Member Article

Reaction to the Budget: Robotics in the workplace

With George Osborne having championed innovative ideas such as driverless vehicles in his Budget, robotic implementation in the workplace is about to step up a gear. As the Chancellor has stated, Britain must take bold decisions to ensure it leads the world when it comes to new technologies, and businesses have a critical role to play to make sure its workforce is up to speed with all these advancements. Robotics may, on the surface, seem a daunting prospect, but in truth the technology presents a great deal of opportunity to upskill the worker experience and develop customer engagement.

Robotic implementation should act as an extension to the current consumer-grade technology which is already finding its way into the workplace. Just look at apps such as WhatsApp, collaborative technologies such as Google Docs and communication tools such as Skype and FaceTime. These technologies have not distracted human workers, instead they have enhanced their working practises and allowed them to work more productively to offer a better customer experience.

For those working within the UK economy, the rise of robotic assistance must be seen as an opportunity to develop their skill set, taking on tasks which were previously restrictive or time consuming. This means that more time and money can be invested in engaging with the workforce, creating a strong company culture and keeping retention rates high. With this assistance we can shift away from processes which do not promote well-being and instead focus on those that allow us to work healthier, more efficiently and in balance with our social and family commitments.

For those concerned with the idea of working with robots, one should look no further than the industrial revolution in the 1900’s, a time of big change and development. Out of the uncertainty developed a new world, modernised and forward thinking.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lynn Hanley .