Acclino Shortlisted for the Spiders Awards 2018

Great news. Acclino has been shortlisted for the Spiders Awards 2018, Ireland's premier digital technology awards.

Acclino is in a shortlist of 5 companies in the category “ Best in Education and eLearning“, sponsored by Zesty.

The winners will be announced on November 29th, 2018 at the RDS Concert Hall.

The advent of technology has developed in such a powerful way that nothing could remain the same. The beginning of the XXI century completely changed the way we perceive work, so much that it’s almost impossible to imagine a workplace without some type of AI. The global market has also undergone radical changes in the past few decades; this has also significantly contributed to the rise of AI and robotics in Lean management implementation.

The Connection Between Lean Management and Technology

With the development of the Internet and machine technology, work has changed in such a way that it’s now very hard to keep track of it. Innovations and breakthroughs occur on a daily basis, and every good company should do its best to make good use of this. By implementing AI into the work process, your company can profit in numerous ways. You will be able to:

• track the work process down to the last detail
• recognize the weak spots and bad links within the company
• optimize the operational process according to the workload
• conduct an efficient assessment on a regular basis
• make accurate predictions

Over the past several decades, some companies were slow to implement technology in Lean management, and they’ve all suffered considerably because of it. By failing to do this efficiently, these companies gambled with their future in the market. In today’s world, it is crucial not to make this mistake.

The Benefits of Using AI and Robotics in Lean Management

There are numerous benefits of implementing AI and robotics in Lean management of your work process:

• Lower cost of work. It actually costs less than paying employees, especially in the long run; it can be more reliable, more efficient and more productive.
• Independence. It doesn't depend on the majority of external factors, which means an increase in overall productivity. It is practically not affected by distractions, work fatigue, or drop in standardized production values.
• De-stressed employees. If the majority of the work process is automated, workers have more time to spend on creative tasks; they also don’t have to worry about every single detail, which means they can focus on the “big picture”.
• High precision and accuracy. There is no fear of error-making, since everything is automated and worked out down to the core level. For example, robots are much more effective at detecting than humans, and software is much more reliable when it comes to data assessment or data storage.
• Increased employee safety. The risk of work injury is much lower due to the automated aspects of the work process. Once programmed, AI can commit virtually no errors; thus, it makes the workplace much safer for the employees.

What Does a Company Need in Order to Implement AI and Robotics?

The most important thing a company needs is a skilled workforce. With the advent of modern technologies, the entire work process has altered – and the need for old-time employees is gone. Nowadays workers need to possess a different mindset and a modern skillset; otherwise, they won’t be able to adjust to the requirements of the modern-age technology.

For example, there will be less and less need for repetitive human work; instead, humans will need to expand their knowledge in terms of machine-control and process management. This doesn’t mean that the importance of human labor will be diminished – just the contrary. The only difference will be in the roles human workforce assumes. Humans will have to learn more technical skills, but there will be a greater need for those who haven’t been able to contribute enough in the past (e.g. people with disabilities).

A company also needs a solid business plan. Without a detailed plan, the implementation process might not go as planned. This is why it’s important to invest enough time into the preparation for the implementation process.

What Are Some Examples of AI/Robot Implementation in Lean Management?

Telecommuting

This is one of the most well-known examples of integrating technology into the work process. Since there is no need for employees to be physically present at the place of work, they can complete their tasks using mobile communications, such as phones or laptop/desktop computers.

Industrial Robots

By being programmed, automated, and independent, industrial robots can accomplish their tasks with much more efficiency and accuracy than humans. Industrial robots significantly speed up the work process, which is reflected in a company’s economic impact.

Machine-Learning Platform

This type of technology is widely used in various industries, and its main advantage is a significant contribution to prediction, classification, and assessment. Thus, a computer system gradually develops while “learning”. As a direct result of this, work performance on a specific task grows exponentially.

Decision Management

Decision management aims to automate a company’s decision-making system as much as possible, through the use of predictive analytics and similar software solutions. As a result of this, the cost of decision-making within a company drops significantly, whereas the overall efficiency grows.

Bad Information Management

In business, information is everything. Without relevant information, you won’t be able to do anything. There can be no planning, no insight into the work process, etc. By missing out on just one item, or piece of information, you risk destroying your company in the long run – and this simply cannot happen.

Therefore, the most important thing is to obtain all the relevant information for your business. The best way to do this is through an information management system. There are two ways you can go: custom solution or an existing one. If your company is in good financial standing, and you can afford it, we recommend that you obtain a customized system.

By integrating this information management system into your work process, you will be able to track all of your orders, warehouse inventory, supply chain, delivery, etc. Your entire business will go through a thorough transformation from the bottom up. Information management is the key to your business success.

