By Johan Potgieter, cluster industrial software lead at Schneider Electric.
There’s fast paced, and there’s supersonic, and the latter certainly applies to the evolution of software or, more specifically, industrial software. The last year has seen the industrial software step to the fore to take over mundane, repetitive and sometime dangerous tasks, allowing us to focus once again on what makes us uniquely human.
The following seven developments are in some ways complementary, but all have one thing in common: improving the human experience.
1. Generative AI and intelligent automation
Generative AI needs no introduction, and combined with intelligent automation, it packs quite a punch. A prime example is robotic process automation (RPA), which today automates rule-based tasks.
According to Gartner, 90% of RPA vendors will offer generative AI-assisted automation by 2025. RPA continues to grow its footprint, and remains a popular software market as organisations look to improve operational efficiency with tactical automation.
Other important benefits of Generative AI in industrial settings include chatbots that enhance customer service and support, and predictive maintenance.
Johan Potgieter, cluster industrial software lead at Schneider Electric.
2. Digital worker-first processes
Driven primarily by user-centric design and collaboration tools, these undoubtedly prioritise and enhance the user experience (UX). In the case of the user-centric design, it adapts interfaces to users’ specific behavioural preferences and work output.
3. Pure play to platform play
Platform play essentially sees industrial software moving from standalone or ‘pure play’ applications to interconnected platforms that include APIs, microservices and cloud-based platforms. These platform ecosystems offer benefits such as scalability, innovation, and data sharing.
4. Strategic applications
It is within industrial settings that strategic applications really shine, allowing organisations to align technology with business-oriented goals. A primary example is supply chain optimisation (SCO), which includes warehousing, logistics and delivery to manage costly infrastructure expenditure.
5. Low-code and no-code development
This development sees citizen developers, who are non-technical users, create applications using visual interfaces. For example, they can leverage drag-and-drop components and prebuilt templates, simplifying the development process. This empowers business users to address their own challenges, without extensive coding knowledge.
6. Ethical automation and ESG compliance
Technically not a software-driven development, both ethical automation and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) compliance play important roles in the of proliferation of evolved industrial software.
Ethical AI aligns with established ethical guidelines, ensuring that AI systems make fair and unbiased decisions, while also addressing concerns such as privacy. ESG forms an important part of software practices, taking into account the rollout of sustainable solutions to reduce environmental impact and the associated social responsibility and governance.
7. Governance and security
The above undoubtedly reconfirms the importance of governance and security. Here, organisations should prioritise governance and security measures, safeguarding both their organisations and workers, while complying with regulatory standards.
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