PEX Network brings you the latest news in process and operational excellence (OPEX), business process management (BPM), digital transformation, process mining/intelligence, low-code technology, intelligent document processing (IDP), Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen and more.
Week of 04/01, 2024, includes:
- IBM brings new generative AI capabilities to Masters Tournament
- Royal Mail hires Heathrow COO to drive firm’s transformation
- Accenture to acquire Intellera Consulting to enhance digital transformation in Italy’s public sector
- iGrafx launches Process Simulation to enhance process improvement
- Optibus report reveals rapid digitalization in public transport industry
- Celonis appoints first country leader for Australia and New Zealand
- Taco Bell and Pizza Hut go “AI-first” with automation investments
- US and UK announce AI safety agreement
- Mitsubishi Electric partners with Extend Robotics to roll out VR tech for non-uniform industrial robotic applications
IBM brings new generative AI capabilities to Masters Tournament
Technology giant IBM revealed new generative AI capabilities to enhance the digital platforms of the Masters Tournament. Powered by capabilities built from watsonx – IBM’s AI and data platform – fans this year will have access to shot-by-shot hole insights offering detailed, data-driven projections and analysis for each hole on course, the company said. In addition, IBM will release AI-enabled Spanish language narration as an expansion of its English-language AI narration feature debuted in 2023.
These new capabilities aim to deliver a more personalized and engaging digital viewing experience for millions of new and existing golf fans around the world following Masters Tournament action April 11-14.
“The generative AI power of watsonx is enabling IBM and the Augusta National Golf Club to co-create technology solutions that bring the magic of the Masters to life for millions of fans around the world,” stated Jonathan Adashek, SVP of marketing and communications at IBM. “These are the same capabilities we’re e applying to our work with businesses across industries as they aim to build better customer care experiences, reach new levels of productivity and make more informed, data-driven business decisions.”
IBM also announced the availability of Process Mining 1.14.4 with new features designed to transform how customers interact with, analyze and optimize business processes.
READ: Generative AI’s game-changing role in digital transformation
Royal Mail hires Heathrow COO to drive firm’s transformation
Royal Mail announced the appointment of Emma Gilthorpe as its new CEO. Gilthorpe, who has been the chief operating officer (COO) at Heathrow Airport since 2020, will join the firm in May, reported The Guardian. She is charged with delivering a turnaround at the postal company amid its two-year battle with the postal workers’ union.
“Emma has an impressive track record of delivering major strategic change programs while driving up performance,” said Martin Seidenberg, chief executive of Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distributions Services. “She will bring a customer- and employee-centric approach to delivering Royal Mail’s transformation for the benefit of all our stakeholders.”
Gilthorpe described Royal Mail is a “great British brand” with a long and proud history. “Now is the time to ensure it has a successful future, too, working in partnership with our employees, customers and all our stakeholders to continue to modernize Royal Mail and deliver the high standards of service our customers rightly expect.”
READ: Change management – the unsung hero of business transformation
Accenture to acquire Intellera Consulting to enhance digital transformation in Italy’s public sector
Accenture is set to acquire Intellera Consulting, an Italian consultancy firm operating in the public administration and healthcare sectors, to help Italian public service organizations enhance and transform their citizen services. Intellera Consulting is one of Italy’s main professional services providers, recognized for innovations within public administration, including digital, strategic and organizational transformation processes using data and artificial intelligence.
“Intellera Consulting is widely recognized and respected for its exceptional strategic, advisory and technology services for public administration and is an excellent fit with Accenture,” said Mauro Macchi, chairman and CEO of Accenture Italia. “As we continue to focus on serving modern, responsible, citizen-oriented government, integrating new talent and skills from Intellera will expand our capabilities to deliver innovation and transformation for our public service clients.”
iGrafx launches Process Simulation to enhance process improvement
Process intelligence software provider iGrafx announced the early access launch of Process360 Live Process Simulation in the cloud, integrated with its process mining and design capabilities.
Process Simulation enables organizations to accelerate and de-risk process optimization initiatives with the ability to test “what if” hypotheses for future process changes, the vendor said in a press release. It identifies and measures the impact a change will have, allowing prioritization of the highest-ROI improvement initiatives, it added.
“Simulation is a crystal ball for your business, allowing organizations to understand the positive and negative consequences of making a process change without requiring an investment up front,” commented Alexandre Wentzo, CEO of iGrafx. “Our integrated process intelligence platform, combining process mining, design and simulation, gives our customers everything they need to continuously improve their processes, driving better business outcomes.”
