- One in every twenty supply chain managers will oversee robots rather than human workers by 2030.
- Paradigm shift is driven by organsations’ growing focus on enhancing workforce capabilities supplemented by robotics, spurred primarily by labour shortages and escalating operational costs.
- However, robot management remains nascent, with limited frameworks available to guide the supervision of multifaceted robotic fleets.
Eighty per cent of individuals will interact with smart robots daily, and one in every twenty supply chain managers will oversee robots rather than human workers by 2030, According to Gartner.
The paradigm shift is driven by organsations’ growing focus on enhancing workforce capabilities supplemented by robotics, spurred primarily by labour shortages and escalating operational costs.
Chief Supply Chain Officers (CSCOs) recognise the strategic importance of investing in smart robots. However, a critical challenge remains: many organisations currently lack the internal expertise to fully capitalise on these sophisticated technologies.
Abdil Tunca, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner, emphasises the necessity for organisational structures that support the management of expanding robot fleets, highlighting the distinct managerial approaches required for robotic operations compared to human workforce management.
“The differentiation is especially important as fleets evolve from task-specific models to polyfunctional robots capable of navigating complex warehouse environments and performing diverse tasks.”
Robot management remains nascent
As robotic deployments grow in scale and complexity, he said that companies will progressively explore varied applications. Initially, small and specialised robot fleets are overseen by technical experts or engineers within narrowly defined functional domains.
However, as organisational reliance on robotics increases, a formalised management infrastructure becomes indispensable. Unlike human resource management—which benefits from well-established methodologies—robot management remains nascent, with limited frameworks available to guide the supervision of multifaceted robotic fleets.
While supply chain managers are not expected to possess in-depth engineering skills to build robots, Tunca said that developing a general technical understanding is critical.
“They must grasp the capabilities, interactions, and limitations of robots to effectively determine how robotic systems can address specific business challenges and to communicate these insights to leadership.”
For example, managing a mobile robot assigned to retrieve pallets stored at elevated locations within human-occupied warehouse zones demands acute awareness of safety considerations. Managers must allocate additional resources and time to navigate such complexities, ensuring task completion without compromising workplace safety.
Strong governance frameworks
To facilitate the transition to robotics management, Tunca said organisations should adopt several strategic measures.
“Establishing dedicated robotics competency centers can drive successful adoption and knowledge dissemination. Developing comprehensive warehouse automation strategies fosters a holistic approach to integrating robotics within operational workflows.
“Moreover, overseeing the entire robotics lifecycle—from knowledge acquisition through deployment, maintenance, and ongoing support—is essential. Strong governance frameworks need to be implemented to standardise robotics selection, contractual agreements, pricing models, and cybersecurity standards.
“The path to widespread robotics adoption is both promising and challenging, necessitating committed organisational support. Robot management, initially a specialised function within supply chains, is expected to integrate gradually into various departments and roles,” Tunca said.