Discover how robotics and automation are becoming game changers in various industries across the globe.
Table of Contents
1. Robotics Changing the C-level Dynamics
1.1. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)
1.2. Chief Financial Officers (CFOs)
1.3. Chief Operating Officers (COOs)
1.4. Chief Information Officers (CIOs)
1.5. Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs)
2. Accepting Robotics in the Workplace
2.2. Upskill or Reskill With New Technologies
3. Leading the Future Workforce With Robot Workers
Introduction
In recent years, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have witnessed a surge in popularity, and it’s anticipated to expand as organizations become more dependent on AI solutions to address issues. Numerous tech giants, like Amazon, Apple, and Alibaba, have already started to explore the possibilities of implementing AI and robotics in their organizations.
The introduction of robots into the workplace is set to alter how C-level decision-makers will do business, as they need to share space with robots as coworkers and learn new skills as robots will gradually take over tedious and dangerous tasks on behalf of their employees. There will be a shift in job responsibilities and obligations, creating bandwidth for strategic planning for better business development in sections where robotics are not utilized. Functional leaders in customer-facing roles may identify the best methods to serve clients and use automation to deliver personalized products and services on demand.
Robotics is becoming a game changer in various industries throughout the world.
From large-scale enterprises to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), companies have started using robots to automate tasks and also deal with the shortage of workers.
For instance, collaborative robots (cobots) have rapidly become a valuable asset in the manufacturing and logistics industries. These cobots work with human work and help enhance quality control and productivity, leaving human employees to focus more on high-value tasks that require creativity, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
This article discusses the role of robotics in the modern business environment and how it will change the roles of C-level decision-makers. It serves as a thought-provoking read for C-level officers who must contemplate the transition by understanding how robots will impact their businesses, what adjustments are required in the organization, and how to achieve a happy coexistence of human and robot workers.
1. Robotics Changing the C-level Dynamics
C-level officers need to take a step back, carefully evaluate the usage of robots and AI in their organizations, and revise their position within it.
Here is how robot workers will redefine their roles in diverse companies across different industries:
1.1. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)
CEOs are the figureheads of the company, as their vision and leadership will help drive change and guide the organization through a successful digital transformation. With the hiring of robot workers and the implementation of AI applications, they should ensure that the board of directors has the expertise to supervise proper governance and make quick decisions related to these technologies. CEOs will also need to be actively involved in creating a collaborative and harmonious work environment in which humans and robots work together with respect, dignity, and trust.
1.2. Chief Financial Officers (CFOs)
CFOs in the robotics era need to understand physical and digital relationships and put vital control in place. They would oversee compliance activities and take the necessary steps to build trust with investors and regulators by informing and ensuring that financial services like investment applications, CapEx, accounts receivable systems, and expenditure forecasts are automated without risking investors’ and regulators’ bank accounts. In the meantime, robots will take over back-office functions such as trade settlements or daily financial transactions, freeing human workers to solve high-level financial analyses and make decisions that add value to organizations.
1.3. Chief Operating Officers (COOs)
COOs will play an important role in transforming the workplace by integrating AI and robotics, creating a digital strategy for automating services, and streamlining operations. Thus, COOs will drive and manage the organization’s transformation into a human-robot workforce; however, they must update their knowledge of technologies by understanding the changes and how they can affect the business. For instance, in a manufacturing company, the role of COOs will be to assess the need for automation technologies like IoT and blockchain in a department. After evaluation, they should come up with an investment strategy by analyzing how AI and robots will reshape the manufacturing industry and streamline the supply chain.
1.4. Chief Information Officers (CIOs)
CIOs will have to adjust to technology issues and work closely with other C-suits as they navigate a new landscape of risk and compliance. They will have the liberty to explore and evaluate the areas of data management, analytics, and cybersecurity. With automation technology and robot workers having a positive impact on the organization, CIOs will witness changes in function becoming more deeply integrated.
Other tech leaders, like CTOs and CDOs, may be joined by Chief Robotics Officers (CROs), who will help in navigating how robots will perform, providing robust road maps, and setting strategies for future developments.
1.5. Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs)
Like other C-suites, CHROs in the HR industry will also witness a change in their role after hiring robots. To understand the concept and use case of robots and effectively navigate talent and people management through analytical and AI-driven data strategies, CHROs must enhance their data literacy skill set.
The CHROs must address several cultural issues, including how to train and manage the robot and familiarize human workers with these technologies. HR leaders help in assessing employees’ current capabilities by providing them with tools and software to upskill and reskill. CHROs need to embrace the idea of the emergence of automation and help employees understand how the organization will benefit from automation in the long run.
2. Accepting Robotics in the Workplace
To ensure that organizations are moving with their fast-paced nature, leaders must have an adaptive nature. Here are three key changes that leaders need to embrace when it comes to implementing automation and how it will affect you and your team:
2.1. Open to Change
Being open to changes is essential for everyone in the organization, which helps the rapidly growing workforce thrive. As mentioned earlier, the advancement in technology requires the ability to adapt to a new mindset with the belief that it will help the organization by streamlining business goals, seeking new learning opportunities for employees, and pushing employees out of their comfort zones by taking up new challenging projects.
2.2. Upskill or Reskill With New Technologies
Upskilling or reskilling is a crucial task, along with working with these technologies. It will help employees understand the task much more easily and create a synonymous workforce. Employees must conduct regular self-assessment tests to identify the lack of skills and seek feedback from higher authorities for a constructed solution that will help in refining their abilities. With continuous upskilling and reskilling, individuals can acquire new skills that even robots find challenging to replicate.
2.3. Give Time to Accept
Adopting new technologies, especially AI, automation, and robot workers, takes some time and effort. As the roles of human workers are redefined, leaders should be patient to understand the concerns and challenges that employees might feel. Creating a symbiotic relationship with robots will amplify human capacity and improve productivity.
3. Leading the Future Workforce With Robot Workers
At the heart of robotics and automation lies an unparalleled ability to enhance tedious tasks, provide 100% efficiency at unprecedented speed and precision, and operate without any break. This increases output and saves money for businesses, which can be used for other essential changes. However, this paradigm shift also challenges the C-Suite and employees, like changes in roles and sometimes job displacement. However, it is safe to say that the future of robots has a brighter future, as they will handle burdensome tasks, and redundant manual tasks, make transportation more efficient, and free up human resources for important tasks. But time will tell how this will work out.
In a Nutshell
Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) will change the workplace as some job roles will be replaced by robots and automation, but the technology will also lead to the creation of new jobs and highly valued responsibilities. This development will also affect the C-suite, as robots will minimize their responsibilities and help in creating robust strategies in this digital era. Large-scale enterprises and SMEs must prepare their employees for collaboration with new technologies by providing adequate L&D opportunities, upskilling, reskilling, and giving them the bandwidth to accept the change.
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