READ: 7 process mining myths debunked
Optibus report reveals rapid digitalization in public transport industry
A new report from software firm Optibus has outlined the scope, maturity and impact of digitalization within the public transport industry. The report includes responses from transport practitioners in 34 countries into the industry’s digitalization concerns, successes and future.
The advent of digital technology has ushered in a new era for the public transport industry characterized by rapid innovation in automation and AI and shifting market dynamics surrounding new regulatory standards, sustainability and business models, the report stated. The acceptance of and shift towards digital work tools is relatively uniform worldwide, the report found, suggesting that despite geographical and cultural differences, there is a global consensus regarding the future of the public transport industry and the importance of investing in innovation to address today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.
Celonis appoints first country leader for Australia and New Zealand
Process mining leader Celonis appointed Pascal Coubard to lead its presence in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), expanding the company’s footprint in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. As VP of APAC, Coubard’s key focus is on expanding Celonis’ operations in ANZ to support new and existing customers to optimize their business operations and unlock the hidden value in their processes, the firm said.
Coubard has more than 25 years’ experience in the global IT industry. Prior to Celonis, he led Teradata’s cloud sales across APAC and Japan and was instrumental in driving its international sales and large-scale deals for nearly a decade.
“If there’s one thing Australians and Germans have in common, it’s a deep appreciation for practical efficiency underpinned by clear processes – this is the fuel that drives innovation,” said Coubard. “With a number of well-known companies already embracing the power of Celonis, it shows there is significant opportunity for more businesses across ANZ to leverage Celonis’s market-leading process mining and process intelligence technology to realize a future where processes don’t just run, but truly work for people, companies and the planet.”
Taco Bell and Pizza Hut go “AI-first” with automation investments
Yum Brands is investing in AI and automation to reshape its Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Habit Burger Grill restaurants. With an “AI-first mentality” the firm is looking for ways to lower costs and boost sales, according to new chief digital and technology officer Joe Park. Yum has an in-house system that uses generative AI to help franchisees more efficiently track and manage operations, and its testing customer-facing applications such as voice AI for drive-thru orders, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Yum’s SuperApp, a mobile app for restaurant managers to track and manage operations, is testing a generative AI boost that allows team members to ask questions like “How should I set this oven temperature?” rather than turning to training materials or tapping through an app interface, Park said. Yum is also testing generative AI’s use for customers, such as voice AI for drive-through orders, looking into image-recognition AI to count cars and waiting times in a drive-through and exploring digitally linked and managed kitchen appliances.
US and UK announce AI safety agreement
The UK and US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will see them work together to develop tests for the most advanced AI models. Signed by US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and UK technology secretary Michelle Donelan, the partnership will see both countries working to align their scientific approaches and accelerate and rapidly iterate robust suites of evaluations for AI models, systems and agents.
The UK and US AI Safety Institutes have laid out plans to build a common approach to AI safety testing and to share their capabilities to ensure these risks can be tackled effectively. They intend to perform at least one joint testing exercise on a publicly accessible model. They also intend to tap into a collective pool of expertise by exploring personnel exchanges between the Institutes.
The partnership takes effect immediately and is intended to allow both organizations to work seamlessly with one another. AI continues to develop rapidly, and both governments recognize the need to act now to ensure a shared approach to AI safety which can keep pace with the technology’s emerging risks. As the countries strengthen their partnership on AI safety, they have also committed to develop similar partnerships with other countries to promote AI safety across the globe.
READ: The guide to AI in operational excellence
Mitsubishi Electric partners with Extend Robotics to roll out VR tech for non-uniform industrial robotic applications
Mitsubishi Electric has partnered with Extend Robotics to support the scale-up of remotely controlled robots in non-uniform manufacturing operations. The partnership will help manufacturers upskill existing employees at a much faster pace while also enabling robotics to complete non-uniform tasks in real-time, even if the operator is based in a different location to the robot, according to a press release.
This has the potential to resolve several challenges linked to single purpose manufacturing set-ups such as pick-and-place, machine-tending and general assembly, the firms added. These include remote error recovery, which enables the operator to quickly log-in and use VR to pick-up a dropped item; rapid reprogramming to pick different items or tend new machines using gesture movement and the opportunity for one remote technician to complete non-routine tasks across multiple sites. “While industrial robots have been used throughout manufacturing sites for decades, they have always relied on heavy operator involvement for the completion non-uniform tasks or supporting error recovery,” said Azmat Hossain, business development director at Extend Robotics,
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