Technology has increasingly become an important part of the workplace, but in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, it will be a necessity for companies to continue being productive.
“In the long run, we will have to adapt to a new normal where covid-19 is part of life,” said Sanjay Gupta, vice president and India country manager at NXP Semiconductors. “The Internet of Things (IoT) will play an important role in this new normal and that will push its adoption in a lot of technologies that already exist.”
Tools such as touchless technology can help workers avoid commonly touched areas, such as facial recognition in place of fingerprint scanners and automatic hand soap dispensers in bathrooms. Some factories have even adopted wristbands that inform the user when they are too close to another person and thermal cameras to track the temperature of workers.
Software company Ramco Systems has developed a system that only grants a worker access to a building through facial recognition cameras and body temperature readings. If their temperature is high, the door remains closed and HR is alerted.
Certain factories are also looking into adopting more automation to boost the efficiency of everyday work operations, while allowing workers to enhance their skills to stay relevant and work alongside this technology.
“At every stage of evolution, technology automates some things and the human value adds to another level,” said Sanjay Srivastava, chief digital officer at Genpact.
