Enterprise
Should Your Business Create a Drone Program?
The questions worth answering before you buy aircraft, and the people who should be in the room when you do.
Drones are changing how we do business. Forbes calls them a transformative technology, and it is easy to see why. They have made processes more efficient and safer across industries ranging from construction and mining to insurance. One survey of 1,736 individuals found that 92% reported positive returns on their drone investment within a year of implementing an enterprise programme.
Drones also add an element of fun, which is not always associated with the serious business of business. With safety, efficiency, quick returns and genuinely interesting technology on offer, a drone programme can look like a straightforward decision. However, several considerations deserve attention first.
What to Consider Before You Start
As with any programme a business implements, start with the costs. A thorough cost-benefit analysis is the first step. Changing how you carry out operations is exciting, but you need to be confident the change produces real results and real savings.
For example, if your business needs to gather images, it is worth checking whether phone cameras or wearables could do the job. If your findings show that drones genuinely add operational efficiency, better image quality and improved personnel safety, then it is time to consider an enterprise programme seriously.
Four questions to answer honestly: What problems will a drone team solve? Will the drones actually give you the data you need? What will the business save in time, effort, risk and money? And what are the risks and costs of starting the programme in the first place?
Consider a Test Run First
You can always, ahem, pilot a scheme with a Drone Service Provider who carries out a few jobs so you can evaluate how well drones perform in your field. Using a provider works well for one-off jobs, though it may not be a long-term solution depending on the volume of work and your particular niche.
Involve the Right Stakeholders
A drone team should not be set up simply because one person thinks it is a good idea. The programme will need considerable support from different levels of the organisation, and involving those people from the start helps everyone see the value. Securing buy-in from senior executives in particular does a great deal to guarantee the project succeeds.
Involving field staff, meanwhile, tends to surface new opportunities for gathering data you had not considered. Bringing in HR, accounting and other relevant departments ensures you get the specific information needed to build the team, and it encourages the cross-functional collaboration the project will depend on.
Once You Have Decided
Once you commit to a drone programme, the next step is getting your pilots trained. At Coastal Drone we have helped hundreds of companies through the progression of starting and growing an in-house programme, offering bulk pilot training, compliance solutions and remote pilot services.
Learn more about our enterprise services, or get in touch with any questions. We are always happy to help.
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