Tech and the New Normal

The world we once knew has changed in ways that we cannot even begin to decipher. While Covid19 marches on its pace in reaching every nook and corner of the world, every vertical from medical to big corporates are stumbling to handle the aftermath of this pandemic. It's no more the question of when the new normal is going to begin, we are already in it.

Technology has stepped up with lots of innovation in tracing, quarantining, monitoring, predicting, and assisting with challenges created as a by-product of the pandemic. If you are interested in reading how technology has stepped up in the fight against Covid19, you may head over here and here. While Tech did provide short term benefits to our situation, The Tech industry has also suffered the consequences of Covid19 just like other industries.  And just like any other industry Tech too must reinvent itself to survive the new normal.

Given the nature of the new normal we are observing tech trends that will likely be our foreseeable future. I am listing down three such technologies that are going to be much sought-after tech tool in the new normal.

WFH – Remote working and Collaborations

If there is one thing, we all learned about work in recent times is that majority of tech aided jobs can be done from home.  Companies that were apprehensive about providing work from home options to their employees are now realizing that WFH is indeed more productive.   Zoom calls, Team chats, and project management tools are being used more now than ever. Zoom is in a lot of scrutinies over data encryption but fortunately its not the only tool in the market.  Video conferencing applications with better data security and the ability to record, chat, screen share while on call is on the rise. However, they are only addressing the current needs of the WFH employees. There is a wider area of scope with respect to integrating the conferencing tools to other team management and collaboration applications. For instance, deducing minutes of meeting using voice commands or assigning a task to a team member while discussing it on the video call.

Supply Chain

Isolation has proved to us that necessities never go out of style! the supply chain for food and other necessities have been growing given that people are cooking and spending more time at home. Demand for hobbies and board games have also increased in the recent past. Assuming that this new normal is going to be our way of life for a year or so, the demand for necessities are going to be steady if not less. Supply chain management with a lack of manpower has been an issue for quite some time but not to the extent that we are witnessing.  Applications which are powered by AI/Machine learning can aid in producing more goods in less time by utilizing the data on the availability of raw materials, transportation time, and delays.  Such AI-powered applications can also help in operating machinery, robots /drones which can deliver goods, and so on.  Technology in the manufacturing sector is going to grow exponentially as it's driven by high demand.

Smart City

Applications that are built over the Internet of Things (IoT) can provide substantial value in not just combating the spread of Covid19, but also in preventing future pandemics. These applications can perform facial recognition, body temperature scanning, and (arguably) access medical records to identify and quarantine personals with infectious diseases as and when it happens.  The interconnected devices can also provide value in surveillance in real as well as in digital world. 

Coupled with 5G, sensors, and mobile devices, applications that weave the virtual layer over the physical world,  can provide more value in the new normal. For instance, garbage bins can notify public service when they are full, streetlights can turn on automatically using visibility conditions of the road/usage, public transport can be optimized based on usage, etc.

The needs of new normal is going to be different than that of the years before and it is up to the organizations and governments to utilize the technology to tackle the challenges of our current times.  Only entities that can roll with changes of new normal can survive, and that includes the tech industry as well.

Srivatsan Aravamudan
Solution Consultant

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

Tech aids Singapore in dealing with COVID19 Pandemic

Since December last year, the novel COVID-19 outbreak began and continues to expand worldwide, resulting in loss of lives, impact on global health, economy and so forth. All nations are tirelessly putting their effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. While this pandemic is hard to control, Singapore is tackling COVID-19 using its strongest weapon i.e. technology. This country seems to be using more digital products than other nations to contain and track the virus spread.

Below are some of the technologies, that Singapore uses to tackle COVID-19.

Surveillance

Singapore was one of the few countries, which successfully reduced the spread of COVID-19 infection via various tools and data. It has already installed surveillance tools like CCTV cameras at airports and public locations.  By combining the CCTV visualization data with the Internet of Things (IoT), authorities monitor individuals who are quarantined.  For instance, the government has made it mandatory that residents returning from abroad should undergo 14 days of self-isolation. Here CCTV instantly reports the residents if and when they go out. Residents who violate the rules are at the risk of either being fined or sentenced to 6 months in jail.

