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Digitising manufacturing processes can deliver significant financial savings of up to 80 per cent in capital expenditure and 85 per cent in operational expenditure.

A new report from energy management and automation specialist Schneider Electric examines 230 customer projects from the last five years, and finds that digitisation saved them an average 24 per cent in energy consumption alone, while digitising engineering processes can save an average of 35 per cent in capital expenditure and time optimisation.

It can also reduce commissioning costs of new systems and assets by an average of 29 per cent, according to Neil Smith, VP of industry at Schneider Electric.

“In Industrial applications, digital transformation allows businesses to do more with less — more yield with less energy, fewer materials, and fewer labour hours.

“Increased productivity, up to 50%, results from energy management and automation efficiencies across the value chain, from IoT-enabled tracking to automated production lines,” he said.

Digitising both energy management and automation can deliver even greater value as the two work in concert, said Gareth O’Reilly, country president at Schneider Electric.

“Digital transformation is the only way of delivering consistency and efficiency across a company. Technologies such as the Internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence and big data analytics are making companies more efficient and innovative, boosting their competitive advantage.

“This report indicates that many businesses and organisations need a trusted authority to manage this complexity to unlock the full potential of digital transformation,” he said.

The Digital Transformation Benefits report is available here.

Food & Drink Business

A national network for young grape and wine professionals has been launched, set to foster the next generation of winemakers, viticulturists, cellar door staff, wine judges and other roles in Australia’s wine sector.

A new bill was introduced to Parliament on 19 November, which offers a framework for regulating the sale or importation of organic goods in Australia, and stronger opportunities for exporting organic products.

The Senate Economics Committee has rejected the Food Donations Bill that proposed a tax offset for companies donating excess food to food relief agencies rather than dumping it. While the bill had the potential to deliver the equivalent of 100 million meals to food relief organisations, the committee said it had “serious concerns” including the bill’s “generous” tax concessions. Food relief agencies and social welfare organisations have questioned the committee’s decision to reject the bill outright rather than make recommendations for amendments.