The 6 Engineering Technology Trends to Look Out for in 2020

 

Things are moving quickly in the world of engineering.

 

Remote staff hiring is just one way companies get ahead of the competition. Find out how new tech can boost your business. How will new technology impact your future?

You already see it working in your daily life. Think of Google’s driverless cars and autopilot on aircraft. And that’s just one aspect of innovative engineering technology. The future looks bright on this front. Expect to see more innovations changing the way you work and live.

The internet is everywhere. Rich or poor, everyone will have internet access. And you won’t just have access to your personal devices. The world is on the cusp of this becoming a reality. Centralised advertising models on HD monitors can change the way you see ads in public. In the future, monitors will interact with your phone as you pass by and retrieve all your preferences. Internet access should also increase productivity for businesses everywhere. Imagine the efficiency gains when there is easy connectivity for your offshore engineering team. In addition, you’ll see global electrification continue to rise by 2020. Most people in the Western world take electricity for granted. But there are many parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America where it’s not readily available. In fact, more than 1.3 billion people aren’t connected to a power grid. And over 1.5 billion don’t have regular access to electric light. Power theft is also a problem in many countries. Regular electricity access has a transformative effect. Some benefits could include greater productivity, educational achievement, healthcare, and quality of life. With collaborative partnerships between both private and public organizations, the entire world may finally have access to a power grid. Relating to  power and the global electrification plans, solar technologies may provide a significant portion of global power by 2020. This can shield businesses and economies from the rising costs of energy, in addition to relieving climate change. One of the biggest drives in technology, though, is in the healthcare industry. Some trends to look for in that industry include:

• New cures for bacterial diseases
• Better cancer monitoring
• Data-driven personalised healthcare 
• Printable organs 

Many technologies on the horizon combine life sciences and engineering. And it will not be shocking to find in the next years ahead, technological collaborative upgrades would provide new opportunities for the engineering industry. You may find yourself wondering how technology will affect your engineering firm in the coming years. The following are the six key trends you need to consider and how they may affect you.

Top Technology Trends for 2020

 

Companies use a variety of trends to maintain a competitive edge. Some hire remote engineering staff for offshore efficiency gains. While other businesses take advantage of innovative technology for increased productivity. Take a look at the top trends that can take your competitive edge to the next level:

Technology #1 – 5G Broadband Speed

Faster broadband speeds will have wide-reaching effects on the engineering sector. Faster speeds make working remotely a smoother experience. You will also find that working within a cloud-based framework becomes easier. So, what’s the next generation of mobile internet connectivity? Welcome to the world of 5G networks. This new technology offers faster speeds and more reliable connections. It promises to realise another long-predicted trend: the Internet of Things (IoT). With faster connectivity, you can stay online anywhere in the world. This means you can speak to your engineering remote staff without fear of dropping the connection. Better yet, this means your engineering projects become much more efficient. With fewer connectivity problems, you’re able to complete work faster and relay instructions without delay. The end result is a project that takes less time and costs you less money. 5G networks aren’t yet available worldwide. It has a limited launch in select cities. But it’s expected to launch worldwide by 2020 and work alongside 3G and 4G technology.

Technology #2 – AI Continues to Evolve

In a study by McKinsey Global Institute, they found that nearly half of all work tasks have the potential for automation. Artificial intelligence and machines are already widely used. From self-driving cars to software that responds to customer inquiries, AI use has already slipped into daily life. The use of robots can also increase productivity and efficiency for different tasks. From an engineering point of view, continued development of AI has a number of wide-reaching effects. Of course, there’s the design aspect. Generative design technology allows you to enter parameters and have a machine create basic designs. This can speed up the conceptual portion of a project and give human designers a base to work from. Improved AI will also help us to break down the barriers between different departments. It allows for superior data sharing in the sense that it can supervise workflow processes. With an advanced AI, your firm can catch the little errors that can have huge consequences on a project. Plus, AI can ensure the right people receive the documents and information they need to keep the project moving forward.

