Autonomous cleaning robots can reduce repetitive work in retail, hospitality, healthcare and other customer-facing businesses. They also add connected hardware, software, accounts and remote support access that need to be managed as part of the business technology environment.
Know what is connected
Keep an inventory of the robot, charging dock, LiDAR and other sensors, control devices, mobile apps, cloud services and supplier accounts. Record ownership, network location, support contacts, update arrangements and what operational data is collected.
Protect access and separate systems
Change default credentials, use individual administrator accounts and restrict remote support to approved times and methods. Where practical, separate robot traffic from point-of-sale, staff, guest Wi-Fi and other critical systems.
Update safely and plan for failure
Use documented maintenance windows, confirm updates with the supplier and test normal operation afterwards. Limit physical access to charging stations and control devices. Prepare a response plan covering account compromise, suspicious network activity, lost equipment and safe shutdown.
Make the technology accountable
Review contracts, data collection, retention and incident-notification responsibilities. A connected machine should have a named owner and a clear place in the business continuity plan.
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