Skype for Business & Co

Video communication in Industry 4.0 & Logistics

Video conferencing has been a popular and widely used tool for private conversations for years. But important business discussions, meetings, and presentations are also increasingly being held online – especially when participants are geographically dispersed. The advantages in terms of cost and time savings are obvious. However, there are other reasons as well for using this digital communication channel in daily business.

Skype for Business – Microsoft's answer to the trend

With one billion users (2013) and a projected nearly two billion in 2021, Skype by far the largest player in the field. It is estimated that one-third of all international phone calls are now handled via the Microsoft acquired in 2011 for $8.65 billion. Much of this communication currently takes place on a private level—something Microsoft wants to change. For this reason, they recently merged their communication network Lync , one of the most widely used systems for business video telephony and conferencing, with Skype and renamed it Skype for Business .

Since security is paramount in business communication, Microsoft has made a concerted effort to protect chats more effectively than the standard Skype version. This is achieved through multi-factor authentication and encryption. Companies will also be able to manage accounts for their employees, allowing them to activate individual features separately.

Skype for Business is integrated into Office 365 and its associated servers, from which Microsoft expects additional security. Companies can also optionally deploy the service in a hybrid cloud solution. Of course, Skype is not the only alternative; a large number of other providers also target business communication. This is facilitated by the WebRTC , which enables video conferencing directly between web browser users without requiring them to install or purchase a special client from Skype and its associated Microsoft services. It is these platform-independent, cloud-based solutions, in particular, that are driving the increasing adoption of this technology.

Advantages

The most frequently cited reason for using interactive video communication is the potential for saving time and money. However, as early as 2007, the industry analyst IDC, in its study “Seeing Is Believing: The Value of Video Collaboration,” reached the following conclusions regarding the use of video in companies:

• By accelerating decision-making processes, companies increase their productivity by an average of 30 percent
• Collaboration between departments connected via video increases by 35 percent, as video communication improves cross-site contact and makes employees feel more involved in decision-making processes
• Conflicts are resolved 75 percent faster because communication is significantly improved through the nonverbal component

In the manufacturing industry, however, this development often goes even further. Here, the interest extends far beyond simply holding cross-site meetings and directly impacts operational production and coordination processes. Examples of application areas include:

• Video communication enables the visual monitoring of manufacturing processes across multiple locations, as well as the communication and optimization of work steps. Among employees, the learning effect resulting from improved insight into the working methods of geographically dispersed teams has a particularly motivating and acceptance-promoting impact.
• Tasks such as superficial quality control can be performed from a central workstation.
• For industries that operate with many, sometimes remote locations (for example, in oil and gas production), external experts can provide support and control in solving problems, diagnostics, or process optimization.
• In the field of research and development, and in the pharmaceutical industry in general, experiments, product tests and new product developments can be carried out simultaneously at different locations and the results can be clearly compared.
• In logistics, video technology can be used to control and monitor parts of the supply chain. In particular, the condition of raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished goods can be more easily monitored during their sometimes considerable journey from producers through distribution centers to the end customer. If a problem occurs, action can be taken quickly, eliminating the need to wait, for example, when importing products from the Far East, until the items arrive in the destination country and it is potentially too late for a recall.

And if there are problems with the foreign language: To support multilingual conversations, Microsoft/Skype, among others, now offer simultaneous translators for better understanding.

Gain clarity in production with smart glasses

The technology for transmitting videos does not always have to be housed in static devices or in the cameras of computers, which is a significant disadvantage, especially in mobile use.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology has developed smart glasses that can assist in production by helping to operate machines, stack pallets correctly, or contact experts directly. The advantage of these smart glasses (also known as head-mounted displays or HMDs) is that, in addition to viewing the data projected onto the display, the user can still perceive their surroundings with virtually no interference and has both hands free for other tasks. The Fraunhofer Institute's software can help industrial companies accelerate value-adding processes and share information across location boundaries in real time – fully in line with the principles of globally networked Industry 4.0.

The smart glasses include a camera for video and image recording as well as a display. This enables them to quickly and directly display all work steps at the workplace and also facilitate video communication.

According to Fraunhofer researchers, the primary applications for the smart glasses equipped with the new software lie in industry, where their use is particularly beneficial for complex workflows. Furthermore, employees can access additional helpful tools during the process: for example, product improvement suggestions or error messages no longer need to be laboriously documented in writing, but can be captured directly on-site using image, video, and voice recording. Direct contact with developers or other departments is also possible via video conferencing, allowing for immediate collaborative resolution of urgent problems.

Use of smart glasses in logistics

But these handy devices aren't just useful in production. In intralogistics, warehouse workers can be provided with smart glasses whose displays show relevant data about their current task in real time. Videos can also be projected onto the screen, providing support and allowing employees to interact with their conversation partners. This is another step towards networked Logistics 4.0.

Examples of applications include:

• Input of location, article number and number of parts to be picked
• Inspection of the picked item and assignment for order picking
• Video function for communication/employee support

Besides increasing the precision and speed of work performance, the system has the disadvantage of requiring employees to have a certain adjustment period and a willingness to embrace this technological change. The currently rather unwieldy size and weight of the devices could negatively impact their acceptance.

However, with the ongoing development of communication systems, as with the use of video technology in general, and not least due to the pioneering work of internet giants like Google , Microsoft , and Amazon , it can be assumed that this technology will play a significant role in the networked Industry 4.0 . What is certain is that the necessary technology is constantly evolving. Who knows, perhaps in a few years we will be able to make video calls on the way to the office or from a café using smartwatches.