Improving Organizational (or Personal) Productivity

Abstract:  Technology is a very fast moving field in which I’m attempting to gain more knowledge.  This report will develop the notion that drones, which are an emerging field, could help productivity in a business.  I learned that currently drones are only used by a few government agencies (military, border patrol, police) as well as R.C. enthusiast.  There are many hurdles that need to be addressed before they can be used commercially, like FAA approval and government regulations defining how, where, and who can use them.  I found that there are many jobs that drones could do that would help in the safety, security, and time saving running of a business.

Context:   This report is providing me opportunities to learn about topics, like drones, that I had not considered and it is expanding my learning experience which will benefit me in my professional endeavors.  After completing this report, I should have a better understanding about drones and their potential to help productivity in business.  In the future, I might need to implement drones in my job field and this will expose me to the subject.

Introduction:  I always thought of drones as a remote controlled toy or something big that the military used for surveillance and weapon delivery.  Drones are becoming a tool that some businesses are considering to improve productivity in the workplace,  CEO Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com “estimates that delivery-by-drone, called Amazon "Prime Air," will be available to customers in as soon as 4-5 years.” (Rose, 2013)  While using drones in the workplace is in its infancy, there are many potential things they could do to improve employees’ productivity.  In this report, I will be doing research on what kinds of drones are available, how they can help us, and what might be their future in business.

Drones improve productivity: 

• First drones
• Drones now
• Drones in the future

The first drones: Drones were developed in WWI and WW2 as nothing more than unmanned aircraft designed to deliver explosives to a target without a pilot.  The use of drones stagnated for decades because of the development of rockets.  It would not be until the 1980’s and 1990’s that modern day drones would appear.  

Drones now: The present day drones that we are all familiar with started with the CIA’s use of them for surveillance.  They teamed up with the US military after 9/11 to arm them.  “The first known US drone strike against Al Qaeda operatives took place in Yemen on November 4, 2002. The attack was conducted by the CIA.” (Suebsaeng, 2013)  Drones are basically a remote controlled toy that is highly popular among RC enthusiasts today.  There are only a few entities currently using drones to improve their productivity, the U.S. Military, C.I.A, Border Patrol, and some Police Departments.

Drones in the Future: After we set up all rules and legalities of flying these drones, people will see them everywhere.  Businesses will use these drones in numerous applications such as “construction, firefighting, monitoring and repairing infrastructure, agriculture, search and response, Internet and communications services, logistics and delivery, filmmaking and wildlife preservation, among other uses.” (Manjoo, 2015)

Productivity Improvement at Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant:    I can see where drones could help productivity at this power plant by helping with security of patrolling the perimeter.  Drones could also be used to look for construction defects before you need to send workers into dangerous areas and could be used to retrieve parts and tools needed for these repairs.

Challenges Expected:  The challenges right now are great.  You need to get FAA approval to fly them.  “It is illegal in the U.S. to operate a drone for cash. That's the position of the Federal Aviation Administration — which is in charge of protecting air space.” (Shahani, 2014)  A plan would need to be developed on the parameters of their use, when they can be used, where they can go, how they are used, who can fly them, and an emergency plan in case something goes wrong.  Also, you need to address the fact that a drone is a flying computer you talk to wirelessly.  As such, it could be hacked.  “Practically all drones have computers and onboard logic, and for the most part are communicating with a control system through a communications channel.” (Kushin, 2014)