Avoiding the risk of a shortage of skilled workers with modern industrial robots

Once again, economists and industry associations paint a bleak picture: the job market is depleted, nearly all companies perceive the shortage of skilled workers as an economic threat. One tool that is particularly valued by an increasing number of professionals and managers in medium-sized businesses as a countermeasure: the introduction of robots into production.

Medium-sized companies: 90 percent see threat from shortage of skilled workers

The Family Business Foundation commissioned the ifo Institute to conduct a study on the topic of skilled labor shortage. The results have been available since September 2022: Almost nine out of ten companies feel the impact of the lack of labor. This primarily manifests in rising personnel costs and increased workloads. Over a third of the survey participants already see their competitiveness threatened by the shortage of skilled workers, and more than 60 percent perceive a growing risk to maintaining the value chain.

Such alarming messages are not unusual: The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA - Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbauer) recently stated the following: In April 2022, 90 percent of the predominantly medium-sized member companies experienced personnel shortages. Most severely affected: mechatronics, machining metalworking, and machine and plant engineering.

What expectations do companies have for modern industrial robots?

The situation may be unsettling, but it is not without a solution. This is thanks in no small part to the rapidly advancing development of innovative industrial robots. Because they can be integrated into the everyday production processes of companies of all sizes more easily, flexibly, and affordably, the crucial medium-sized enterprises in Germany also benefit.

It is precisely these Digital Robots that inspire more than half of the professionals and managers in small and medium-sized enterprises with hope. According to a representative survey by fruitcore robotics among more than 1000 SME employees, 57 percent state: The new generation of Digital Robots, which combines state-of-the-art hardware with intelligent and intuitive software, will help us combat the shortage of skilled workers.

"The complexity and cost of robots have been significant barriers until now. With the new digital robots, which are small yet powerful, require no prior knowledge to operate, and in some cases have already paid off within six months, solutions are now available that are tailor-made for medium-sized enterprises."

Patrick Heimburger, Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder of fruitcore robotics

The fruitcore study is not an isolated result. Robotics is now widely recognized as an important industry of the future, and industrial robots are attributed with significant advantages, especially by those who already work with them.

The most frequently mentioned expectations are:

• Modern and safer workplaces with fewer repetitive and/or risky tasks.
• Better results through accelerated processes and increased quality.
• Entry into automation and digitalization, providing an advantage over the competition.

Employee involvement is crucial for successful automation

It's not surprising that those who already work with robots professionally see them as a solution to the prevalent skilled labor shortage. On the other hand, those who haven't had such experiences with robotic colleagues tend to be more skeptical.

The solution might be quite simple in reverse: Having more robots in production halls not only helps alleviate the shortage of skilled workers, but it can also alleviate fears. Or put even more simply: Those who dare, win!

Common concerns include:

• Will I become obsolete to my employer if a robot takes over my job?
• Will automation be too complex and overwhelm me in a changed work environment?
• Is introducing industrial robots economically sensible for my company, or is it too expensive?

These are valid and important questions considering such a significant change. The management level should take this skepticism seriously, address it directly, and work together with the employees to dispel it. Digital Robots are not intended to replace experts and are extremely easy to operate. They also quickly prove to be a worthwhile investment, thanks to their flexible usability even for small batch sizes.

"I would always recommend involving the employees as early as possible. They should have a say in which tasks they delegate, which new ones are added, and whether a potential switch to a different position or further education makes sense."

Jens Riegger, CEO and Co-Founder of fruitcore robotics

It's also important to provide accompanying measures for professionals (such as training, retraining, or further education), as well as good planning and organization of future activities. After all, nobody wants to spend the whole day working with robots alone. Ensuring human contact is a task that every company can handle. With higher-quality tasks, wages and salaries could also increase, making the investment financially worthwhile for employees.

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