A Manager's Guide to Robotics

Course Description

This course will introduce many of the concepts and metrics for management to consider when evaluating whether an investment in robotics is the right decision for the operation. The course begins by defining automation types and processes before exploring the business functions involved in making the decision to execute an automation enhancement. In addition to delving into pragmatic issues, this course also explores the strategic and ethical issues of replacing human workers with robots.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Identify the differences among automation, robotic process automation, and robotics
• Evaluate the differing business factors involved in adopting robotics
• Utilize the different methods for identifying uses for robots by their workspace, autonomy, and locomotion
• Assess how the field of robotics is influencing major industries today and tomorrow
• Identify the skill sets and other human resource issues that businesses will encounter as they adopt robotics
• Connect the business drivers for utilizing robotics with real-world ethical issues and strategies