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Sight Machine’s Factory Namespace Manager Converts Chaos of Manufacturing Data Names Into Corporate-Standard Naming Systems

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Fine-Tuned Version of Microsoft’s Phi-3.5 is One of the First Small Language Models (SLM) for Manufacturing

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Sight Machine, provider of the leading platform for data-driven manufacturing and industrial AI, today introduced Factory Namespace Manager, one of the first AI small language models (SLM) for manufacturing. The AI model tackles a core data governance challenge: mapping the multitude of factory data naming schemas into enterprise-wide unified namespaces or corporate data dictionaries.

Factory Namespace Manager is one of the first partner-enabled adapted AI models for manufacturing offered within the Azure AI model catalog, which Microsoft announced today. Factory Namespace Manager uses AI to fill a crucial gap in the technology needed to create a unified namespace: mapping between the original data field names and the corporate standard, enabling manufacturers to integrate factory data with enterprise data systems for end-to-end optimization.

SLMs Are More Cost-Effective to Train and Use

Factory Namespace Manager, which Sight Machine will demonstrate at next week’s Microsoft Ignite conference in Chicago, is a customized, fine-tuned version of Microsoft’s Phi-3.5 small language model. Unlike large language models (LLMs) – general purpose software trained on vast amounts of data – SLMs are used to focus on specific types of work and require less computing resources, offering strong performance at low cost and low latency.

“Our solution addresses a widespread challenge in the manufacturing industry, converting decentralized naming systems into a single corporate standard,” said Kurt DeMaagd, Sight Machine Chief AI Officer and Co-Founder. “This has become an acute problem as more clients push factory plant floor data to the cloud, removing data from its original context, and making the management of that data increasingly difficult.”

Tackling Complex Factory Data Environments

Individual plants often have thousands of data sources from multiple generations of machinery that are frequently 10 or 20 years old, and typically the data streams aren’t labeled in a standardized format that makes clear where the data comes from and what it represents. In order to perform analytics across lines, processes and plants (and even between otherwise-identical machines with different data labeling), companies need a standardized way to identify similar data. Today, creating this translation layer requires a heavy investment of time by subject matter experts with extensive knowledge on the nuances of both the legacy and the target naming schemas, and is thus typically done manually for a small subset of data.

“I’ve spoken to dozens of industrial companies about their current and potential use of AI in factory operations and the overwhelming feedback I hear and see in IDC survey data is that most companies are struggling to leverage AI effectively at scale due to the condition of their data,” said Jonathan Lang, Research Director of Worldwide IT/OT Convergence Strategies at IDC. “They have this dilemma that contextually similar data is formatted in multiple ways and is difficult to source and normalize amidst a complete lack of historical governance and data architecture. What I’ve heard loud and clear is that technology that helps to solve this challenge and reduce the labor requirement to decipher data will be readily adopted.”

The bottling company Swire Coca-Cola USA plans to use Factory Namespace Manager to efficiently map its extensive PLC and plant floor data into its corporate data namespace.

“We are working with Factory Namespace Manager to recognize patterns in the data we’ve manually translated, and then applying the patterns to the rest of our factory data,” said Bharathi Rajan, VP of Data & Insights at Swire Coca-Cola USA. “This will make it much easier to get relevant data to frontline workers, to inform decision making, and to integrate production insights into other parts of the company such as supply chain. This is one of the most useful applications of AI we’ve seen in manufacturing, and we’re excited to put it to work.”

“The collaboration between Microsoft and Sight Machine will give manufacturing organizations the ability to build AI solutions through Azure AI Studio and Microsoft Copilot Studio that deliver real value and advance business transformation,” said Satish Thomas, Corporate Vice President, Business & Industry Solutions, Microsoft. “Factory Namespace Manager applies SLM AI technology to a high-impact use case with strong potential ROI for companies pursuing data-driven manufacturing.”

How Sight Machine’s Manufacturing Data Platform Employs AI Techniques

AI is interwoven into Sight Machine’s Manufacturing Data Platform, which uses machine learning and other AI techniques to identify and optimize how machine settings, raw materials and production practices interact to determine throughput, quality, sustainability and other key manufacturing metrics.

Sight Machine’s AI offerings include Factory CoPilot, which uses generative AI technology to offer an intuitive, “ask the expert” experience for all manufacturing stakeholders. Built using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Factory CoPilot can automatically summarize all relevant data and information about production in real-time (e.g., for daily meetings) and generate user-friendly reports, emails, charts and other content (in any language) about the performance of any machine, line or plant across the manufacturing enterprise, based on contextualized data in the Sight Machine platform.

Sight Machine also offers Blueprint, AI-driven tag-to-asset mapping software for clients that have large volumes of poorly identified data sources. It uses AI to map each data source (tag) to a specific asset (machine). Sight Machine built Blueprint in partnership with Microsoft and NVIDIA.