Trace Together     

Singaporean Government Technology Agency (GovTech) has developed a mobile app - TraceTogether.  The app is capturing anonymous data of people who come in proximity, using Bluetooth technology. Therefore a memory data of the people who pass by each other in daily life is stored by the app.  The public of Singapore is encouraged to install this app by its government.   

 How Tracetogether works

When someone is COVID-19 positive, the app helps to tracks all those who has come in contact with the infected individual. While the app generates data to track the spread, detection and prevention of possible local transmissions is done by identifying all those who have come into contact and quarantining them.

Online Screening 

Singapore clinicians and computer scientists have created an online system for the public to self-check if they have COVID-19 infection and to decide if they need medication. This online symptom checker asks the user a series of questions with options such as their age, travel history, symptoms if any, etc. Then the participant’s one-click response to each question is collected. This collected data provides an overview of the public concerns regarding COVID-19 to the ministry of health. The government then addresses the major concerns of people and tries to reduce the panic governing the pandemic.  

 

 Online Screening Tool

Public Advisory

The Singapore government introduced an effective way to communicate with the people using the popular tool i.e., WhatsApp and its verified data transfer methodology. Using this method, one-way WhatsApp messages are sent to the public of Singapore. 

This effective public advisory prevents the spread of misinformation. There are 4 official languages in Singapore – Chinese, English, Malay, and Tamil. The National WhatsApp messages are being sent in different languages according to the person’s choice. This translation of government-approved COVID-19 messages is possible by using artificial intelligence (AI) tool called “Form.sg” on delivering verified data to the public, the government can encode the chat to the cloud for future needs. 

             

 

 Singapore Govt Whatsapp forum

Crowd Sourcing

Singapore is also using tech websites to provide supplies to people in quarantine. For example, MaskGoshare provides data on the people in need of supplies. Using their postal code, donors can contribute to the neighboring community. 

Other websites like maskgowhere and ContributeSG the government to segregate and offer information for collecting and donating masks. In addition to this, the website NCovChat is providing answers to COVID-19 queries from the general public refers to verified information. 

Prediction Models

Singapore has made several changes to its health care sector using the data collected from past epidemics like SARS, Swine flu and Zika virus. For instance, the collected data helps in making decisions such as building special wards at the hospital. These experiences of combating outbreaks in the past and having corresponding health care data, are helpings the government to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The Ministry of health releases Corona infection summary and various data depictions online to keep the general public well informed on the situation. 

While we are still learning more about COVID-19 virus spread and preventative measures, innovations in technology can aid in combating the virus spread. If you have an idea for an application that could be of use in the battle against Covid19, contact us to bring it to reality.

Kiruba

Solution Consultant

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

How mobile apps transforming manufacturing industry

Benefits of Mobile applications in Manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is in unusual times. While Covid19 has locked all of us at home, we are still in need of products and services. A lot of consumers have turned to online shopping and manufacturing still needs to gear up from producing necessities. A significant number of manufacturers are pivoting from their original product offering to join hands in fighting the pandemic like perfume makers are manufacturing on hand sanitizers, industrial manufacturers have started manufacturing masks, gloves and swabs and automotive companies are working on producing ventilators.

Need for production in the new normal

It’s an interesting juxtaposition where lack of workforce to produce supplies and high demand in supplies are pushing the manufacturing industry to come up with innovative ways to tackle the challenges. While automation has already helped in reducing manual labor there are still several areas that need manual intervention in the production process.  Keeping the workforce safe while also keeping the business running has been a major concern in this sector.  

Not all manufacturing companies get to be productive at this unusual time. Automobile and industrial manufacturing companies which have no way to pivot are gearing up for the worst to come. However, once this new normal is established there will be a surge in the products and services. Hence, it’s vital that the manufacturing companies focus on how to ramp up production when the dust settles.

