More than a third of Indian manufacturing companies have named RPA as a top priority in investment decisions this year, according to a report from EY India. After big data—with a focus on predictive analytics—sensors and the Industrial Internet of Things, RPA is the next most important area where manufacturers in India will be directing resources.
Despite some companies looking more toward spending on technology, EY says in the report that manufacturing in India has a long way to go.
“While our personal life is changing rapidly, the same has not permeated into our workspace. The shop floor is lagging tremendously in the adoption of automation and new technologies for recording, analyzing and managing work processes,” said Ashish Nanda, leader of supply chain advisory services for EY India. “In general, paper-based log sheets, memos and approvals are still prevalent on the shop floor. Processes such as data gathering, analysis and actioning are also largely paper- and judgment-based, devoid of smart technologies.”