Technology #3 – Process Automation

Robotic process automation can do more than flip burgers and work on an assembly line. You may think that low-skill, low-wage jobs are the first to go to automation. But new technology innovations aim for higher processes. Adapting current technology can lead to automation for high-paid occupations. That includes positions like doctors, financial planners, and senior executives. This doesn’t necessarily spell the end for these positions, though. Some of these positions require tasks that can move to automation with current technology. CEOs spend around 20% of their time doing tasks like report analysis and reviewing status reports. When you hire remote engineering staff, you may want the acquired offshore efficiency to focus on your core business. Automating certain tasks can work the same way. For example, you may have standard contracts and agreements that you send out to your clients. Automation can help you to make those processes more efficient while reducing the risk of human error. Robotic automation also has its place on the assembly line. If your engineering firm also manufactures products or components, this technology offers faster turnaround times and cheaper manufacture.

Technology #4 – VR and AR

VR and AR applications are on the market right now. But its endless capabilities are yet to come. Imagine immersive marketing efforts like Pepsi Max’s unbelievable AR experience at a bus shelter in London. It turns basic campaigns into a full customer experience. How’s that for brand recognition? Or how about the company that uses VR simulations to support ship design, marine engineering, and naval architecture? General Dynamics Information Technology developed VirtualShip to help engineers model maritime environments. It features 100 geographical settings and more than 300 ship models, each of which the user can customise. This maritime simulator is already in use by commercial, government, and foreign allied customers. It’s a software package designed to help clients train employees. Other applications for VR and AR could include training for heavy machinery at a construction site. Alternatively, engineers can use it to check their designs and make adjustments. Using this technology can help reduce costs when you need to make changes. Things are still evolving in this tech. Eventually, though, VR and AR will encompass almost all industries. And it can help your offshore engineering team view areas that are too far to visit in person.

Technology #5 – Natural Language Processing (NLP)

The development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) can change the way businesses grow. This technology processes natural language data to interact with realistic interactions. Some companies are already using  this technology in the form of Chatbots or Chatterbots. These computer programs simulate human conversation. Customers use text chats or voice commands to interact with it. Businesses can either incorporate it into an existing application like their e-commerce website. Or the program can act as a standalone app. When was the last time you spoke with Siri? That’s probably just stage 1 (or less) of the technology featured there. E-commerce may be the most popular use of this technology. But it isn’t the only one. NLP may also help to speed up the clerical processes within your engineering firm. For example, the technology allows for automated document creation. This relieves the clerical burden and allows your firm to focus more on the services it provides to clients. We’ll dig into that more below.

Technology #6 – Facial Recognition

Facial recognition software is one of the best ways to add security. Especially since most people’s faces are so unique. This will prove particularly useful for larger engineering firms. Such technology could prove useful when securing sensitive project documents and other information that’s relevant to your engineering projects. This ensures nobody can gain access to information that your clients don’t want to see made public. In the future, we may see engineering outsourcing firms leverage this technology to assuage concerns about offshore security as well.

Step into the Future with these Tech Trends

There’s a lot of talk about how technology will change the face of the workplace. You already use some of these trends in your day-to-day life. But how will it affect how you do your job? And will you still have a job with these advancements? These questions are valid. Some jobs may become obsolete with the use of automation and robots. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the people doing the tasks is out of a job. This is a new frontier. And with these advancements come new job positions. Automation and robots need operators to oversee tasks. Artificial intelligence may take over routine tasks. But that leaves employees free to focus on more customer-centric activities. And increased broadband and power connectivity tie everyone around the world together. It’s a great time for engineering outsourcing companies. Not only is technology moving towards greater connection. But it’s also opening up new markets that need more engineering specialists. Efficiency is usually the end product of the many technological advantages happening in our world right now. And so too is enhanced productivity, which is a core-focus for business owners. Apart from providing our clients with staffing and resources for their next project, Cybalink Solutions also assists in working with management teams to accelerate productivity and create efficiency. High efficiency can mean more money and more time. Find out how we can help you with that.

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