Transforming the manufacturing process with mobility

Mobile applications are the front runners in Industry 4.0 technologies such as IoT, AI, ML bringing significant innovations making smart factories a reality.  Manufacturing operations management (MOM) have been complex to manage in the past, however, they provide real-time manufacturing data. By injecting mobile app backed with Industry 4.0 technologies it's possible to use this data into actionable outputs in real-time for business to increase productivity and efficiency. In our blog, we have talked about predictive maintenance and how ML is used to reduce downtime in this post.

Portability

Mobile apps are designed to be portable by nature.  The on the go use can eliminate the need to return to a physical point to receive or update information such as a checklist. Whether it is fulfilling an order,  conducting an inspection checklist or updating order status, Mobile apps can make it easy to communicate data in real-time. Problems during the process can also be updated to all the stakeholders using alerts and immediate time-saving actions can be taken.  

1. This mobility can help in
2. Increased productivity
3. Increased efficiency
4. Cost reduction
5. Immediate access to critical information
6. Increased synergy between people, process and machinery

Health and Safety

While handling critical machinery and hazardous elements pose a threat to the safety of the workforce, there are far more situations that can affect the health and safety of the workforce. Given our COVID19 situation, the future is going to take health and safety of workforce very seriously.  Usage of robots, IoT and remote command via mobile apps can help in maintaining a safe distance from machines and harmful materials.  Social distancing especially when working in medical supply production can also be possible using smart solutions and mobile apps.  Wearables, for example, can trigger closer proximity, the temperature change in the environment or even sensing a change in the environment such as pressure or air quality.

Traceability and reporting

Real-time real data coupled with GPS tracking, Mobile Apps can provide traceability and reporting as it happens to the management.  Whether it's tracking of an order, or production efficiency traceability provides enough data for prediction models operated by ML can provide suggestions to take necessary actions. Supplier traceability can help in identifying non-conformance and corrective action (NC/CA), Corrective and Preventative Action (CAPA), Statistical Process Control ( SPC) and genealogy data available to management immediately.

In summary

Mobile applications can provide tangible ROI to business and already many organizations are including mobile in their MOM strategy.  From the simplest task of all such as inventory management, order tracking, process traceability to manufacturing intelligence, going mobile has more advantages with less investment. At PsiberTech we have been working in the manufacturing industry for over a decade and have delivered several applications to companies like 3M. If you like to know how mobility can help in your manufacturing process write to us here.

Srivatsan Aravamudan
ML Solution Consultant

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

Clutch Reviews - PsiberTech is delivering exceptional software development services

For 14 years now, our PsiberTech Solutions team has provided enterprise custom software solutions to enterprises such as 3M, Singpost and Changi Airport: all while keeping up with ever-changing trends and technologies. Our vision is to be a leader in delivering state-of-the-art solutions that significantly help our customers to evolve.

We’re accomplishing this vision by leading our industry in creating quality and value-added services and technologically advanced products. In fact, we’re one of the few custom software companies in Singapore has achieved ISO 9001:2015, the latest standard in ISO. However, we recognize that our success is based on the relationships we have with our customers. 

Our team has loved the opportunities we’ve had to help build your custom software solutions. 

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce we’ve received our first review on Clutch, a leading B2B ratings and reviews platform. Clutch cuts through disorganized market research by collecting client feedback and analyzing industry data. 

We joined Clutch this year because of we recognized the value that our potential clients could obtain from the platform. Through Clutch, we’re evaluated for our project management style as well as the impact of our projects and engagements. Our Clutch profile features unbiased reviews conducted by their analysts.

In our very first review, we created a customized ERP solution for a tax consultancy firm. This system helps our client’s clients to outsource and fully automate accounting and processing flows. After the successful launch of the system, the firm has received more business. The ERP system has captured its clients’ requirements in detail and delivered the solutions according to their individual needs.

