded to metals that include:

  • aluminum
  • titanium
  • stainless steel

through the use of picosecond (10−12 or 1/1,000,000,000,000 of a second) pulses of infrared laser light. The new Heriot-Watt laser system uses light that is aimed at predefined tracks in materials to fuse them. The result is a more reliable connection than adhesives can provide. These adhesives can be difficult to work with and lead to slippage or movement over time or in harsh environments. Outgassing is another issue manufacturers currently face when working with adhesives, especially in electronics and medical fields. This is a process by which the organic chemicals in these substances release gasses which can lead to a reduction in product integrity over time as well as contamination of sterile environments.

The Heriot-Watt Laser System Effects On Manufacturing

The newly proven process has significant implications for manufacturing industries that routinely require the union of these raw materials, including:

  • aerospace
  • defense
  • energy
  • electronics
  • optical technology
  • healthcare

The manufacturing and design flexibility of the Heriot-Watt Laser System provides welds that have been tested to maintain their integrity between -50C to 90C.

Professor Duncan Hand, director of the five-university EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes based at Heriot-Watt, said of the technology “Traditionally it has been very difficult to weld together dissimilar materials like glass and metal due to their different thermal properties—the high temperatures and highly different thermal expansions involved cause the glass to shatter.” When asked how the technology differs from methods currently used by manufacturers to join the two materials, he would go on to state, “The parts to be welded are placed in close contact, and the laser is focused through the optical material to provide a very small and highly intense spot at the interface between the two materials—we achieved megawatt peak power over an area just a few microns across. This creates a microplasma, like a tiny ball of lightning, inside the material, surrounded by a highly-confined melt region.”

Commercialization Of The Heriot-Watt Laser System

While the technology is not yet commercially available, Heriot-Watt scientists are working closely with a consortium, which includes laser firms Oxford Lasers and Coherent Scotland, as well as end-users Leonardo and Gooch & Housego. The partnership seeks to develop a prototype for the system that will bring it closer to commercialization. Glass Technology Services and the Centre for Process Innovation have geared their efforts towards another commercialization route with the packaging of OLED devices.

More information on the Heriot-Watt laser system can be found, Here.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

07
Feb 2019
0
an image illustrating avalara acquires indix AI technology

Encompass Partner Avalara Acquires Indix AI Technology And Expertise

We’re happy to see our partners at Avalara delivering top tech solutions, like AI with their recent acquisition

Encompass Partner Avalara Acquires Indix AI Technology And Expertise

Technology , , , , , Sean Balogh

We’re happy to see our partners at Avalara delivering top tech solutions, like AI with their recent acquisition of Indix, to empower businesses of every size. These tools will be instrumental in enabling businesses to better address compliance and regulation issues surrounding their taxes. Avalara is one of the leading providers of tax compliance automation software for businesses of all sizes. They announced today in a press release that the company has acquired Indix’s AI technology and expertise. Avalara acquires Indix to offer the industry’s most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive source of global tax and product content.

Thoughts From CEOs As Avalara Acquires Indix

According to Sanjay Parthasarathy, CEO of Indix, “Avalara and Indix share a similar global vision. From day one, we built Indix to collect, organize, and structure the world’s product information using artificial intelligence. With the addition of the Indix expertise, Avalara will be able to efficiently and rapidly refine its content to meet the expanding and evolving needs of its customers.”

Scott McFarlane, co-founder, and CEO of Avalara added, “Global taxing authorities govern compliance through ever-changing rules and requirements, and the task of gathering and maintaining this data is core to the value Avalara provides. We believe the combination of deep product knowledge, broad product content, and artificial intelligence technology will allow us to provide our customers the information they want and need to factor compliance into their business decision-making, and for Avalara to address more compliance requirements to support their growth.”

Avalara Acquires Indix For Database Applications

As Avalara acquires Indix, the goal is to use AI as a tool in maintaining and expanding the company’s already substantial tax content database. The database includes international product codes and their classifications, taxability rules, exemption conditions, tax holidays, jurisdictions, boundaries, tax rates, thresholds, registration, compliance, and return preparation and filing requirements.

As a non-revenue generating activity, remaining compliant and up-to-date on tax regulations and laws can place a significant drain on the business’ accounting departments. Maintaining knowledge is difficult and resource-intensive. The required technology, expertise, and human resources are not insignificant and by collecting new content and tracking changes through automated software, businesses can eliminate what is generally a highly manual process. Avalara acquires Indix to address this problem and automate the aggregation and accurate maintenance of its tax content.