Learn More

To learn more about Factory Namespace Manager, please go to https://sightmachine.com/product/factory-namespace-manager/.

About Sight Machine

Sight Machine provides the leading platform for data-driven manufacturing and industrial AI, helping global manufacturers increase profitability, productivity and sustainability. Sight Machine’s Manufacturing Data Platform creates a common data foundation by capturing and structuring data from the entire factory to deliver a systemwide view of the manufacturing process. With insights powered by artificial intelligence, manufacturers can now optimize across their production processes and factory networks, and extend the impact to their broader supply and value chains. Sight Machine has offices in San Francisco and Ann Arbor, Mich. (www.sightmachine.com).

Sight Machine Press Contact: Media@sightmachine.com

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sight-machines-factory-namespace-manager-converts-chaos-of-manufacturing-data-names-into-corporate-standard-naming-systems-302304012.html

SOURCE Sight Machine Inc.

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RedThread Report Reveals 50% Drop in L&D’s Involvement in Strategic Discussions, Offers Framework for Reclaiming Influence

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RedThread Research’s latest report, Hope Isn’t a Plan: Building a Progressive L&D Strategy, highlights a 50% drop in Learning & Development involvement in business strategy discussions over the past two years, signaling a shift from strategic partner to reactive function. The report also provides a comprehensive five-part framework to help L&D leaders articulate their strategy, collaborate effectively across departments, and balance stability with flexibility.

WOODSIDE, Calif., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — RedThread Research has published its latest report, “Hope Isn’t a Plan: Building a Progressive L&D Strategy,” which underscores the declining strategic role of Learning & Development (L&D) functions and offers a comprehensive framework for leaders seeking to recalibrate their strategies.

“L&D needs to rethink its strategy or risk becoming irrelevant. More than just talking about being strategic, they need to align, act on, and operationalize it. That means doing things differently, thinking more strategically, and embedding learning into the heart of the organization.”

The study reveals a sharp 50% drop in L&D’s involvement in business strategy discussions over the past two years, signaling an alarming shift from strategic partner to reactive supporter. The research also shows that L&D’s involvement in workforce planning discussions similarly declined sharply over this same period.

“L&D needs to reclaim its strategic voice or risk becoming irrelevant,” said Dani Johnson, Co-founder and Principal Analyst at RedThread Research. “More than just talking about being strategic, they need to align, act on, and operationalize it. That means doing things differently, thinking more strategically, and embedding learning into the heart of the organization.”

The report highlights several pressing insights, including:

Declining Strategic Influence: L&D’s diminishing role in strategy discussions has led to a more tactical and reactive function in many organizations.The Importance of Articulating Strategy: Many L&D leaders lack a clearly communicated and well-defined strategy, further compounding their inability to respond effectively to changing business needs.Collaboration as a Cornerstone: Successful employee development requires structured collaboration and cooperation across departments, challenging entrenched mindsets about L&D’s role. L&D functions need a plan for how to best collaborate with other business functions.Balancing Stability with Flexibility: While adaptability is essential, the report argues that stability also forms the foundation for long-term success in L&D efforts.A Five-Part Strategic Framework: The study provides a detailed framework comprising five core elements of an L&D Strategy—Organizational Alignment, Employee Impact, Operations and Governance, Tech and Data, and Stakeholder Engagement.

“Learning and Development can’t afford to play it safe,” added Johnson. “They must be prepared to continually evolve— locking down what works while still flexing to meet what comes next. And they need to double down on strategy to show how that connects back to outcomes — and prove that L&D is not just a cost center but a critical driver of success.”

For access to an infographic of the framework and other exclusive research, navigate to https://members.redthreadresearch.com/spaces/12680089/feed and register for a complimentary Starter Tier membership in the RedThread Research community.

For companies and individuals interested in exploring this research more deeply, RedThread offers exclusive membership opportunities. Join the RedThread research community or the Tech Consortium by visiting the RedThread website (https://www.redthreadresearch.com) or reaching out to RedThread by emailing hello@redthreadresearch.com. 

About RedThread Research

At RedThread Research, we get it.

Sure, we’re experts in performance, people analytics, learning, and D&I – and we’re well-versed in the technologies that support them. But we’re also truth-seekers and storytellers in an industry often short on substance, and too full of #!%. Our mission (indeed, our very reason for existing) is to cut through the noise, and amplify what’s good. We look for the connections (or red threads) between people, data, and ideas – even among seemingly unrelated concepts. The result is high-quality, unbiased, transformative foresight that helps you build a stronger business.

To learn more, visit https://www.redthreadresearch.com.

