Is the US’s Position as a Global Leader for Data Centres Changing?

1. Of the world’s ten largest data centre companies, six are US multinationals and two are Japanese. Many are questioning, however, whether this crop of data centre corporates will maintain their dominance of the industry’s cross-border investment and global footprint – and what does this mean for companies planning corporate expansions overseas?

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Costs & Return on Investment (ROI)

1. As of 2020, 72% of companies surveyed by Deloitte had already implemented RPA tools. Improved compliance and quality topped the list of benefits reported by RPA pioneers. At the same time, 59% of enterprises registered a significant RPA-related cost reduction, with the median payback period for RPA projects spanning less than 12 months. 

2. However, only 3% of companies succeed in scaling their digital workforce, while up to 50% of initial RPA projects fail. Given that robotic process automation costs for a single software bot may range from $5,000 to $15,000, your business might end up spending millions of dollars to achieve company-wide automation. 

3. Before making the investment, most production and operations managers will need to provide sufficient evidence to company leadership and stakeholders that automated machinery would be a profitable venture throughout the lifecycle of the equipment.

4. What are the key factors behind the presumably high robotic process automation cost? Most importantly, what should your company do to realize RPA’s full potential without breaking the bank? 

How Manufacturers in Less Developed Regions Accelerate the Adoption of Industry 4.0?

1. The manufacturing industry is well aware of the benefits Industry 4.0 technologies can offer. Connectivity, AI/ML, IoT, AR/VR and other technologies are available to provide data and streamline processes and improve manufacturing across diverse industry segments.

2. Yet whilst awareness is broad, uptake is less so. Industrial digitalisation in the UK can be London-centric, leaving regional manufacturing hubs further behind in the adoption of new technologies. The likes of Make UK and Innovate UK are making great strides in broadening adoption, but there is further to go.

3. Part of the challenge lies in regional skills gaps and talent shortages, with businesses outside of city hubs unable to realise the full benefits of Industry 4.0 technologies. There is a lot of incredible technology out there to integrate into manufacturing operations – but it is not always accessible. Regionally, there needs to be equal access to technology alongside abilities to upskill staff and train talent regionally.

Impact of service level agreements on a manufacturing organization & ISO 27001

1. Managing a service level agreement (SLA) is a continuous process and should be constantly monitored, updated, and improved to meet the business needs of the manufacturing organization.

2. A service level agreement (SLA) with a cloud service provider (CSP) is a live document that must be well-understood and negotiated between the cloud service customer (CSC) and the CSP so the manufacturing organization (CSC) can manage and satisfy all security and regulatory compliance requirements in the cloud. When the manufacturing organization signs the SLA as a legally binding agreement with the CSP, it should not stop here because things are not done. They are actually never done.