Poorly Trained Employees

This is another part of logistics that many businesses somehow overlook. In every part of your company, trained, knowledgeable employees are an essential component of the entire work process. And logistics is no exception to that.

Your employees have to be fully trained for the position, and they need to possess enough knowledge to deal with their daily tasks and challenges. If you have staff members who were trained years ago, they won’t be able to contribute in their full capacity; they have to be trained anew and learn everything about the new developments in the industry.

SOP That Needs Reworking

SOP or standard operational procedure is the axis of your work process. Just because you have a SOP and your company is working – doesn’t mean that you have the best SOP around.

Oftentimes, a good SOP doesn’t have too many steps. Some of the best SOPs have only a couple of steps, but they are all well thought out and tailored to the needs of the company. Therefore, you have to make sure that your SOP is in touch with the company values and your business requirements. SOP must address all the aspects of the work process, enabling them to work efficiently. Also, remember that a good SOP always includes regular quality control.

Neglecting KPI

KPI, or key performance indicator, is a very important aspect of logistics, and you should give it your utmost attention. In essence, KPI is an objective measurement of your work progress, based on two factors – 1) your business goals and 2) your standard of performance.

Just any physical measurement instrument, KPI tells you how fast you are going toward your business goals within a given time frame. In order to be effective, KPI must include measurements from all the key aspects of logistics, such as:

• order invoicing
• inventory
• purchase and supply
• stock management
• transportation

The more elements you include into your KPI, the more accurate its results will be.

Neglecting the Supply Chain

The supply chain is not some addition to your business. It is not an optional part of your business – it is your business. Think of the supply chain as the bloodline of your company. If you block it, or don’t pay enough attention to it, your business will wither and die.

In order to make it as effective as possible, think of your supply chain as a standalone business within your company. It still belongs to your company, it works along with it – but it is also independent. Your supply chain is your connection to the market; without it, you are completely lost. The better your strategy for your supply chain is, the better your commercial results will be.

Be sure to have a supply chain with a good network design and solid supplier performance – both are equally important for its success. As mentioned earlier, your supply chain resembles a bloodline – in that sense, its network design is the system of veins and arteries and the supplier performance is a pulse.

No Strategic Planning

If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t get anywhere. This is where the importance of strategic planning lies. Your business, as a whole, needs strategic planning in order to survive, but so does every aspect of your business – including logistics. You need to develop a solid strategy for your warehouse, transportation, ordering, suppliers, and vendors, etc.

Don’t leave anything to chance – each section of the work process has to be well thought out. Although you run your business on a day-to-day basis, you cannot allow yourself to plan on a day-to-day basis. Strategic planning requires seeing the “big picture” and thinking long-term.

Learning More About Your Customer Base

By analyzing the data obtained from your customers, you will be able to learn more about them and direct the focus of your business to those aspects that really matter. If you have a product or a service, the key is to present that to your customers in a way that best suits their needs and preferences – and get them to do business with you.

However, if you don’t know enough about your customers, you won’t be able to come up with the most effective business strategy. As a direct result of this, you will spend way too much time on the implementation of a business strategy that may not be nearly as effective, thus losing a lot of financial resources.

When you have enough relevant data, you can create the perfect customer profile; in turn, this will enable you to tailor to your customers’ needs in the best way possible. Your products and services will become a lot better, your marketing will become much more effective, and your overall productivity will increase exponentially.

Optimizing the Recruitment Process

Many companies lose a lot of time on the recruitment process, and one of the reasons for this is because they don’t make the best use of data and analytics. Before advertising a job position within your company, or thinking about expanding the workforce, you have to know exactly what you want to achieve – and how.

This is why it is important to conduct a thorough analysis of your entire company from the bottom up, paying close attention to every aspect of the working process. By analyzing the work process as a whole, you will be able to see which parts of it need some improvement. Your business data will show you exactly what you need: it could be a new position, or a rethinking of a work process, etc.

But there is really no point in employing more people unless you know what you are looking for. And the best way to achieve this is through analyzing your data. Therefore, be sure to conduct an analysis of your monthly, quarterly, and yearly productivity. Once you do this, the actual recruitment process will improve, and you will get the right people on board.

Improving Decision-Making Abilities

There are instances when a company leader is faced with a hard decision and when making the right move becomes extremely frustrating. In times such as these, some managers listen to their “gut feeling” and reach a decision without a clear idea of why they did it.

Unfortunately, this often leads to terrible consequences, as the whole company suffers in every way possible. This is why it is important to consult your data when faced with hard choices and tough challenges. Making an accurate prediction is a delicate practice, which is why you need to lower the risk as much as possible.

By analyzing your past business activity, and comparing your business strategies, goals, and results, you will be able to come up with the most viable solution and make the best decision possible. The more business data you consult and the more effort you put into your analysis, the better your final decision will be.