About Avalara

Offering end-to-end tax compliance solutions to enterprises big and small, Avalara makes automated certificate validation, storage, and management easy. Avalara’s cloud-based sales tax automation software provides accuracy for all of the 12,000+ tax jurisdictions in the United States. Avalara ensures that automating sales, tax calculation, and maintaining compliance is all possible within your existing ERP, POS, or e-commerce system.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

01
Nov 2018
1

Top 5 Technology Trends in 2019

Technology , , , , , , , Sean Balogh

Whether you’re new to the world of IT or a bastion of knowledge for your organization in all things tech, there are exciting technologies poised to disrupt Industry in the very near future. the top 5 technology trends in 2019 are full of Innovation and advancements. These rapidly maturing and increasingly adopted technologies are some of the most exciting concepts you may or may not have heard of. Each example is poised to change the way we approach fortifying our systems and advancing our workforces to tackle the challenges of corporate and operational growth.

Here are what we think will be the top 5 technology trends in 2019 that will likely have a significant impact on businesses:

1.) Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)

Hyper-converged infrastructure, or simply hyper-convergence, is a software-defined IT infrastructure. Counter to traditionally constructed systems that involve several components of on-premise hardware that may not speak to each other, HCI seeks to virtualize and combine systems that have traditionally been “hardware-defined”, like storage systems, servers, and networking switches. HCI seeks to modernize organizations through the virtualization of computing, SAN, and networking components of infrastructure into one unified appliance set. That means one source for all resources. The methodology comes in a few forms, including a standalone appliance, a reference architecture, and a software-only model.

a grpahic displaying the benefits of hyper-converged infrastructure as one of the top 5 technology trends in 2019 according to encompass solutions

What Does It Mean For Businesses?

By doing away with siloed physical hardware systems, HCI seeks to establish a business’ IT infrastructure in a purely software-defined environment that eliminates traditional data-center inefficiencies and reduces the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). It is a trend that seeks to marry the agility and versatility of cloud infrastructure without requiring companies to give up their on-premise systems.

When companies no longer have a need to rely on disparate computing and storage systems, management becomes simplified and resource utilization becomes much more efficient. To that end, operations become far less complex and scalability becomes easier to achieve, making HCI one of our first picks for the top 5 technology trends in 2019.

2.) Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD WAN)

To better understand that SD WAN is, it helps to understand standard Wide Area Network (WAN). A WAN is a telecommunications or computer network that extends across a large distance and is capable of transferring data across that distance. This distance can be between regions, countries, or reach across the globe. These networks are generally created with leased telecommunications circuits.

In the case of SD WAN, what you might also refer to as Link Load Balancing, organizations can expand their Wide Area Network to scale alongside requirements, such as increased bandwidth, media streaming, video conferencing, and VOIP calls, much more affordably and with improved performance. SD WAN is designed to address and avoid the pitfalls of networking maintenance and troubleshooting, such as network congestion, packet delay variation, packet loss, and service outages.

According to Gartner, a research firm, SD WAN carries with it four main qualities:

  • The ability to support multiple connection types, such as MPLS, frame relay and higher speed LTE wireless communications
  • The ability to do dynamic path selection, for load sharing and resiliency purposes
  • A simple interface that is easy to configure and manage
  • The ability to support VPNs, and third-party services such as WAN optimization controllers, firewalls and web gateways

What Does It Mean For Businesses?

Because SD WAN is a virtualized WAN, businesses reap the benefit of being able to utilize any transport protocol needed. Uptime is further ensured thanks to the utilization of multiple providers for failsafe and bandwidth allocation as necessary. This virtualization also lends the added security benefit of covering security protocols, like malware defenses and botnet intervention, for multiple branches and remote devices. Provisioning on the fly is another substantial benefit of SD WAN. You can send an un-configured device to a site and have all the required network certificates, keys, and policies applied upon installation, immediately implementing the necessary permissions, documentation of traffic patterns, and access of network users. The tech may not be as new as some of the others to make our list of top 5 technology trends in 2019, but it will no doubt become more prevalent.

3.) Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Connectivity

The Internet of Things (IoT) exists as a network of interconnected devices that communicates data to a central system that makes sense of it all.

an image of statistics on IoT devices suggesting the Internet of Things will becomes stronger as one of the top 5 technology trends in 2019 according to encompass solutions.