The CFO of the firm kindly left us a review after the project’s completion. During the interview, they said, “They go the extra mile to analyze the requirements and provide constructive feedback and suggestions based on their experience.” We’re grateful for this review as well as the opportunity to be held accountable to our projects and high-quality work.

In addition to this, our company has been featured on The Manifest, Clutch’s sister site. The Manifest is a business news and how-to website that analyzes practical business wisdom and showcases company value. This platform gathers and verifies hard data, expert insights, and actionable advice that’ll help you achieve your business goals. Our team is honored to be highlighted on both sites with a perfect 5-star rating.

Have an idea for your next project? Feel free to contact us, and we’ll discuss the next steps!

Srivatsan Aravamudan
ML Solution Consultant

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd

How to reduce downtime in manufacturing via machine learning

Machine Learning helps on reducing the production downtime

In the industrial sector, the occurrence of downtime is unavoidable. This tends to interrupt the production workflow. Hence, an effective method to reduce the downtime frequency is by using a “machine learning” approach which is better than manual predictions. Machine learning can track, analyze and predict using a complete dataset relating to the production sector accurately than manual or other available models. By using this method, we can foresee and make predictions about unknown machine failures and take steps to improve the production efficiency. That in turn provides the manufacturer ample time to make solutions to meet the turnaround time set by customers. In a nutshell machine learning is the smartest way to eliminate downtime

Handling downtime using the three “P” approach.  When inactivity of machinery occurs in a production unit, then it is dealt with by anyone of the p’s mentioned below:-

Promptly - whenever a machine breaks down irrespective of whether it had been maintained properly or not, the factory must tackle the downtime by taking up the responsibility to fix it promptly for the production to continue as usual. This is the reactive method. This may involve rocketing costs to rectify the machinery which in turn results in financial instability of the firm coupled with receding production.

Planned - certain industries usually have planned maintenance for their machinery. Where the machines are serviced at a period be it yearly/monthly to reduce the possibility of downtime. This is the preventive method. According to this method, a gap exists between two service schemes. There is a chance for a new unplanned worn out of the machinery. Which ends up in disrupting the existing production.

From the above it is clear whether you choose prompt or planned methodology, both would still result in some production downtime. Therefore, the final method mentioned below is probably the smartest factory method one can rely on.

Predicted – using the collected data of the machinery the process of production is monitored. The downtime is effectively eliminated by predicting the machinery’s breakdown days before its actual worn out session. This in turn aids to act in advance to solve the machine’s functioning. Hence, it maintains the proper working conditions in the production sector. This methodology is called machine learning.

How to diminish downtime using machine learning

Installing sensors

In an industrial production setup, there would be various machines performing their individual tasks for the overall production of a commodity. Sensors are installed to the machines. These sensors can collect 1kb of data per reading, at the rate of 1,000 readings per second. The collected data can then be stored in the cloud and used by IoT devices for analysis purposes. This helps in minimizing the time required for collecting data’s and their verification when down time occurs. As in the case of manual data collection, it would be hectic to verify and visualize the data and process the error.

Storing the data

The collected data from different machinery are stored in a data warehouse. This is used for planning workflow situations in the industry. By using this data, we can smartly access the production information and can also effectively reduce the risk of downtime.

Segregating the data 

The data from the past to present should be collected up to date and grouped as “healthy data '' which is the useful production data and “sick data '' which refers the downtime data. Only if both types of data are properly fed then good predictions can be made by combining the dataset. This aids in finding out the causation of the machine outbreaks by preferably using the sick data. By this, the previous downtime areas can be removed.

Setting a machine learning model

On possessing ample data, the machine learning algorithm is created and can analyze the future patterns of downtime. This can be eliminated by taking preventive measures or carrying out alterations of the machinery if needed for better production output. In addition to this by using the machine learning model, one can be preplanned to take the machine offline and perform necessary maintenance.

Kiruba

Solution Consultant

PsiberTech Solutions Private Ltd