PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2021

TOP TALK PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 05/21 www.petpla.net 10 to meet several needs in terms of competitive- ness, efficiency, flex- ibility and ease of use for thousands of customers all over the world. IoT technology allows the operating data, for all of the equipment in a production facility, to be collected and clustered in a single management and control platform; thus provides a real-time continuous monitoring of industrial plant efficiency and the ability to inter- vene remotely on every decentralised system point, in the event of anomalies or problems. This makes it possible to get information in real time both from an aggregate point of view (produc- tion volume, mean production time, consumptions, inventories and stocks) and from each single machine. If there were any doubts about the necessity of digital transformation to business longevity, the coronavirus has silenced them. In a contactless world, the vast majority of interactions with custom- ers and employees must take place virtually. With rare exception, operating digitally is the only way to stay in busi- ness through mandated shutdowns and restricted activity. This digital man- date isn’t new; it’s simply been brought into sharp focus. Just before the pandemic for example, SMI developed the new service of Augmented Reality smart glasses to make customer assis- tance smarter and easier. Through this system customers receive audiovisual support and it is possible not only to troubleshoot, but also to carry out installation and start-up of machines. Today, thanks to augmented reality technology, SMI customers can benefit from immediate technical support in real time, even if they are thousands of kilometres apart. This remote support service, inspired by the most recent innovations in IoT and Industry 4.0, uses augmented reality technology to create a “ virtual presence” communi- cation system. Thanks to this system, SMI technicians can provide increas- ingly effective, timely and high-quality remote support to the customer’s oper- ator, guiding him during repairs and maintenance by sharing useful and practical information. By wearing spe- cial glasses, called Augmented Reality Glasses, the machine operator can remotely send real-time images of the problem he is facing to an SMI expert at the Help Desk, in order to receive direct and immediate instructions on how to resolve the critical situation. This solution allows the reduction of both the length of the intervention and the related costs, as it does not require the physical presence of an SMI expert at the customer’s company and con- siderably reduces the “downtime” of machines and systems. PETplanet: Due to postponed or cancelled trade fairs and congresses many companies offer digital events directly from their production sites to stay present and in conversation. Are you planning such events? Paolo Nava: Nowadays we have been forced to change our habits, our behaviour, our consumption pat- terns and above of all we have been obliged to minimise social contacts. This has also led to the cancellation or postponement of exhibitions, events that have always been an occasion to create or consolidate social relations and to show innovations. Despite the physical distance we have had to keep, we have never stopped being by our customers’ side: AR smart glasses and online help desk services are just an example; how- ever we’ve tried to go beyond online assistance and for this reason we have decided to create a “Virtual Expo”, a digital space dedicated to the interac- tion between us and our current and future customers. In this virtual space visitors can find our new developments and machine advantages through brochures, videos and pictures. Fur- thermore, visitors can ask for informa- tion through an online form and get in touch with our staff. Virtual tours aren’t new to SMI, since we already proposed it some years ago when we invited our customers to take a tour inside a complete water-bottling line. Using this technology we allowed visi- tors to step into the production sites of a SMI customer and take a close look at a whole bottling and packaging line without being on the spot physically. The virtual visitor could freely move within a range of 360° inside the facility and get detailed information over each single machine. We then realised that customers appreciated virtual events, as they save time and money - but, of course, they can’t replace face-to-face meetings. PETplanet: Due to the vaccination campaigns worldwide, the situation seems to be easing, although there are still exceptions, of course. What is SMI’s concept for restoring full capac- ity? Paolo Nava: Coronavirus has com- pletely changed life and, while many hope those changes are temporary, the pandemic has unearthed weaknesses in the status quo. After every major crisis, humanity is forced to identify those weaknesses and evolve accord- ingly. I think that everybody agrees in the fact that Covid-19 will change life for a very long time. Vaccination campaigns worldwide will help solve the situation, but in 2021 we will continue to see changes as a result of the pandemic and this will involve technology, digitalisation, online and virtual services. Covid-19 forced companies, governments and social systems to change swiftly around the globe. Even prior to the pandemic, technology had become an increasingly important part of the workforce. Businesses were looking at technology as a helpful means of engaging with customers, allowing some workplace flexibility, and for a way to introduce automation and faster processes. However, the spread of the new coronavirus and the shutdown of in-person meetings for non-essential businesses accelerated these adoptions immensely. It forced companies to look into creative digital solutions, so that organisations could continue to function remotely and to serve their client base. Many changes have been made in response to the pandemic; anyway many of them are here to stay. Only when in-person meetings and work was limited in response to Covid-19, everybody quickly realised how power- ful technology can be. The pandemic helped accelerate the digital transfor- mation and created a landscape that will continue to encourage innovation and technological adoption moving forward. PETplanet: Where do you see potential in the packaging market and what are the strengths of SMI that you would like to develop further? SMI’s Ecobloc system