* Source: CSGI, Intel, Vison Critical

This network consists of all edge devices connected to the many interchanges of an enterprise. From the deli counter to eCommerce platforms, the data gleaned from this network provides invaluable insight into what is successful and what is not in terms of the products and processes that form the inner workings of a business.

an image of statistics on IIoT devices suggesting the Industrial Internet of Things will becomes stronger as one of the top 5 technology trends in 2019 according to encompass solutions.

* Source: Accenture

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) brings this interconnectivity and data-focused paradigm to the terminals, sensors, and other systems on the factory floor.

What Does It Mean For Businesses?

These data-fueled factories become “intelligent” environments, capable of informing enterprises from the top down of the efficiency and shortcomings of their factory processes and performance both in real-time and over time.  In short, the IoT and IIoT data enables manufacturers further to refine and improve operations with relevant and up to date data for smarter, faster decision making. There is no doubt continued invetment in IoT and IIoT technologies and connectivity secure this concept as top 5 technology trends in 2019.

4.) AI-Enabled Security

As more and more data flows through digital devices and connections, the need for improved security protocol and tools increases in tandem. AI-enabled security is one way enterprise security teams and individuals can protect critical data and infrastructure, even when in-house resources are relatively scarce.

an image reprenting AI-enabled security as a top 5 technology trends in 2019 according to encompass solutions

Did you know that malicious actors will typically spend 200+ days in a system before extracting critical and valuable data? Learning who the players are and who holds the keys to the most protected data takes time and malicious actors have the patience that pays off in the long run. However, AI has the potential to be infinitely more patient, resourceful, and vigilant.

What Does It Mean For Industry Businesses?

AI-enabled security makes the list as one of the top 5 technology trends in 2019 because by establishing baselines for normal behavior, traffic patterns, bandwidth allocation, permissions, and user access, system anomalies can be detected within seconds. Intelligent security systems can then act according to the parameters designed by security professionals.

5.) Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR)

There are numerous applications for AR and VR. Take for instance training of new employees. If a business operates in a single location, managers can give hands-on training and face-to-face feedback with relative ease. What happens when a business operates in multiple locations and needs to onboard multiple resources in a finite amount of time. With the capabilities AR and VR present, managers can work and train remotely with staff. By using vision systems to see what they see, audio to hear what they hear and communicate clearly, and even present schematics, diagrams, and drawing in real-time, managers can to direct training programs from anywhere and at any time.

an image of applications of augmented and virtual reality as top 5 technology trends in 2019 according to encompass solutions

What Does It Mean For Industry Businesses?

Interactive walkthroughs, first-hand product demos, disaster preparedness, and a multitude of training simulations are only a handful of examples where AR and VR will be one of the top 5 technology trends in 2019 and a major game changer for businesses big and small.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing the emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.

12
Sep 2018
0
A photograph of bottle being manufactured before labelling and brand personalization

Mass Personalization Technology From Glass Manufacturer Owens-Illinois

An innovative digital printing technology from the world’s largest glass manufacturer, Owens-Illinois (O-I), provides the application of mass

Mass Personalization Technology From Glass Manufacturer Owens-Illinois

Technology , , , Sean Balogh

An innovative digital printing technology from the world’s largest glass manufacturer, Owens-Illinois (O-I), provides the application of mass personalization technology at industrial speed for beverage manufacturers. The technology is expected to become commercially available in both the US and Europe by mid-2019. Europe alone makes up 24% of the global personalized package market and O-I is excited to begin talks regarding proposed projects and collaborations.

A photograph of bottle being manufactured before labeling and application of mass personalization technology

Mass Personalization Technology With EXPRESSIONS

One of the latest techniques and technologies adding value to manufacturing processes, Owens-Illinois EXPRESSIONS, and the sculpted version of the service, EXPRESSIONS RELIEF, offers a revolutionary way to transform bottle design. The techniques are praised as a way for beverage manufacturers to further set themselves apart from the competition with an eye-catching avenue to get customers’ attention.

Arnaud Aujouannet, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of O-I, recently discussed the new technology with Manufacturing Global, stating: “The most important thing about O-I: EXPRESSIONS is it’s a differentiation service provided to brands but enabled by digital direct-to-print on glass. There are four core benefits; it’s unleashing creativity, it’s increasing speed to market, it’s a true personalization and it’s sustainable.” He added, “There is unlimited creativity and you even can print images on packaging with high resolution that can go up to 720 DPI. The unique thing about what we offer is the ability to create a 3-D print like embossing on bottles and even color this embossing. It’s enabling us to provide a completely different look and feel for a bottle that potentially starts with a very standard shape.”

