If you've been following our blogs and insights, you'll know that telepresence robots are excellent platforms for hybrid work, providing remote managers and employees the opportunity to be productive collaborative team members even while they "work from anywhere", along with the added benefits of maintaining social connections between hybrid team members and remote workers.
But while telepresence robots continue to have a major impact on remote collaboration in office spaces, let's also explore the wider use cases in business and industry that extend far beyond the head office.
Industry and manufacturing are key areas affected by the need for managers and technical experts to work across multiple locations, with the concurrent time and financial losses due to extended travel times. Telepresence robots have multiple applications across industry.
In any industrial operation that relies on specialised equipment, machinery problems are among the most difficult to deal with. Telepresence robots are allowing managers in manufacturing and industry to tap into the expertise of trained experts around the world, even if they are not where the affected facility is located.
Following the detection of an equipment fault, a technical expert may connect to a telepresence robot stationed in the operational area, and comprehensively investigate the problem, both by speaking directly with impacted workers and by using the high-quality zoom-pan-tilt lenses of the Double 3 to diagnose the issue. As the technical expert remains physically located in a fully functional office space, they can readily access additional resources that may be required in developing a solution, and may then guide the facility employees present to resolve the problems, all the while remotely coordinating any required ordering of parts or additional requirements for repairs.
In this manner, telepresence robots in industrial spaces can dramatically reduce equipment downtime by decreasing the time it takes to respond to an issue.
Communication between a supplier and its customer is essential in establishing healthy business connections, which are characterized by openness and trust. Manufacturers need to ensure open lines of communication to ensure the client's expectations are being met. As a client, you will want to confirm product quality, but also make sure the manufacturer is not behind schedule. However facilitating multiple independent inspections throughout the manufacturing process can be problematic due to travel expenses, safety considerations and IP oversights. Clients benefit from access to a telepresence robot device at pre-arranged remote inspection times during production, which can help salespeople meet client expectations.
In this scenario, the use of telepresence robots allows you to:
Maintaining certifications for quality management systems such as ISO 9001 often requires regular internal and external auditing.
Telepresence robots can permit remote access for auditing personnel, allowing more frequent internal oversite without the associated travel cost and complexities.
For many manufacturers, international collaborations represent a major portion of their revenue. As a result, frequent trips allow consultants, clients, and suppliers to meet and talk. Telepresence robots can enable facilities to invite visitors from all over the world to show off their location without travelling or to account for safety considerations of occasional visitors. For sites that are frequently visited via telepresence robots, the incorporation a of QR-coded 'tour' within the facility, which may be scanned by the Double Robotics Double 3 on demand, allows remote visitors to view additional information at their own discretion.
When a floor supervisor is in charge of many locations, moving from one location to the next might take up a significant amount of their time. telepresence robots allow you to avoid making actual visits without interrupting production or order processes, such as validating inventory, monitoring assembly or preparation procedures, and delivering precise manufacturing or purchase instructions. as we've seen in many of our case studies, multi-site corporations and those with multiple buildings are frequently confronted with communication issues.
Telepresence robots allow:
Telepresence robots can integrate with your current security systems, occupying a space between CCTV and in-person security inspections. Security staff can maintain a presence on the factory floor without leaving the main security control room, with the ability to observe operations and converse with staff as necessary. The telepresence robot's screen may be set to a standard 'Security Team' screen rather than displaying a video feed of the officer's face.
When it comes to onboarding new workers and running a team as a whole, there are several difficulties, especially when telecommuting is taken into account. Managers must be resourceful in order to maintain teamwork and encourage communication among team members.
Here are a few ideas on how to use telepresence robots to help with training:
Telepresence robots are a versatile tool with many benefits for manufacturing companies. By allowing you to be present without being physically present, they improve communication and problem solving while saving time and money.
We hope this article has helped you understand the potential of telepresence in the manufacturing industry! Test drive a robot by booking a time that suits you at this link, or contact our team to organise how you can try this technology for your organisation.