Should Your Business Create a Drone Program?
Should Your Business Create a Drone Program?
Drones are changing how we do business. Forbes calls drones a ‘transformative technology’ and we can certainly see why. They have been making processes efficient and safer in industries that range from construction and mining to insurance. A survey of 1,736 individuals found that 92% found positive returns on their drone investments within a year of implementing an enterprise drone program. Drones can also add an element of fun, something not always associated with the serious nature of business. With safety, efficiency, quick ROIs, and fun with cool new tech as outcomes, it can seem like a no-brainer when it comes to implementing a drone program for your business. However, there are several considerations that need to be made.
What you need to consider before implementing a drone program
As with any program a business implements, you need to think about the costs. A thorough cost-benefit analysis is the first step. While the process of implementing new ways of carrying out your business operations can be exciting, you need to make sure that you gain actual results and savings by implementing a drone program. For example, if your business needs to gather pictures, it can be worth your while to see if there are other ways that the pictures can be obtained like through phone cameras or wearables. However, if your findings show that drones can add to operational efficiency, a better quality of pictures, and increased safety of your personnel, it might be time to seriously start considering an enterprise drone program. In short, you need to ask the following questions:
- What problems will a drone team solve?
- Will I get the data I need from the drones?
- What will my business save in terms of time, effort, risks, and money?
- What are the risks and costs involved in starting the program?
Consider a test run with a drone service provider
You can always (ahem!) pilot a scheme with a Drone Service Provider (DSP) who carries out a few jobs for you to evaluate the success of using drones on the field. While using a DSP may work for one-off jobs, they may not be a long-term solution for your business depending on the amount of work as well your business niche.
Involve various stakeholders in the decision-making process:
A drone team shouldn’t be set up, just because one person thinks it’s a great idea. Your drone program will require a considerable amount of support from different levels in the organization. Involving them right from the start can ensure that everyone sees the value of adding such an enterprise to your business. Making sure that the top-level executives buy into the project can help guarantee the success of your drone project.
On the other hand, involving field staff can also bring to light new opportunities for using drones to gather data you need on the field. Involving HR, accounting, and other relevant departments will make sure you get the specific information needed to build your drone team. It will also encourage the cross-functional collaboration necessary to implement your drone project.
Once you have decided on starting a drone program, it’s time to get your team of drone pilots trained. At Coastal Drone, we have helped hundreds of companies go through the progression of starting and growing an in-house drone program, offering bulk pilot training, compliance solutions and remote pilot services. Learn more about our enterprise services here or get in touch with us with any queries. We’re always happy to help!
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Learn what it takes to get a drone pilot certificate! Also included is some great information about where the drone industry is going.