Schweppes Australia’s Archerfield, Queensland, distribution center faced significant challenges with its paper-based picking system. The system led to confusion among workers due to similar product descriptions, resulting in delivery errors. Additionally, the presence of multiple SKUs and pallets at each location made tracking a daunting task. The need for improved picking efficiency, distribution accuracy, and real-time visibility into the workplace was paramount. The manual paper-based system required an upgrade to a robust, automated, voice-enabled platform that could enhance worker safety and productivity.

The company’s sales agents had previously been using a range of dot matrix printers for printing all required documents to carry out their daily engagement with customers. However, poor printer performance, costly printer consumables, printer size and issues related to limited connectivity led to BAT looking for a new solution to ensure that their sales agents’ productivity levels were improved. They looked to upgrade to a printer that could withstand the rigours of the field sales environment and that could grow with them in the future. “We had been using dot matrix printers for over 12 years, but poor printing speed, reliability and just the time taken to carry out core day to day tasks was taking far too long and was impacting our team’s productivity. Plus the costs of maintaining the old printers was becoming a major issue for us,” said Cosmin Voinea, Project Manager at British American Tobacco. “Our sales agents also wanted to print required documents at their customer’s location rather than in their car so portability was also a key requirement for any replacement solution.”

Due to their need to ensure the highest quality throughout the production process, traceability is a key issue for MUMM. Pernod Ricard had introduced a solution to trace Martel Cognac in 2003 working with Intermec by Honeywell Platinum Partner Acteos. So, in 2008, MUMM started to work with Acteos to address their own batch traceability requirements. The production of champagne involves numerous stages, and the company wanted to ensure complete traceability of crates throughout this development process. The bottles of champagne are stored in batches of up to 500 in wire crates within the 25 kilometres of galleries that comprise the MUMM cellars in the heart of Reims. These cellars today house nearly 25 million bottles of champagne. These bottles need to be stored for about three years while the bubble formation and aging process takes place, before entering the riddling and disgorgement stages, where sediment is isolated and removed. To ensure the traceability of these crates MUMM needs to manage every production stage carefully, as well as the stocks associated with each of these stages. The challenge is that there could be a change in batch number during an intermediate stage. The aging stage can be longer or shorter depending on the bottles, for example, and it was necessary to implement a solution that allows the operators to know exactly what each crate is composed of.

Unifaun AB needed to find a compact, durable, and robust thermal printer for high-volume Swedish shippers using their Pacsoft Online system. The challenge was to meet the stringent package labeling requirements of the Swedish Post Office, especially for large shippers printing 50 or more labels per day. Unifaun's CEO, Staffan Isaksson, tested various printers on the European market to find one that offered unmatched durability and quality, ensuring minimal trouble post-purchase.

Industrial operators and production managers face challenges in automating tasks and troubleshooting problems efficiently. The need for seamless integration of performance monitoring with advanced analytics is crucial to enhance productivity and operational efficiency. Traditional methods of accessing insights and troubleshooting production issues can be time-consuming and complex, requiring a more intuitive and user-friendly approach. The industry demands solutions that can provide rapid root cause analysis and support closed-loop collaboration workflows to streamline operations.

The industrial sector is facing significant challenges due to the mass retirement of workers from the baby boomer generation, leading to labor and skills shortages. This situation is compounded by the fact that while a majority of industrial AI leaders consider their companies as early adopters of AI, only a small fraction have fully launched their initial AI plans. This gap in AI adoption presents a challenge in maintaining operational productivity and efficiency. Additionally, the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures is critical as industrial operations become more digitized and interconnected. The integration of AI into industrial processes is seen as a potential solution to these challenges, offering opportunities to reduce maintenance costs, increase productivity, and upskill the workforce. However, the implementation of AI technologies requires careful consideration of existing operations and workforce dynamics to ensure that AI acts as a revenue generator rather than a job eliminator.

Honeywell, a company with a rich history of innovation, is facing the challenge of integrating generative AI into its operations to drive industrial transformation. The company aims to leverage AI to enhance productivity, optimize internal operations, and develop customer-facing solutions. With 95,000 employees, Honeywell is focused on embedding AI across all functions, encouraging employee engagement, and fostering a tech-forward momentum. The challenge lies in effectively deploying AI tools, managing change, and ensuring that AI becomes a fundamental part of its operations and offerings.