UPS testing drones for use in its package delivery system
The sign at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel on Friday, March 25, in Richmond, Virginia. Marriott International closed early Friday, September 23, on its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. ONE OF the world’s largest package delivery companies is stepping up efforts to integrate drones into its system.
UPS has partnered with robot-maker CyPhy Works to test the use of drones to make commercial deliveries to remote or difficult-toaccess locations.
The companies began testing the drones on Thursday, when they launched one from the seaside town of Marblehead. The drone flew on a programmed route for three miles over the Atlantic Ocean to deliver an inhaler at Children’s Island.
The successful landing was greeted by jubilant shouts from CyPhy Works and UPS employees on the island to witness the test.
“I thought it was fantastic,” said John Dodero, UPS vice-president for industrial engineering.
CyPhy Works founder Helen Greiner, who previously co-founded robot maker iRobot, said the drone tests with UPS allow her company to gather engineering and cost information and then work with UPS to look at where drones can add the most value to UPS’ extensive network.
WON’T REPLACE DELIVERY TRUCKS
Still, the robot maker doesn’t see drones replacing delivery trucks, bikes, buggies, or gondolas anytime soon.
“Drones aren’t going to take the place of all delivery, but there are places where you have inaccessible location, an emergency situation where the infrastructure is down, you want or need the package quickly. These are the areas where drones will be the best way to get a package to a location,” Greiner said. It’s not all clear skies for drones, though. Newly revised federal aviation regulations don’t permit commercial drones to fly over people not involved in their operations and require them to remain within line of sight of their operators at all times, effectively rendering commercial deliveries impossible. But those restrictions aren’t keeping drone-makers and their partners from racing to develop technology suitable for commercial deliveries while they work with regulators to tweak existing rules.
United Parcel Service Inc, based in Atlanta, isn’t the only company testing drones. Wal-Mart is testing drones it says will help it manage its warehouse inventory more efficiently, and Amazon.com is testing them for home delivery.
CyPhy Works Inc, based in Danvers, manufactures tethered surveillance drones capable of remaining airborne for hours while streaming reconnaissance data that can’t be intercepted, jammed, or spoofed. experience. Gather a number of high potentials of all ages from across your company and ask them: Are you encouraged to demonstrate strategic leadership skills?
Once you have them talking openly, go several steps further. The article recommends the following:
1. CONDUCT ‘FAILURE FESTS’
These are cross-organisational meetings to discuss decisions that led to poor outcomes. Usually, these episodes are never talked about openly, assuring their repetition.
Addressing these questions makes it much easier to pool theories into a coherent consensus. This inoculates employees from simply repeating the same errors.
Honda and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation both use this approach to great effect.
2. CREATE PROJECTS WITH OTHER STRATEGIC LEADERS
Pick out regular opportunities for these high potentials to support each other. If they are given the opportunity to meet and work with their peers to solve problems, you can benefit from their combined energy.
While this activity flies in the face of the military style of leadership – the norm in most organisations – it’s a great way to weed out poor ideas and strengthen the good ones.
3. GIVE THEM EXPERIENCES
Most of the skills potential strategic leaders need are learnt from actual projects, not in theory. Continuously expose individuals to opportunities which stretch their capabilities, helping them to build mental links between different parts of the organisation.
The combination of these three approaches gives new strategic leaders the right blend of challenge and opportunity. It’s a big mistake to think that all you need to do is keep them happy until their moment for promotion arrives. That’s old thinking which may have worked for you, but it certainly won’t work for them.
Instead, assign challenging assignments from the onset which gives them a chance to test their skills in the real world. If this steps on a few toes and disrupts the old paradigm of promotion-by-loyalty so be it. The company will still benefit. Just be ready to step aside at the right time so that you don’t become an obstacle to your company’s future.
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