A photograph of bottle being manufactured before labeling and application of mass personalization technology

What began on a small scale in 2014 has nearly been realized with the installation of two direct2glass industrial printing lines, which enable contactless direct printing. Quick curing inks and CMYK color models allow the process to incorporate the full spectrum of Pantone hues.

Mass Personalization Technology For The Masses

The ability to personalize products to meet and exceed customer expectations is anticipated to drive brand engagement and customer satisfaction. Going further, the technology could offer retailers and individual customers the opportunity to personalize their vessels for promotions, events, and celebrations at an affordable rate.

You can find O-I and its EXPRESSIONS technology on display at the following upcoming trade shows:

LuxePack

October 1st-3rd, Monaco

Brau Beviale

November 13th-15th, Nuremberg, Germany – Hall 4A / Booth 4A-215

Vinitech

November 20th-22nd, Bordeaux, France

About O-I

Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) is the world’s largest glass container manufacturer and preferred partner for many of the world’s leading food and beverage brands. The Company had revenues of $6.9 billion in 2017 and employs more than 26,500 people at 78 plants in 23 countries. With global headquarters in Perrysburg, Ohio, O-I delivers safe, sustainable, pure, iconic, brand-building glass packaging to a growing global marketplace.

For more information, visit o-i.com 

For more information on O-I: EXPRESSIONS, visit discoverexpressions.com

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

04
Sep 2018
0
a photo of a robot in a chocolate processing facility

Food And Beverage Manufacturing AI

When it comes to buzzwords, few raise as many eyebrows and roll as many eyes as Artificial Intelligence

Food And Beverage Manufacturing AI

Technology , , , , Sean Balogh

When it comes to buzzwords, few raise as many eyebrows and roll as many eyes as Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, when it comes to food and beverage manufacturing AI, the impact of such technology on industrial processes becomes harder to ignore with each passing day.

For the uninitiated, AI can be characterized by the ability of machines and computers to emulate human intelligence. That is any device that is seemingly aware of its environment and can complete actions to increase the chances of successfully achieving a goal.

An image of simulated neural networks used to convey the idea of food and beverage manufacturing ai.

While manufacturers are leveraging disruptive technologies like AI, Robotics, membrane technologies, machine vision, and automation to increase safety, output, and ROI, food and beverage manufacturers may be one of the biggest benefactors from all this technology has to offer.

Food And Beverage Manufacturing AI Benefits

When it comes to the benefits of incorporating food and beverage manufacturing AI into operations, Gartner, a noted global research and advisory firm, predicts that “By 2020, the number of users of modern business intelligence and analytics platforms that are differentiated by augmented data discovery capabilities will grow at twice the rate — and deliver twice the business value — of those that are not.”

Contending with constant change is a crux food and beverage manufacturers know all too well. This isn’t just about the prediction above and emerging technology, either. The industry is rife with fluctuation when it comes to suppliers, regulations and compliance, tax codes, and a host of other environmental factors that manufacturers need to consider.

From data analytics and executive-level predictions to process automation and batch quality, food and beverage manufacturing AI can be applied to many facets of what keeps a business running in optimal condition.

Securing Facilities And Batch Quality With Machine Vision

Recipes and processes are what give food and beverage manufacturers dependable and consistent products. A security that can keep up with today’s modern data theft tools is essential to remain protected. Facial recognition that can secure access to a production facility is just one example of how AI can further protect the intellectual property of manufacturers. The same machine vision technology that can sound an alert that unrecognized intruders are on-site can capture and interpret images to identify products with defects or bottling lines that aren’t securing caps or filling vessels to the appropriate height.

An image of filling and corking wine bottles to specification, a task food and beverage manufacturing ai can make easier.

Making Sense Of Sensor Data

IoT devices are constantly feeding data to ERP software and manufacturing execution systems (MES) assisting in process improvement, predictive maintenance, and forecasting, AI can make sense of data much faster than a human can.

Identifying abnormalities before they become blockages in the production process is invaluable and AI’s ability to read and interpret data for warning signs can set your teams to work on maintaining equipment before it fails.

