Berry Mulder Bio

Berry Mulder is a robotics expert whose professional purpose lies in using technology to improve the execution of business processes – with a particular focus on helping teams integrate robotics solutions for the purpose of adding entrepreneurial edge and business value.
At Shell, Berry leads the Robotics Centre of Expertise – a group of industry experts whose main role is to incentivise and inspire Shell colleagues to consider how robotics can improve their own lines of business, whether through process automation, safety improvements, cost savings or carbon footprint reductions.

Find out more about Robotics in Shell

Throughout history, humans have created and adopted machines to help them work – driven by a need to achieve more in less time. This change is often met with fear that, eventually, people will no longer be needed in the workplace.

When it comes to robots ‘taking over’ the workplace, the World Economic Forum forecasts that 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in labour division between humans and machines.¹ But it’s important to highlight the difference between ‘replacing’ and ‘displacing’ a workforce.

In fact, many within the field of robotics would suggest that, only once there is a widespread understanding of how robotics and human employees can best coexist, will industry be able to get the most from their mechanical counterparts.

Myth 1: Robotics integration is quick and easy

The first of these myths is the perception that integrating robotics into the workplace is a simple process. This notion is largely the product of a wider misunderstanding of the nuances between household robots and industrial robots; but just because a robotic vacuum cleaner is easily installed to clean your home’s floor, that doesn’t necessarily mean deploying a robotic solution to perform factory-based tasks is equally straightforward.

One of the main reasons for this is the presence of external factors. Many industrial robots are designed to perform tasks either outside, where conditions can be unpredictable, or in complex indoor settings, where they are expected to operate 24/7.

These constraints obviously have ramifications for design – after all, even if an industrial robot is developed to survey an outdoor facility, if that happens to be in an oil and gas facility, then it must be built to be explosive-safe.

That being said, falling equipment prices are making many types of robotic capabilities more accessible. For example, robot arm prices have dropped 50% in the last decade⁴, while the cost of IoT sensors has fallen by nearly 200% to an average of $0.44.⁵

So, what exactly are the benefits available to forward-thinking business leaders? Well, that all depends on the approach taken, but robotics can effectively unlock improvements in almost every area of business, from safety and sustainability to cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

For Berry, a winning approach will always be rooted in open-mindedness and a learning mindset: “It’s a dialogue of change that you need to facilitate as a CEO. What’s the next generation skill pool that you need to tap into for your business goals, for example? And in this case, it just happens to be a hybrid model, with ‘man’ and machine together.”

With the right mentality in tow, the next step is to take practical actions. First by identifying eager staff, and then letting them identify where robotics can be integrated to make a meaningful impact.

For example, as safety is a priority, then perhaps the situation calls for surveillance drones that can either observe facilities remotely or that can be embedded on existing assets to augment an employee’s existing capabilities.

Whereas, emission- or leak-detection robots can combine these safety functions with added sustainability benefits, by helping to monitor a facility and detect anomalies before they become a significant issue, such as energy, material wastage or downtime.

And then efficiency and productivity come into play thanks to logistics or task-based robotics that can help streamline the 50% of tasks that are automatable using current technology, whether that’s cleaning, painting, inspecting or moving equipment.⁶

Ultimately, just as experts envision a future of robotic ecosystems helping business to automate and optimise industrial processes, Berry sees collaboration as an equally important part of decision makers’ toolkits: “we’re starting to see a lot more interaction between hardware suppliers and software providers for example, and in turn, even competitors are realising that they can learn faster, together, which is fantastic.”

And so, robotics continues to have an increasingly noticeable impact on the landscape of most industrial settings. But just how big this impact will be on each individual business depends on the extent to which its leaders embrace and encourage robotics usage.

“One major thing I’ve learnt over the last few years,” explains Berry, “is that it’s all about teaching and empowering the younger generation of the workforce. Get them involved – start small, aim big, and be open about your business goals. And then challenge your company experts to utilize their new digital tools in pursuit of those goals.”

Not only will this see a shift in the division of labour between man and machine, it’ll help to drive a generational change in the human side of a workforce – especially in industrial businesses where attracting young talent can be a challenge.

There is an exciting journey ahead. Industry has only just started tapping into the potential of robotics, in relative terms. And with 88% of worldwide businesses anticipating an increase in robotics investment, arguably, the best is yet to come.⁷