The application of automation was first coined by the automotive industry in 1946 to explain the increased use of devices on production lines. It was widely speculated as a process that would reduce the need for human personnel and the replacement of jobs by machines. This was hardly the case as was seen with the communication, service, and transportation industries. There are still tellers in the banks, despite ATM machines; we can quickly check in for a flight at the airport via a kiosk or meet with a ticket agent at the counter; and factories are full of staff monitoring the production processes while machines do the heavy lifting and assembling. Automation is embraced across all industries where predictable physical activities have been identified… and humans continue to hold a collaborative working role in each case.
Fast forward to the present. We are now seeing the rise of Hyper-Automation – the application of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to increasingly automate processes and augment human activities. At the core of hyper-automation is robotic process automation (RPA). RPA software revenue increased 63.1% in 2018 as businesses developed a “straight through” process in order to remain competitive. Businesses want to augment their workforce. They want to stay competitive while also evolving their technology footprint and driving customer service forward in a positive direction all while reducing costs.
Where does physical security fit into the hyper-automation movement? There are many repetitive tasks routinely performed by security teams on a daily basis. Being able to automate some, or many, of these processes allows leaders of security programs to capitalize on the consistent flow of accurate, actionable data that is brought into their operations centers. An augmented work force is now driven to stay ahead of the curve and personnel are offered development opportunities that make them more technologically advanced with a more marketable skillset that can manage the systems, speak to the technology for stakeholder buy-in and drive newer processes to positively impact the organization.
We have seen the evolution of security advance from officers checking a watch-clock, to electronic guard tours and now to virtual tours via the CCTV system. Our footprints have expanded from boots on the ground, to access management systems to an array of systems in place watching the interior/exterior and verifying those within. Now we see our advancements moving towards the robotic process automation where robotic sentries are now taking up the slack and live streaming data to our control centers.
Our security technologies will continue to advance as we work to secure our businesses and country. The question is, are you ready to advance with us? Learn more about Autonomous Security Robot technology by scheduling your own private virtual demo here.