Heather Gilmartin
RedThread Research
646-275-0742
heathergilmartin@redthreadresearch.com

Media Contact

Heather Gilmartin Adams, RedThreadResearch, 6462750742, heathergilmartin@redthreadresearch.com, https://redthreadresearch.com/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/redthread-report-reveals-50-drop-in-lds-involvement-in-strategic-discussions-offers-framework-for-reclaiming-influence-302306028.html

SOURCE RedThreadResearch; RedThreadResearch

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SONOR INVESTMENTS LIMITED APPOINTS NEW INTERIM CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND TREASURER

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TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2024 /CNW/ – Sonor Investments Limited (“Sonor”) announced today that Fanny Chantal Grenier was appointed Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Sonor effective November 12, 2024 to replace Rosabell Chung Hun who resigned from this position as of such date.

Michael Gardiner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sonor, stated “we would like to express our gratitude for Rosabell Chung Hun’s significant contributions and dedication to our company”. He went on to say “for the immediate future, Fanny Chantal Grenier is to be appointed as the interim Chief Financial Officer  and Treasurer of the company until we have a permanent replacement. We are in the process of examining our human resources plan that will be discussed and presented at our next board meeting”.

Ms. Grenier presently holds the position of President of Fairwater Capital Corporation, is a qualified CA CPA and brings extensive experience in financial leadership. She has a proven track record in advancing fiscal responsibility and operational efficiency.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Sonor Investments Limited

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Odyssey Impact’s New Grant Opportunity: $2,500 – $25,000 for Local Nonprofits — But Don’t Bother If You JUST Want to Raise Awareness

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Odyssey Impact is awarding grants ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 to nonprofits (or those with a verified nonprofit fiscal sponsor) with creative and unique ideas for tackling local challenges and bringing people together in person. The Connected Communities Grants are simple and streamlined… no epic application process and no weeks-long recap reports. The grants were created to help bring about impactful and meaningful change that connects and strengthens local communities. The deadline to apply is December 11, 2024 and winners will be announced in January 2025.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — If you’re tired of JUST TALKING ABOUT A PROBLEM, WE’RE WITH YOU. WE WANT TO FIND SOLUTIONS. And if you’re also tired of filling out long applications, running “awareness” campaigns, or spending weeks cobbling together post-grant reports, Odyssey Impact® has some great news for you.

Through the simple and streamlined Connected Communities Grants, Odyssey Impact® is offering up to $25,000 to nonprofits (or those with a verified nonprofit fiscal sponsor) who want to help solve problems in their communities and bring people together in person.

We’re ditching all that in our new SIMPLE AND STREAMLINED Connected Communities Grants, offering up to $25,000 to nonprofits (or those with a verified nonprofit fiscal sponsor) who want to help SOLVE PROBLEMS in their communities.

Grants will range from $2,500 to $25,000 for applicants with CREATIVE and UNIQUE ideas for tackling local challenges and bringing people together IN PERSON. You know what your town needs and we want to help you make it happen.

Our Mandate is Simple: We want creative ways to help connect people in real-time, in meaningful ways.

Odyssey Impact Board President, Riaz Patel, and co-founder of ConnectEffect, underscores the critical importance of real, in-person connection:

“We’re facing an unprecedented epidemic of isolation, alienation, and loneliness. We don’t need more awareness or research to know it’s a massive problem. We need bold, innovative solutions from creative thinkers to reignite a sense of community across America.”

Interested in applying? Awesome! But here’s what we don’t want:

We’re not looking for “scalable” projects. We ARE looking for local and connected.No “awareness campaigns.” We want to help you take real action instead.No “virtual” events. We are funding in-person, live human stuff.Skip the epic applications. We don’t have the time for those either.No weeks-long recap reports. We’d rather see your great pics and videos.No galas, golf tournaments, or fundraisers. We want project- and program-focused ideas.

Got something cool and community-focused in mind? Perfect! We want unique ideas that make sense for your community, and we want you to spell it out clearly (without all the fluff) — how your project will connect people, foster innovation, and bring the community together.

We need this now more than ever, and if you agree, you are our kind of grantee applicant.

You can apply now through December 11th at odyssey-impact.org,

Winners will be announced in January 2025.

Together, we can truly create impactful and meaningful change that connects and strengthens our local communities.

About Odyssey Impact®

Odyssey Impact® ignites creative, actionable solutions that drive real transformation and connection at the local level. By teaming up with innovative community leaders and those who care about their communities, we’re funding projects that are not only visionary, but also perfectly tailored to meet each community’s unique needs.

Through these efforts, Odyssey Impact is laying the groundwork for a future where real community-driven initiatives create much-needed impact & change and bring us all closer together.

Media Contact

Erin Carenzo, Odyssey Impact, 1 8183817336, erin@carenzoagency.com, https://odyssey-impact.org/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/odyssey-impacts-new-grant-opportunity-2-500—25-000-for-local-nonprofits–but-dont-bother-if-you-just-want-to-raise-awareness-302305983.html

SOURCE Odyssey Impact; Odyssey Impact

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