Output, cost, and revenue information can also be compiled by AI to offer decision-makers a clear picture of how operations are faring relative to the global competition. For example, data points derived by the systems in place can flag important information for review, compile reports, direct field service crews, update schedules, and even modify recipe formulations on the fly depending on environmental factors. Imagine being able to adjust ingredient quantities in real time based on the quality of raw ingredients.

An image of a food processing equipment separating packaged foods, a task food and beverage manufacturing ai can make easier.

Increasing Consumer Confidence with AI And ERP

In the rapidly changing environment of food and beverage manufacturing, maintaining customer confidence is critical to retaining business. AI, Robotics, and ERP all have a hand in ensuring brand consistency and customer trust. For instance, consider regulatory compliance. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a complex piece of legislation designed to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested, and processed. As a result, every food and beverage manufacturer has to know the components of the law to which they must adhere.

 

An image of a technician lab testing food samples, a task food and beverage manufacturing ai can make easier.

By utilizing intelligent software and refining processes to reduce recalls, lost sales, and legal expenses, businesses can remain more competitive and avoid the potentially fatal mistakes of falling outside of regulation with the products they produce. By enabling superior tracking and traceability alongside more concise testing and validation, advanced technologies can keep such incidents to a minimum, and ensure that when they do arise, they are addressed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

02
Jul 2018
0
a graphic image of a happy customer utilizing a self--service customer portal

Improve Customer Support and Increase ROI With Bezlio Self-Service Portals

Empowering your customers to direct their experience will have a positive effect on their perception of your services.

Improve Customer Support and Increase ROI With Bezlio Self-Service Portals

Technology , , , , , , Sean Balogh

Empowering your customers to direct their experience will have a positive effect on their perception of your services. Better visibility, better access, and more relevant data ensure clients are satisfied with every step of the customer journey. Bezlio delivers a superior tie-in with existing Epicor ERP systems to empower customers, reduce resource costs, and improve ROI. Read on for more info on our strategic partner, Bezlio.

 

Self Service Portals

Among the many features Bezlio self-service portals provide, order visibility, shipping, and order detail tools rank among the most critical in the eyes of the customer. Here’s how Bezlio addresses these needs to deliver a superior service portal and customer experience.

Open Order Access

By allowing customers to view their full queue of open orders that are ready for processing they can address those that are more time-sensitive, make better forecasting, and drill down into further details on an as-needed basis.

Order Tracking

With a simple and self-explanatory approach to giving customers further visibility into the ordering process, your customers gain better forecasting and turnaround time on orders. This empowers them to deliver on their obligations with better accuracy. As a result, their trust in your dependability increases.

Order History

Providing full visibility into order history allows customers to recreate previous purchases with ease, download and print the necessary details as needed, and maintain cleaner data regarding invoicing, supply on hand, and spending over given periods.

Shipment Tracking

Shipping visibility gives customers access to the full field of details regarding every order, including invoice numbers, dates, quantities, order numbers, PO numbers, part numbers, and much more. Good for both in-process and historical data, shipping visibility is one component of Bezlio’s services everyone agrees is essential.

Parts And Inventory Lookup

General and custom parts look-up facilitates real-time inventory visibility to ensure your customers can get the parts and products they need to be delivered on time and as expected.

Invoice Archives

Convenience invoice sorting and search allows customers to find their invoices by order number and to share essential invoice details with the click of a mouse button.

Autonomous Order Entry

Going one step further than reviewing important order and inventory details, the ability to place orders on their own, without the tedious set-up associated with complicated e-commerce platforms.

About Bezlio

Bezlio is a US-based company with 15 years of experience in customizing and optimizing ERP (enterprise resource management) systems and manipulating data. Specializing in mobile, cloud-based integrations, Bezlio offers many supplemental tool integrations for existing Epicor systems, such as mobile crystal reports, Amazon Seller integration, Salesforce + ERP, tableau write-back, and the recently added self-service customer portals.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm specializing in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

27
Jun 2018
0
an image of robotics process automation personified by a human in digital space

How Using ERP To Automate Processes Can Empower Businesses

Right now, employment in the US is the highest it’s been in over a decade. That has put

How Using ERP To Automate Processes Can Empower Businesses

Technology , , , , Sean Balogh

Right now, employment in the US is the highest it’s been in over a decade. That has put a lot of businesses in a tough position when hiring talented employees. More and more businesses are running into the same problem: lack of availability of capable manpower. With so much competition, your business may want to consider going down a more progressive route.

