Collaborative Robots at Work

collaborative robotRobots, yes - but cobots? The term 'cobot' is a portmanteau of  "collaborative robot", a robot designed for human interaction. Traditional industrial robots would typically be isolated from humans for safety reasons. Cobots operate alongside people within the same space.

Collaborative robots are promoted as being cost-effective, safe, and flexible to deploy. Cobots designed to share a workspace with humans make automation easier in a variety of applications, according to Universal Robots.

Robots that will be able to exist next to people in our homes, factories, and offices and navigate safely around us is seen as possible in the next 5-10 years.

Similar to industrial robots, cobots can automate manual processes but can also do jobs that humans don't want to do. What kind of jobs does that include? Tasks that are repetitive, tedious, dirty, or dangerous. So, injury reduction is one of the benefits of working with cobots. Strenuous lifting and repetitive movement are common workplace injuries.

Not to insult the humans reading this, but robots and cobots offer far higher levels of consistency than humans. That is a key benefit in tasks that require a high degree of precision.

The cobots we are using emerge tend to be more compact and lightweight than conventional robots. They are also more user-friendly and require fewer or no engineers or programmers to set up ad monitor operations.

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WFH - Work From Home

remote meeting

Photo by Anna Shvets

I have been seeing the abbreviation "WFH" used more lately. It stands for “work from home” which is work being done remotely, instead of at an office. Although many organizations transitioned their employees from the office to WFH during the Coronavirus pandemic, the WFH idea has not gone away. Both workers and employers saw advantages to remote work.

In my reading, I have come across studies that show productivity while working remotely from home is as good or better than working in an office setting. One article states that those who work from home spend 10 minutes less a day being unproductive, work one more day a week, and are 47% more productive.

Surveys of workers seem to indicate that from that point of view, the plusses to WFH include: 

  • the ability to flex work hours (but not decrease them in most cases)
  • gives a better work-life balance 
  • eliminates the cost and inconvenience of a commute 
  • no office politics 
  • less need for childcare (though not every parent can care for children and work)

In these same surveys, it seems that many of the minuses fall into two levels. Workers either feel something is missing entirely, partially or just not as effective as when they are in the office.

  • less or less effective or no collaboration
  • less or less effective or no mentoring
  • Let's face it, despite office politics, the office is also a part of many workers' social life. I met my wife at work and many of my friends too. Online TGIF happy hour just isn't the same.
  • It is harder to understand the "corporate culture" and feel like part of an organization when you are at a distance. Some people feel "disconnected" from their employer and fellow employees.

These are broad answers and every job has its own unique plusses and minuses. A salesperson who is used to making in-person contact with customers and potential customers might actually miss commuting to meet them and might find that sales are better in a face-to-face meeting. Not everyone has the equipment they need to do their work from home. The people we labeled as 'essential workers" during the pandemic's worst days probably have no option to work from home now.

According to the 2021 State of Remote Work Report from Owl Labs, 2021 was the year the world stayed remote, and 90% of the 2,050 full-time remote workers surveyed said they were as productive or more productive working remotely, compared to when they toiled in the office. A Forbes article is headlined "Remote Work Is Here To Stay And Will Increase Into 2023, Experts Say."  

In education, a NY Times article is similarly headlined "Online Schools Are Here to Stay, Even After the Pandemic," though the sub-heading is "Some families have come to prefer stand-alone virtual schools and districts are rushing to accommodate them — though questions about remote learning persist." I know colleges that are still offering more online sections than before the pandemic. Partially, it may be because the investment was made in the technology so "let's get some use out of it." Students - and more importantly, faculty - who had not worked online may have found it to be better than they expected with some of the same plusses are above.

The push for K-12 schools to go back to "normal" was much greater than the push for higher education. Though K-12 school districts also made the shift with technology, it might only be used now for special situations (weather-related closings, absent students, parent content, professional development etc.)

To make a K-20 generalization, there is greater hybridization of earning now than there was pre-pandemic. That may also be true in the workplace.

Do You Want To Be a Solopreneur?

solo
  Photo via Pexels

I'm seeing more mentions of "solopreneurs" and reading about some success stories about them. What is a solopreneur?
It is an individual who is both the owner and sole employee of a business. If the idea of "working for yourself" is appealing, perhaps you already fit the definition. The term is new but the idea of a one-person company is not new.

Entrepreneurs sometimes start a company solo but then expand and might even sell the business. A solopreneur does not have those goals. I knew people in my neighborhood who were solopreneurs in the trades - carpenters, mechanics, hairdressers, home healthcare workers etc. They liked the flexibility of self-employment. In fact, they would have called themselves "self-employed."

Why are solopreneurs getting attention now? The pandemic probably played a role in having people reevaluate what’s important to them, at work and at home, and consider being their own boss. One difference today is that this might not require the kinds of overhead costs that jobs in the past required. In other words, the kinds of careers that solopreneurs are going into now often have minimal overhead costs.

An article at experience.dropbox.com looks at a dozen solopreneur business types with some advice on how to get started. These are plumbers, landscapers or other self-employed opportunities.12 of the best solopreneur business ideas you could start today. Here is their list of popular possibilities.
  1. Blogger
  2. Content Creator - Video & Podcasting
  3. Graphic Design & Photography
  4. Copywriting
  5. Dog Grooming & Dog Walking
  6. Consultancy
  7. Personal Trainer
  8. Web Developer, Software Developer, or Mobile App Developer
  9. Virtual Assistant
  10. Events Planner
  11. Artisan, Craft Designer, or Etsy Seller
  12. Dropshipper

https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/solopreneur

https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/startup/what-is-solopreneur