Founder/CEO at InOrbit, a leading platform for AI-powered robot orchestration, and cofounder of Robot Operations Group.
AI-powered robots are becoming increasingly integral to operations across industries. Long-running macroeconomic, geopolitical and demographic trends, exacerbated by recent events, make automation and efficiency a key element of success.
For companies looking to be a part of this transformation, they must shift their mindset. Robots aren’t just equipment—they’re a vital part of the workforce. Just like human employees, robots require thoughtful management, coordination and strategic oversight to maximize their value to the organization.
From Tools To Teammates
Historically, industrial robots have been viewed as assets or plant equipment performing repetitive, defined tasks in manufacturing production lines, but this is changing quickly. Today’s robots are smart, autonomous and increasingly flexible. The modern enterprise landscape is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the increasing integration of sophisticated robots powered by artificial intelligence.
The combination of agentic AI (systems that can autonomously make decisions and act to achieve specific goals with minimal human intervention) and physical AI (systems that can perceive, understand and perform complex actions in the real world) allows definition and delegation of complex tasks to robots, which can then determine the best way to carry out those tasks. Robots come in many different forms and sizes, from simple carts or fixed manipulators to fully autonomous forklifts. Now, a new generation of humanoid robots that mimic humans in shape and their ability to walk and manipulate objects is rapidly moving from prototype to production.
These intelligent machines are no longer confined to traditional industrial settings but are becoming prevalent across diverse sectors, including pharmaceuticals, logistics, retail and healthcare. In warehouses, hospitals, hotels and factories, diverse robots work side by side with humans, handling tasks ranging from material handling to facility cleaning. This evolution is increasingly blurring the lines of how to allocate tasks to human or robotic workers, making traditional equipment management approaches inadequate. A better way to think of robots is as being part of the enterprise workforce.
Managing Robots In A Modern Workforce
Like their human counterparts, robots still need to be managed to become an effective part of the workforce. Robots need onboarding and orientation to learn facility layouts, just like human hires. Managers (often a combination of humans and AI agents) must schedule and assign robot tasks to match fluctuating operational demands. Performance monitoring and optimization—measuring throughput, uptime and efficiency—become as critical for robots as they are for human workers. Preventive maintenance can be seen as akin to employee healthcare, ensuring each robot operates reliably and productively.
Moreover, just as employees receive ongoing training, the capabilities of AI-driven robots are constantly improving. This requires collecting massive amounts of data, something that smart robots loaded with sensors are quite capable of producing. Data from the field is then used to fine-tune models to better adjust to the specific working conditions and roll out these enhancements seamlessly and safely, ensuring that robots get better at their job over time.
Managing robots effectively also requires sophisticated orchestration. Just as human teams rely on coordination to avoid conflicts and inefficiencies, robot teams must be carefully choreographed to prevent operational bottlenecks. In a busy warehouse, for instance, human workers and multiple robots performing different tasks—often from different vendors—need a unified system that ensures smooth collaboration, avoiding collisions and idle time.
This growing management complexity requires more than ad hoc coordination—it calls for a new class of systems purpose-built to orchestrate diverse robotic operations. Much like companies use workforce management platforms to oversee human employees, many enterprises are exploring or developing centralized systems that provide visibility and control over their robot deployments.
These platforms typically integrate with existing enterprise infrastructure—such as warehouse management systems and ERP software—to unify data streams and enable coordinated oversight. With this integration, organizations can monitor robot performance, analyze trends and make timely adjustments to maintain operational flow. If a robot encounters a problem, the system might automatically reroute tasks or flag issues for human intervention, minimizing disruptions.
As robotics scale across geographies and functions, centralized oversight also helps standardize best practices, reduce duplication of effort and support cross-site learning. Ultimately, the ability to manage robots cohesively—regardless of type, vendor or location—is becoming a critical enabler of sustained efficiency.
Three Steps To Building A Robotic-Ready Enterprise
If all this seems too much, here are three practical steps that every enterprise can take:
1. Make smart robots a strategic priority.
Align robotics deployment with business goals, involve leadership at the highest level and consider appointing dedicated roles—such as a chief robotics officer—to guide and oversee robotic operations. This ensures the integration of robots into the company’s strategic vision.
2. Invest in the right infrastructure.
A robotic workforce requires robust connectivity, cybersecurity and seamless integration with existing IT and operational systems. Infrastructure upgrades enable businesses to fully leverage the capabilities of their robotic workforce.
3. Engage strategic partners and build internal expertise.
Robotics technology evolves rapidly, and external specialists can provide valuable insights, best practices and support. Equally important is training human employees to collaborate effectively with their robotic colleagues, fostering a productive human-robot partnership.
Creating A Blended Workforce
Embracing robots as a workforce rather than mere equipment unlocks their full potential. Robots are tireless workers capable of performing dangerous or repetitive tasks, freeing human employees to focus on higher-value activities like creative problem-solving and customer engagement. They also generate detailed operational data that can be used to optimize physical workflows. Effective management ensures robots remain productive, coordinated and responsive to changing operational needs.
Ultimately, the goal is not to replace human workers but to build blended teams of humans, agents and robots, leveraging each other’s strengths to drive productivity. Companies that recognize the role of AI and robotics as an essential component of their workforce and manage them accordingly will be better positioned to thrive in an increasingly automated future.
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