Technology has made robotics less expensive. What once seemed like the far future is now an everyday reality for many small businesses, particularly those in the manufacturing, assembly industries. This has made the ROI on these investments much shorter. Adding a robot at a time can make the workplace better for customers and employees as well as save the company money. Everyone wins when you embrace new technology, no matter how small your business might be.
Safety
Safety is the most obvious advantage of utilizing robotics. Moving heavy objects, machinery that runs at hot temperature, and sharp objects can easily injure a human being. By delegating dangerous tasks to a robot, you’re more likely to look at a repair bill than a serious medical bill or a lawsuit.
Speed
Robots don’t get distracted or need to take breaks. They don’t request vacation time or ask to leave an hour early. A robot will never feel stressed out and start running slower. Robots never need to divide their attention between a multitude of things. They also don’t need to be invited to employee meetings or training session. Robots can work all the time, and this speeds up production. For most businesses the ability to make more parts has a direct correlation to more profits.
Consistency
Humans are naturally prone to error, especially when multitasking. The same routine day in and day out gets tedious for people. Robots, though, excel at repeating the same task and achieving the same consistency. Using robotics to automate small tasks ensures that everything gets where it needs to go, no matter how redundant and tedious it may be. Since the machine has a sole dedicated job, it won’t make any errors. Being able to ensure that every part leaving your facility saves you company time and money by cutting down on rework and returns.
Productivity
Robots can’t do everything. Some jobs absolutely need to be completed by a human. If your human employees aren’t caught up doing the things that could have easily be left for robots, they’ll be available and productive. You’ll be amazed at how much they can accomplish when the grunt work isn’t weighing them down.