Let’s face it! Robots are here to stay.
Technology and science has given birth to a wider spectrum of possibilities that were beyond our imagination, just a few years back. Robots or popularly termed as “bots” have already entered our day-to-day life. We are entering an era where man and machine will work, synergies and even compete at a whole new level. Not quiet long back, Robotics were the sole preserve of heavy industry, but today, businesses or all sizes are starting to deploy them into their work stream.
Many businesses have not readily adapted to the whole robotics workforce, but have merged them into their systems more as “co-bots”. This is by far the biggest trend in robotics management, i.e. a move towards collaborative robots – or “co-bots” as they are now known. The real advantage to these co-bots, however, is their ability to perform a variety of complex tasks, as opposed to the large, industrial robots used generally in an assembly line setup to do the same thing repeatedly. Co-bots can also roam free on factory floors, rather than being bolted or fixated to a single location, and have usually safety sensors that prevent them from running into humans or causing any work disruption.
According to more recent data large companies have realized that by investing in automated technologies; workforces hope to boost productivity, effectively manage labor costs and improve operational probability. However, large corporations aren’t the only workplaces that are getting affected by this new technology. While automation will certainly change all industries in one way or another, the near-term impact will be most apparent in manufacturing, retail, transportation, storage and other industries that are common across the small business community.
Robitcs is a new and rather fast changing technology and many businesses have developed a more agile and adaptive methodology to incorporate it into their business models. The role of entrepreneurship in the emerging robotics economy requires new skills, approaches, and competencies about doing business. Traditional methods and models will not be enough to compete in this new space.
Progressively, businesses of all sizes will need skills and subject matter expertise in areas such as machine learning, open source hardware, digital manufacturing, cognitive computing, and a host of digital technologies.
It’s true that small businesses often lag behind large enterprises in new technology adoption and no doubt that we are still a few years away from complete adoption of robotics and sophisticated automation solutions. However, the robotic and automation technologies will enter the small business workplace sooner than you think. For small and medium sized business owners, the benefits of automation go way beyond operational efficiency. Eventually, companies that are prepared for an automated future will demand higher prices in the business-for-sale marketplace. Therefore, by laying the foundation for automation now, you can achieve better outcomes for your business in the short term and long term.
Though the whole technology landscape is changing quickly, it will probably be a few years before robotic technology is commonplace in small businesses. However it’s not too soon to begin the process of preparing your business for this new and booming technology of robotics automation.
#Robotics #Automation #digitaltechnologies #robots #advancedrobotics #workforce #opensourcehardware #machinelearning #cobots #cognitivecomputing