By implementing automated processes made possible with ERP software, your business can avoid the resource-intensive undertaking of searching for, hiring, and onboarding new talent in a competitive labor market. Getting rid of the mundane and repetitive tasks on your back-end will free up your workforce to take on more customer-focused tasks, ensure your business is positioned to adapt to a sudden change in your business environment, and improve your bottom line without sacrificing headcount or quality customer experiences.

Addressing Labor Market Constraints

While low unemployment is great for job-seekers, it puts businesses in a tough position when hiring new talent to help their operations expand. Couple that with employees having more bargaining power in the workplace and it’s clear that businesses not only need to improve their benefits but their environment, as well. One of the easiest ways to address the trend is to automate processes. This will free up your employees to take on more creatively demanding and fulfilling roles within the workplace. This not only allows the employee to take on more significant tasks within the organization, but also grow professionally and receive compensation worthy of their increased responsibility and skill set. As a result, their time is more valuable and the work they produce for the company is valued more highly in the eyes of customers.

Combining Process Automation With ERP

One of the biggest buzzwords to come out of Industry 4.0 is Robotics Process Automation (RPA). However, the misleading name is enough to turn off even those who can benefit from it the most. RPA doesn’t involve any robots or mechanical components. Not only this, but it applies to just about any business that deals with ordering, invoicing, and data entry.

an image of light beams cnnecting at points across a city at night.

Let’s break it down by definition:

  • Robotic – an entity being programmed by a computer to complete complex tasks. In this case, the term refers to mimicking human actions.
  • Process – A sequence of steps leading to a meaningful activity or task.
  • Automation – when a task happens automatically, i.e. without human intervention.

RPA is a business process automation technology that automates tasks through the interface a company uses to enter data in the back-end of their operations. In short, RPA initially watches a user perform a task in the GUI, then automates that task and performs it autonomously. One common application can be found in identifying important attachments in emails, like an invoice, extracting that data, and then entering it into the company bookkeeping system. This all happens automatically and in a fraction of the time, it takes a human worker to complete manually.

The Impact of RPA On Employment

While it’s no secret that many workers are skeptical of automation and fear it can lead to layoffs, the incorporation of such technology has had the opposite effect according to a study conducted by the London School of Economics. The study found that rather than a decrease in the workforce, employees were able to achieve greater productivity and work completed with the same number of people.

The same study also found that RPA technology enables repatriation of processes in the workplace, allowing companies to bring processes back to their home soil, rather than outsourcing business processes to cheaper labor markets abroad.

The Impact of RPA on Employees

A company’s greatest resource is its employees and anything a business can do to retain top talent is in its best interest. RPA directly contributes to the benefit of employees by implementing practices that reduce the stress of a cluttered and over-managed environment. Here are a few examples:

Reduction in human error – When RPA takes over the mundane and tedious tasks involving data entry, there are far fewer instances of human error leading to blockers and errors on the paperwork that must then be re-evaluated and re-submitted. With the risk of human error substantially diminished, your employees spend less time going over the same data they’ve already entered and less time thinking about what might have gone wrong after the fact. A more precise and automated workflow allows your employees to spend more time fretting and overdelivering the best service to your clients.

Employee Empowerment – One of the biggest challenges in retaining top talent is providing these individuals and teams with the ability to share innovative ideas and creative solutions to business challenges, have their voices heard, and directly impact the future of their company. They want buy-in and the ability to pursue their full potential within the company. Give them the opportunity by getting rid of the tedious tasks that can suck up most of their day with an automated workflow process.

Organization Of Your Organization – When your workflow and document management are automated, there are far fewer instances of lost documents or searching through the system for the latest iteration. The organization is one of the many byproducts of RPA. When employees aren’t spending the time to track down documents between departments, more time is made available for employees to take a measured approach to more critical tasks with more time to collect, plan, and strategize, or fit in a personalized call to a new customer or prospect you’ve been working on.

Internal Communication Improves – When the opportunity for employees to lose documents or impact another worker’s tasks is removed from the equation, relationships between coworkers improve and productive communication becomes the norm. Cleaner data and better access to their colleagues ensure that your employees have what they need to do their jobs correctly and well. Workflow automation lends itself to effective monitoring of tasks as well, so looming deadlines and tasks past due don’t contribute to office stress levels.

