Formant debuts partnership with Slalom at RoboBusiness 2024

Slalom, a global business and technology consulting company, and Formant, a provider of cloud robotics management software, today announced a strategic partnership. The companies aim to help enterprise companies more easily adopt automation and robotics technologies to supercharge their businesses. 

Both companies are showcasing the potential of their combined technology in their “Robot Corral” at RoboBusiness this week in Santa Clara, Calif. Attendees can see live demonstrations of Formant customer and partner robots, all streaming into the Formant platform. 

“At RoboBusiness, Slalom and Formant are showcasing the very near future of how companies can better navigate the complexities of automation and achieve their strategic goals through smart networks,” said John Tomik, managing director of Slalom Element Lab. “Many businesses cite a lack of vision as the most common barrier to their adoption of robotics, but we believe connected robotics will drive the efficiency, productivity, and innovation our customers need to thrive in today’s business environment.” 

Slalom and Formant have found that many organizations are eager to explore robotics and automation, but are hesitant to invest due to uncertainties and complexities. The companies plan to combine Slalom’s deep digital transformation and change management expertise with Formant’s cutting-edge robotics platform. With the combined platform, they said the partnership offers a comprehensive solution that de-risks automation initiatives and maximizes their business impact.

The companies will be able to help organizations develop early-stage pilot projects and fully operational robotics systems while accelerating time to value to ensure that businesses can reap the benefits of automation faster. 

“Formant is thrilled to join forces with Slalom to accelerate the adoption of robotics and automation in the enterprise,” said Kate MeLynda, the president of Formant. “Our combined expertise will provide organizations with the confidence and clarity they need to successfully deploy and manage robotics initiatives, realizing tangible business value.” 

Formant and Slalom’s key focus areas

The partnership will focus on delivering end-to-end solutions that address the entire automation lifecycle, from strategy and planning to implementation and ongoing optimization. Key areas of focus for robotics include: 

• Readiness assessments: Evaluating an organization’s current state and identifying opportunities for automation. 

• Roadmap development: Creating a strategic plan for automation adoption, including technology selection, deployment, and change management. 

• Implementation and integration: Providing expert guidance and support to ensure seamless deployment and integration of robotics solutions with existing systems.

• Management and optimization: Customers can use Formant‘s powerful platform to monitor, analyze, and optimize robotic performance, driving continuous improvement and ROI. 

Together, Slalom and Formant said they will help companies overcome the challenges of automation adoption and realize robotics’ full potential to transform their businesses. If you are attending RoboBusiness and want to view the live demo, visit Booth 717.

Founded in 2017, Formant is developing a cloud robotics platform for physical automation. Formant connects devices, data, and users to help businesses solve real-world business problems through AI-powered automation workflows. Its customers span five continents and power some of the largest mobile robot fleets in the world.

Meet with Formant and more at RoboBusiness

Formant’s Robot Corral will also include demos from Canvas, Clearpath, Burro, and Field AI. In addition to robotics innovation and enabling technologies, RoboBusiness will focus on investment and business topics related to running a robotics company.

Jeff Linnell, founder and CEO of Formant, will also be taking part in RoboBusiness’ Robotics Startup Bootcamp. Spanning two sessions on the first day of the event, it will cover topics ranging from the basics every entrepreneur should know at the start of their journey, to the keys to scaling and growing a startup. 

Other keynotes at the event will feature:

• Rodney Brooks, co-founder and chief technology officer at Robust AI, as well as co-founder of iRobot and Rethink Robotics
• Sergey Levine, co-founder of Physical Intelligence and an associate professor at UC Berkeley
• Claire Delaunay, chief technology officer at farm-ng
• Torrey Smith, co-founder and CEO of Endiatx

RoboBusiness will also include more than 60 speakers, over 100 exhibitors and demos on the expo floor, 10+ hours of dedicated networking time, the Pitchfire Robotics Startup Competition, a Women in Robotics Luncheon, and more.