Role of Automation and Robotics in Digital Transformation

Here is how automation and robotics are helping in digital transformation and technology

There is a growing understanding of organizational culture and the relationship between people and robots as more businesses across the world employ automation and robotics for their daily operations.

The robot industry's revenue is "expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.23%, reaching a market volume of US$9.05 billion by 2027," according to Statista. Service robotics is the market's largest category. The takeaway here is that organizations are likely to adopt automation and robots at an increasing rate.

That shifts our attention to another issue that is becoming more important: how automation and robots are affecting culture and society as a whole. Many employees seem to believe that jobs are being destroyed by robotics and automation.

Automation doesn't merely eliminate jobs; it also changes them and generates new ones. Robotics and automation generally eliminate repetitive activities to free up workers to conduct more complicated work that can only be done by humans.

The remaining queries are: How do we raise awareness about the real effects of automation, and why do we need to do so? Employees who worry about losing their employment may panic, leading to a snowball effect in attrition, or they may try to prove that automation and robots are inefficient. They might not support the process change, or worse, they might behave inappropriately and harm the culture of the company by causing turmoil.

Change management is necessary for technological and digital transformation. Here are some recommendations for change management best practices as well as cultural management strategies for the use of robotics. And more about the role of automation and robotics in digital transformation.

Establish Camaraderie

There will always be a desire for humans to be perceived as more significant than robots and at the top of the hierarchy. Establishing ownership of the acquired bots is one technique to promote cooperation and acceptance of bots. Give each robot a name and a personality; for instance, staff may be the ones to look after it. This might give workers the impression that they are still in charge and that the bot is there to support them rather than the other way around. This, we've discovered, is similar to the love people have for their dogs. If staff members believe they are in control, building camaraderie may also aid in removing barriers to change.

Include Your Employees in The Decision-Making

A lot of things change whenever a corporation uses robots, automation, and digitalization. Processes, roles, results, objectives, everyday activities, and the customer experience have all changed. I've discovered that including employees in the decision-making process is essential to make this work.

Use Collaborative Robots

Collaborative robots, or cobots, collaborate closely with people, sharing tasks and acting more like a companion than a machine. Robots are often large machines that are caged for safety in a production or warehousing setting and repeatedly carry out the same task over time. Additionally, these robots often carry out one or two jobs precisely and quickly.

Cobots, on the other hand, frequently move freely throughout the facility and warehouse and assist people with their tasks. They often have variable configurations, are lighter, and depending on the task, are capable of performing a wide range of tasks. In other words, they serve as an assistant and resemble humans more. When it comes to cycle times, cobots frequently lag behind robots and are less precise. A products-to-person bot, for instance, can eliminate the tiresome task of wandering around a warehouse by bringing the items to the picker there. They serve as the picker's aides and assistants, making the picker's job easier.

Emphasize Safety

Employees will not want to work in an environment where they believe they are in danger. Take, for example, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). AMRs have evolved tremendously, notably in their capacity to identify obstacles with limited infrastructure. Material handling inefficiencies and ergonomic concerns connected with handling big pallets and goods are reduced by AMRs. This makes human material handling on the factory floor safer. Emphasizing how AMRs assist to make the workplace safer will surely enhance employee trust in the use of bots.