With improved confidence and a new sense of ownership resulting from RPA and an effective ERP software solution, both employees and businesses benefit. The result is a better service, better product, and better working environment, which pleases everyone from the management to the employee to the customer.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, an Epicor Platinum Partner, and NetSuite Solution Provider that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, IT support, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

20
Jun 2018
0

How to Leverage the IIoT and ERP to Create a More Connected Enterprise

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has flooded manufacturers with information like never before with valuable data from

How to Leverage the IIoT and ERP to Create a More Connected Enterprise

Technology , , , , Sean Balogh

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has flooded manufacturers with information like never before with valuable data from every aspect of operations. However, having data is only part of the solution. You need to be able to make sense of that data in your possession. Experiencing only a portion of the bigger picture can leave your business shortchanged on vital data necessary to make informed decisions on the future of your organization. ERP solutions, whether appealing to process manufacturing or discrete manufacturing operations, provide a way for businesses to make sense of the data new technology is revealing. Here are some ways you can leverage modern tech and ERP to optimize your operations.

Modern Maintenance: Prediction Preventing Predicaments with IIoT Connectivity

Utilizing modern sensing and machine learning capabilities, a true prediction is possible when it comes to maintaining your manufacturing equipment on the factory floor.

Everything from vibration, voltage, temperature, and other performance aberrations feed into analytical tools and are visualized by intelligent ERP solutions, to be translated as a set of warnings and alerts for the right set of eyes to evaluate and make a call on what action to take.

These innovative tools have proven their efficacy in reducing the instances of incidents, accidents, and breakdowns significantly. So much so, that no one can afford not to consider implementing these tools into their operations shortly.

An image of a factory maintenance worker adjusting a machine as part of IIoT connectivity.

Automated systems can order replacement parts if none are on-site and schedule the replacement or repair at a point resulting in minimum downtime when it comes to production.

You might be asking: well, how does this new take on maintenance affect my bottom line? Have you ever had a part break on a critical piece of equipment? What procedures are in place to replace or repair broken machinery? Intelligent and connected devices throughout the factory can set critical data point that indicates when a part is reaching end-of-life. Automated systems can order replacement parts if none are on-site and schedule the replacement or repair at a point resulting in minimum downtime when it comes to production.

That’s one example. What if an abnormally humid summer is leading to excessive heat in the workspace as well as moisture? Maybe a crucial machine is shutting down intermittently, requiring a manual restart in each case that can take a significant amount of time. You may not have known it was faulty wiring on a portion of your factory without the insight your connected devices provide. It all boils down to getting the full picture and assuming full control. A robust ERP coupled with the IIoT in a connected factory can deliver exactly that for greater efficiency.

Mastering Agile Operations For Your Enterprise with IIoT Connectivity

With an increasingly global reach for many companies, remaining connected to bases of operation near and far is of critical importance when it comes to remaining efficient.

An image of a railway control room with monitors displaying a full rail system as part of IIoT connectivity.

Properly segmenting data sets to be fed to the appropriate overseers is just one more invaluable capability of a connected enterprise.

For decades, the idea of centralized control has prevailed in energy, resources, and telecommunications industries. This philosophy is just as easily leveraged in optimizing performance in tandem with the IIoT. When it comes to manning the helm digitally, for instance on an offshore oil platform, the keyed-in, land-based operations center can communicate with their off-shore counterparts and even manipulate controls remotely with an interconnected series of software and instruments.

However, all the data being fed into a central hub from global operations can be too much for one pair of eyes. Properly segmenting data sets to be fed to the appropriate overseers is just one more invaluable capability of a connected enterprise.

Cooperative Communication And Collaboration With ERP And IIoT Connectivity

Organizing your internal operations is just as important as external components. With IIoT and ERP, that means putting the right people in the right space with the right information at their disposal.

Operating an enterprise comprised of siloed departments utilizing disparate systems is one of the biggest causes of problems in operations and one of the best reasons to switch to a unified ERP solution. These digital hairballs cause hiccups, miscalculations, bottlenecks, and so many more problems that enterprises refusing to act before it’s too late find themselves gone the way of the dodo before long. Putting everyone on the same page with a clear channel of communication and access to the data they need is essential to organizational success.

An image of a table of office workers using computers, tablets, and mobile devices around a table as part of IIoT connectivity.

A robust ERP solution works to empower small teams at just about any scale and with the same tools global conglomerates utilize to place, ship, and trace orders, manage and store inventory, invoice, and store user data.

