How Drones Are Changing The Ways Companies Do Business

January 26, 2021 Brenda Vollman

When drones first arrived on the scene, they were looked at as nothing but fancy toys. However, as they started to be used by the U.S. military, many companies began to see the potential in using drones for many different applications.

As a result, drones are now in use by companies in various industries and are changing the business world in ways never imagined only a few years ago. While drones are now being put to excellent use throughout the modern business world, here are some of the most impactful ways in which they have changed things for the better.

Medication Delivery

In the U.S. and other nations around the world, tethered drone systems are being used to help deliver medications to patients in rural and other outlying areas. Whether a hospital requests a new medication for a patient or it is someone who needs a prescription refilled, drones can get the medication to even the most difficult of destinations in a safe and quick manner. Since they require no runways like airplanes, they can be guided into difficult terrain that would otherwise be inaccessible. In addition, they are much easier to maintain, making them very cost-effective for most businesses.

Eye in the Sky Security

For many retail businesses and other large facilities that may have buildings and employees scattered over a sizable area, drones are becoming very useful in the areas of security and surveillance. Since shoplifting and employee theft often result in higher prices for various goods, reducing or eliminating these problems can greatly impact a company’s bottom line as well as the wallets of their consumers. Because of this, drones are able to be integrated into existing security and surveillance systems to eliminate blind spots in parking lots, warehouses, and other areas, creating fewer and fewer areas where thieves can get away with their crimes. Also, since the drones are high-visibility objects, customers will realize a store’s property is being safely maintained, resulting in the store doing more business and increasing its revenue.

Quicker Delivery Times

Whereas only a few years ago getting an item delivered to your front door within a day or two was considered exceptionally quick, times have changed. Now that drones are being used by major companies across the U.S., certain items can be delivered to a customer’s door in only an hour or two after the order has been placed. From jewelry and toys to other items that are small and weigh only a few pounds, drones are revolutionizing the delivery concept of businesses around the world.

Food Deliveries

As drones become more common within the business world, it is looking increasingly likely that your neighborhood pizza delivery driver will be replaced by a drone that can do the same thing much faster and more efficiently. Already being done in New Zealand by many major pizza companies, using drones can get the pizza to the customer faster due to being able to avoid traffic jams, road construction, or other obstacles. In the years to come, this concept is expected to be expanded to many other types of restaurants, especially since many more customers are fine with eating at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Insurance Claims

When homeowners file claims with their insurance companies, disputes almost always arise as to how much money, if any, should be paid out for damages. This is particularly true regarding claims related to storm damage since roofing and other parts of a home can be severely damaged. While insurance adjusters are often dispatched to inspect the damaged property in person, many companies are now using drones to accomplish the same thing. A quicker way to handle the claim and assess the damage, drones can get into hard-hit areas much easier than humans, which also allows the company to keep its employees safer by not having them go into dangerous situations. Used extensively for inspecting roofs and other areas, the unmanned systems and solutions tethered drone systems can send back pictures in real-time to adjusters, allowing them to analyze the damage and ensure there is no doubt as to how a claim should be processed.

Real Estate Sales

As the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many companies do business, it has arguably impacted the real estate industry more so than almost any other. Because of the pandemic, many buyers have had to make decisions on homes not by making in-person visits, but by what they have been able to view online. However, drones are about to take things to a whole new level in real estate sales. For example, when potential buyers make an appointment to view a property, the real estate office can simply use a drone to give them a 360-degree aerial view of the property. This, coupled with online pictures and videos of the inside of a home, give buyers a much better perspective of the property as a whole. According to industry statistics, real estate companies that use drones sell properties 32% faster than ones not using drones and sell 60% more properties annually.

Inventory Management

In large complexes that have massive inventories, drones equipped with special sensors can monitor inventory levels 24/7 and instantly alert personnel when certain items need to be reordered and restocked. Able to accomplish this enormous task much faster than humans and at a fraction of the labor cost, more and more companies are beginning to make this transition within their warehouses and shipping facilities. In doing so, customers can experience far fewer instances of products being unavailable, leading to larger profits for companies.

While drones are undoubtedly being used for many things never thought possible, companies everywhere agree that they have only started to scratch the surface of the many innovative ways drones can be put to excellent use. Whether it is delivering food or medication, managing inventory levels, or helping a real estate agent seal the deal on a property, there is no doubt that over the next decade, drones will become even more common within the business world.