I am a customer/user.
As for the direction in the future, the approach my company is taking (a large corporation) is to hire consultants (lean six sigma) to analyse and improve productivity....Again!
So we can deliver dividends to our stockholders. So they can drive flash cars.
It would seem new equipment is more efficient, ergonomic and cost effective..and don't forget green, we had to update our local fleet of 35 pnumatics because our '02 models didn't have the catalytic converters. We transferred the '02s to another state.