from the editor
opinion
Four ways robots will transform retail operations in 2021
Disruption brings opportunities On March 5, South Africa marked the anniversary of the country’s first confirmed COVID-19 case. During the following twelve months as the pandemic took hold of the country, job losses followed, companies closed down and the economy was crippled. However, disruption often brings opportunities and the past unusual and challenging year highlighted the essential role of cleaners as frontline staff. In addition, the global pandemic offered cleaning companies and suppliers a crucial moment to reflect and examine their operations. Increased sales of cleaning products and personal protective equipment (PPE) exceeded traditional manufacturing capacities and new opportunities for manufacturers to enter the retail market were created overnight. New opportunities have also arisen with the creation of training programs focused on how to reopen buildings for occupancy after quarantine and how to socially distance in a facility to help reduce the chances of spreading COVID-19. Infection prevention through cleaning and disinfection is now a requirement and will remain critical in ensuring facilities are clean, healthy and safe from infectious diseases. While the new challenges brought about by the pandemic are complicated, it is ultimately up to the professional cleaning industry to help provide the tools needed to tackle it in the most effective manner. The relevance of cleaning should never be relegated to a grudge purchase again. By working together the increased value of cleaning in enhancing the frontline of public health should now become the “new normal”.
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African Cleaning Review May/June 2020
Robotics deployment in retail environments has seen steady growth over the past couple of years, demonstrating not only their value and efficacy but also delivering a solid ROI.
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he COVID-19 health crisis has accelerated this trend, so much so that in 2021 technologies such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) will begin to have a transformational impact in the retail sector, according to Michel Spruijt, VP & General Manager of Brain Corp Europe. Below are four predictions for how these advanced technologies are positioned to help shape the retail landscape in 2021 and beyond.
period in 2019, generating an estimated 2.4 million hours of productivity. Through these robotics deployments, retail workers were able to concentrate on more specialist cleaning tasks and other retail store operations including supporting customers. As these strategic values become increasingly validated, we expect robot deployments to grow even further in 2021.
1. R obots move from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’
While autonomous robots do deliver significant cost savings, their benefits go far beyond this. By carrying out manual, repetitive tasks, robots free up workers to focus on higher value tasks, including sanitising high-contact surfaces, restocking inventory, helping customers or even taking a much needed break. Robots also enhance brand value by acting as a strong visual demonstration of a company’s commitment to smart operations, cleanliness and general innovation. As more retail outlets deploy robots, we can expect to see the industry begin to adopt a new approach to evaluating innovative technologies using a more holistic interpretation of ROI.
Only a few years ago, robotic floor scrubbers, vacuums, and other self-driving machines that operate in dynamic public locations (including retail), were seen as a bit of novelty – an innovative solution, but not an operational priority. This attitude shifted as the health crisis made its way around the globe and acted as an accelerant for mobile robot deployments. As an increasing number of robots were integrated into retail operations, data supporting ROI could be tracked directly and the benefits of AMRs to retailers of all sizes was made clear. As cleaning was given heightened priority and focus, US retailers and grocers, including Walmart and Kroger, quickly increased their usage of autonomous scrubbers to support workers and enhance efficiency. According to Brain Corp data, the median usage of robotic scrubbers at US retail locations spiked by 14.5 percent during the first three quarters of the year compared to the same
2. Value of robotics moves beyond cost savings
3. Robotic data underpins and enhances operational performance One of the key (and often overlooked) benefits of autonomous robots is the ability of email reporting and cloudbased user portals to deliver near realtime usage data.
