The document outlines three steps for introducing robots into the workplace: 1) Communicate the necessity for change and help employees understand that automation is inevitable. 2) Implement employee development programs to help retrain workers for new skills needed in 5-10 years as jobs are automated. 3) Test new solutions like robot services to overcome objections and be ahead of competitors in adopting new technologies.
2. In fact, the automation of the
company’s production processes can
increase profits by up to 20%
There are many reasons why companies
refuse to use robots. In my role as
Founder of the world’s first company to
offer “Robots as-a-Service”, the first thing
I often hear is: “Robots aren’t capable of
doing my work, they could do many other
types of work, but not mine.”
They believe that the work that is
performed exclusively by people
guarantees the safety of the process itself
as well as the achievement of the
expected result.
Piotr Wiśniewski – Founder DBR77.com
5. The greatest barrier to accepting the
introduction of technology is the approach
and attitude we have to it.
Often, we’ve devoted a great deal of time
and personal money to obtain the skills we
believe are necessary to perform our job -
we assume that during our vocational
activity we will be able to obtain a stable
income based on our competence.
It has been estimated that the so called
“half-life of a skill” is less than five years
but, in the case of engineering skill, it can
be as little as eighteen months.
Research, conducted in 2018 by the McKinsey
company, showed that even today, 51% of
technical activity performed by people can be
done by robots of various types.
7. The use of robots has many
positive results, even beyond cost
reduction.
8. The ideal task for a robot is
repetitive, hard work
The potential for areas where robots can be
used is constantly increasing - changes
stimulated by the development of technology as
well as the increasing cost of work are the main
reasons that robots are (and will continue) to
enter our workplaces.
According to research by McKinsey 3/4 of
companies have already begun automating
business processes or are planning to do so
within the next year1. 82% of business leaders
asked by Dell said they expect that humans and
machines will work in integrated workforce
teams within the next five years.
10. The role of a conscientious
manager is to introduce changes
to a company smoothly and to
make sure that they are beneficial
for employees. History shows that,
contrary to all concerns, previous
industrial revolutions such as the
invention of the steam engine,
electricity or computers, did not in
fact devoid people of work
opportunities. What did seem
necessary and inevitable however,
was the retraining of an entire
generation of employees.
11. If we want to have engaged and effective
employees in our company who, by
collaborating with robots at their workplaces,
will be able to compete in a global market,
we must start helping our employees change
their mindset.
Start by communicating the necessity for
change. Every employee must understand that
this change is already happening and is
irreversible. Support development programs
for them.
1. Become aware of the
necessity for change –
adapt or die
12. The role of the employer is to prepare his or
her employees for this kind of fast-paced
change.
I normally suggest to my clients that they
start the change by drawing up a list of
competences that employees will need in the
next 5 -10 years, when a significant part of
the work (currently implemented by them)
will be automated. This provides a clear focus
for where development programs are
relevant and necessary.
2. Implement employee
development programs
13. The lack of competent staff, a long return-
on-investment time frame, and the lack of
consent for additional investment risk, are
the most common reasons for delaying the
decision to introduce robots into workplaces.
To avoid delay, you need to test new
solutions - such as adapting new
management and planning programs or using
the service of a robot agency. It could easily
turn out that it will be more profitable for
your company to buy the results of a robot’s
work, than to buy new machines.
3. Be ahead of others
14. This presentation is part of
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Summer Boot Camp.
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15. Piotr Wiśniewski is Founder & Managing Director of DB77
Consulting and inventor of DBR77 and Hyperreality platforms.
Piotr Wiśniewski began his career as an accountant and financial
analyst at Mercedes-Benz Dealerships in Bydgoszcz before later
qualifing as a tax advisor. Later he held functions in over 20
Supervisory Boards, including Alchemia S.A, Hutmen S.A., NFI Krezus
S.A. From 2008 he was Managing Director at Boryszew S.A. Elana
branch in Toruń. From 2011-2016 he was CEO of the Maflow Group.
He has been Managing Director of DB77 Consulting sp. o.o. from
December 2016.
Piotr holds Tax Advisory License, a PhD in Economic Sciences from
Poznan University and graduated from the Harvard Business School
(General Management Program) in 2016.
He is a lecturer of Management in the high potential leaders
program at ICAN Institute (Harvard Business Review Poland) and
Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Nicolaus
Copernicus in Toruń.
About Piotr
Wiśniewski