What are Collaborative
Robots?
And how they are changing
the talent landscape.
As a workforce solutions expert, we see the adoption of cobots as a game-changer in how organizations view and engage their temporary workforce. Utilizing our expertise, cobots can bring numerous advantages that positively impact the relationship between our temporary employees and client organizations. Here's why.
Cobots and temporary workers can work safely in harmony, with cobots handling repetitive tasks. This collaboration strengthens the workforce, provides additional opportunities for growth for temporary workers and fosters a sense of unity and teamwork, elevating temporary workers and affirming their critical place in the production process.
Working on a line with cobots enables temporary workers to learn how to seamlessly interact within an automated environment and how to oversee not only the process but also the robotic workers. This skill development not only benefits their current assignment, but also equips them with valuable, transferable skills that enhance their employability and career prospects.
Cobots alleviate the stress on temporary workers of mundane and physically demanding tasks. This shift allows them to be engaged in higher value aspects of the work, leading to increased job satisfaction, motivation and overall more positive engagement with their work.
Cobots are equipped with advanced safety features that make working next to them safe. Workplace injuries are reduced significantly because cobots are designed to take over physically demanding tasks.
A streamlined collaboration between humans and cobots creates a more efficient production process and actively drives productivity. This positive impact can lead to a mutually beneficial and harmonious working relationship.
A well-managed and fully integrated temporary human-robotic workforce improves productivity, efficiency, workplace safety and transforms how organizations value their temporary workforce. This change will lead to a more fruitful, collaborative and mutually beneficial partnership.
Often the journey towards a future with cobots is finished before it's started. Misconceptions and previous experience of industrial automation can stop organizations from exploring it as a realistic solution. Here's some of the common misconceptions alongside the simple reality.
Cobots are intended to enhance human capabilities and productivity, not replace human workers
Cobots are specifically crafted to collaborate with people, enhancing their tasks and making work more rewarding and fulfilling by streamlining processes and augmenting human abilities.
Unlike industrial robots, cost models are becoming more flexible and implementation times faster
There is now a way to work with “temporary” cobots to allow for greater flexibility without the high upfront cost and implications of asset ownership. Very similar to engaging with a temporary human worker.
While some might think cobots are complex, they're actually user-friendly and highly adaptable
Cobots can be programmed and integrated into various tasks and industries, catering to a wide range of applications.
Cobots are designed with advanced features meaning they reduce safety issues, injuries, and in turn, worker compensation claims
Worries about working alongside machines are common; but cobots are designed with advanced safety features to prevent accidents. Cobots actually increase workplace safety!
VS.
Although lower than the national average across all industries (47.2%), this rate raises critical concerns about the sector's appeal.
More than 75% of manufacturers struggle to attract and retain top talent
It's 36% more challenging to find the right talent today vs in 2018 as reported by Insight Global (2023)
65% of manufacturers believe that the skills required for manufacturing jobs are evolving faster than the ability to adapt
There are 693,000 open manufacturing jobs in the United States as of October 30, 2023
Difficulty attracting workers
Staff turnover
Workplace accidents
Companies using cobots as part of their workforce have a 30% lower accident rate compared to those who do not.
Cobots can effectively reduce the risk of repetitive stain injuries (RSIs) and other work-related injuries.
Cobots can cut down the number of errors by up to a staggering 50%.
Cobots are expensive: acquisition, maintenance, diagnostics, fixes, removal (where needed), external or in-house expertise, etc. You also may only need a cobot for a certain period of time which means an RoI may be difficult to achieve. Kelly Fusion cobots completely remove these challenges by engaging cobots on a temporary basis – on an hourly rate, much like a human temporary worker. Kelly and our partner, Formic, take care of integrating the cobot into your workspace, training and all responsibilities related to asset ownership.
Maintaining business continuity is critical. Our focus is on seamlessly integrating cobots into existing processes avoiding disruptions. If there are any problems, Kelly immediately enacts outage management and business continuity protocols to minimize any business impact.
Safety is paramount. Cobots are equipped with safety features to allow them to work safely with their human colleagues. Additionally, we ensure that operational protocols are in place, appropriate training is provided and protocols are adhered to.
I am concerned about safety.
I am worried about managing change.
I am concerned about down time.
I would need assurance on quality.
I am concerned about cost and/or business disruption.