Not positioned for global expansion just yet? The same tools can be leveraged to more efficiently organize local teams and their work. In this case, organize your teams so that related roles are close to each other and don’t have to go across the room, hall, or floor to get to the person or people they need to speak with to get the job done right and right now. A robust ERP solution works to empower small teams at just about any scale and with the same tools global conglomerates utilize to place, ship, and trace orders, manage and store inventory, invoice, and store user data.

One Buzzword To Rule Them All: AI

While the term has been tossed around more than a golf ball in a dryer, AI is inseparable from any conversation regarding Industry 4.0 and the modern manufacturing process. It relates to machine learning and offers numerous opportunities to refine processes using technology that can not only tell you why what was done was done but also the rules followed to reach the solution. AI is connected to machine learning in the sense that all AI is machine learning, but not all machine learning is AI, but Don’t let that throw you through a loop. Let’s break it down.

Example of IIoT

An everyday example of IIoT and machine learning involves something just about everyone uses at work, home, and at play: Email. As a means of communication, it is one way we all stay in touch through every aspect of our daily life, from reaching out to loved ones, co-workers, friends, and services we hold valuable. Services like Google and Microsoft’s Outlook use powerful machine learning to identify core components of these messages and serve them to us with a high degree of accuracy when it comes to relevant content. It is estimated that Google’s machine learning algorithms are capable of filtering 99.9% of spam emails from our inboxes. Beyond spam filtering, categorizing importance is another feat that machine learning tackles skillfully. By incorporating who we communicate with most, be it a person or a service, machine learning delivers messages of importance to ensure vital communications don’t have an opportunity to slip through the cracks. These technologies have been around for years now, but the latest from Google has been a time saver for many. Smart Replies enable a lightning-fast response to emails through the use of machine learning. By “reading” text for certain keywords and phrases, Google’s machine learning algorithms can generate a series of smart replies to send with the tap of a finger or click of a mouse button that speak directly to your conversation’s content.

An image of an artificial neural network concept as part of IIoT connectivity.

AI is inseparable from any conversation regarding industry 4.0 and the modern manufacturing process.

As for AI, recent discussions among groups and individuals have focused on Facebook. Both timeline feed and facial recognition AI have earned the social media giant the lion’s share of attention. An AI that omits certain bits of content in favor of others to deliver a more personalized experience has earned the company both accolades and ire. Facebook employs facial recognition, a powerful technology used to tag friends in photos posted on user profiles. However, the practice has been a contentious one that results from concerns over the collection of non-user data. Amazon’s Rekognition is a similar deep learning-based image and video analysis tool that the company says can detect, track, and analyze faces for several applications. However, its capabilities don’t end there, the software can also “identify objects, people, text, scenes, and activities, as well as detect any inappropriate content” according to Amazon.

While on the subject of Amazon, further everyday examples of AI emerge with AI-powered assistants, like Alexa, which accepts voice commands to create to-do lists, order items online, set reminders, and answer questions (via internet searches). Microsoft and Google also have iterations of AI assistants with Cortana and Google Assistant, respectively.

How AI And Machine Learning Fit Into An ERP Solution

The short answer is that they don’t. There is no direct communication between machine learning and ERP software. The two mechanisms exist as separate but necessary components of running a successful modern manufacturing enterprise. While machine learning can lend insight into how machines perform and how processes can be improved, proper ERP solutions provide the tools to communicate between departments, assign tasks to the right labor pools, and ensure the raw materials are there for the automated factory and its modern machinery to utilize. The unified system speaks to every department and presents the necessary data to make informed decisions for today, tomorrow, and far into the future.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm and Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

14
Jun 2018
0
technology-businesses-are-interested-in-investing-in

Emerging Technology Businesses Are Interested in to Grow

Emerging  Technology The effects of emerging technology on business are felt faster and stronger than ever before in

Emerging Technology Businesses Are Interested in to Grow

Technology , , , , , , Sean Balogh

Emerging  Technology

The effects of emerging technology on business are felt faster and stronger than ever before in just about every industry. Most enterprises know they need modern tech to remain competitive, but do they know which technologies are the right focus for their business? Do you?

Below is a compilation of recently released findings surrounding the emerging technology. Find out why enterprises are integrating new technology, what sectors of their business they are most interested in growing, and what you can do in-house to modernize operations and scale at the pace of the industry.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm and Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

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