81 episodes
A skeleton part-timer service for small businesses that was introduced on a trial basis only in Gunsan City.
As this service was aimed at the presidents who failed to find employees, the skeleton rental cost was rather expensive considering the installation cost.
“What is your reaction?”
At my words, Center Director Baek Sang-ho said, scratching the back of his head with a bewildered expression.
“Honestly, I have a lot of complaints. The price is high, but the job is not good.”
“Of course it is.”
This had to be overwhelmingly more difficult than the factory in terms of the difficulty of the work.
Unlike factories that repeat the same movements on the same line, stores have different structures and sales systems, so the types of work that one skeleton must do are enormous.
Even convenience stores, which are relatively easy, do not have one or two tasks that require an algorithm, such as cleaning, arranging 50,000 products appropriately, and calculating at the same time.
“Still, as programmers get used to it and data accumulates, it will get better and better.”
“Then I’m happy.”
However, as Baek Sang-ho said, as data accumulates, it will be resolved automatically.
After all, part-time jobs are centered on simple repetitive tasks, so once the basic algorithm for each task, such as calculation or display, is established, it can be applied according to the structure of the store.
“Anyway, this is a good return.”
Skeleton was put in to solve the manpower shortage, but the income was surprisingly substantial.
In the first place, they made money by using cheaper labor than people of skeletons, but the maintenance cost of skeletons put into part-time jobs is rather more expensive than people.
Thanks to this, the rate of return per skeleton is quite high.
I said with my eyes shining.
“If we expand to small and medium-sized businesses here… hey, it’ll be great.”
Since it’s an empty house and you’ve taken care of it to this extent, there’s no problem with it, how good it is.
Besides, since the maintenance cost is higher than the skeleton loaned to the existing partners, there will be no complaints from the partners.
I said looking at Baek Sang-ho.
“Anyway, let’s take this opportunity to make sure the algorithm is reinforced.”
Unlike the skeletons that have been rolling in the factory so far, the Alba skeletons were mainly in charge of tasks closely related to real life.
Cleaning, placing simple items, and interacting with people for money or cards.
Of course, it’s a job I’ve never done before, so it’s inexperienced, but as soon as data is accumulated and fully adapted, the scope of use of the skeleton will increase even more.
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Maybe in the process, I might find new business items that I hadn’t thought of.
“Okay, Chairman. We will take care of it for sure.”
“I will only trust Center Manager Baek.”
*
A skeleton wearing a convenience store uniform opens a box of sweets, takes out sweets, and displays them on a shelf.
At that time, when the customer hears the bell, the skeleton bows politely to the customer and proceeds with the display work again. When the customer picks up all the items and presses the call bell placed in front of the counter, the skeleton walks towards the counter.
Then, after arranging the products that customers have placed, one by one, they find and scan barcodes and point to the amount written on the screen.
When the customer who has confirmed the amount like this shows the card, the skeleton receives the card and proceeds with the calculation.
Seeing this, the store owner continued to nod his head and said:
“I’m fine now.”
The owner of the convenience store, who first hired a skeleton part-timer in doubt, immediately regretted it.
Contrary to what I thought, the skeletons were so stupid.
A human employee can take over with just a few words, such as what is here and what is there, because the skeleton had to teach them all from the very beginning.
But as time passed, the situation gradually changed.
An employee of Ceron, who received 1 million won as an installation fee, visited from time to time saying that it was not completely installed yet, and modified the algorithm.
One of the methods devised was to have the customer ring the call bell to make the skeleton recognize the customer who wants to pay.
Thanks to this, the skeleton, who at first stopped what it was doing just by standing at the counter to watch, and headed to the counter, now clearly timed and counted.
In addition to that, when you need to communicate with customers, such as earning points or discounts, Ceron’s staff and convenience store owner mobilized various methods, such as handing out a card with appropriate words or setting a plastic bag to hold items in advance.
With the cooperation of the citizens of Gunsan, who adapts to this changed system without any major complaints, now the skeleton alone handles convenience store work quite plausibly.
The store manager mumbled in a low voice.
“It feels like a robot vacuum.”
At first, even if there was only one towel on the floor, a robot vacuum cleaner that sucked it in and then squeaked to test people’s patience.
However, just as a person can adapt to the robot vacuum and set the inside of the house so that the robot vacuum cleaner can move well, the skeleton is completely freed from cleaning after that, and the skeleton starts to move efficiently when the convenience store system is adjusted to the skeleton.
At that time, Seron’s programmer came in with a console as he opened the convenience store door.
“I have come.”
After seeing it often, the store owner said that the programmer, who was now familiar with it, appeared.
“Are you here?”
“How is it?”
“Now it’s really useful.”
At that, the programmer nodded and said.
“That is fortunate. Phew, to be honest, I’m just saying this now, but it must have been a lot of trouble because it was my first job, so thank you for your understanding.”
“haha. Is that so?”
“Anyway, then I’ll check again.”
Then he picks up an item, approaches the counter and rings the bell.
Then the skeleton came up again, calculated the amount, and the moment the programmer said,
“refund.”
Then, after scanning the barcode again, the skeleton proceeded with a refund.
The programmer who saw it continues the test.
“Calculate this. Oh, I changed my mind. Of these, count except this and this.”
A programmer who has tested the number of cases that can be thought of.
So said the programmer who finished all the tests.
“It seems that most of the situations in which payment is made with a card can be dealt with. Cash still has a long way to go.”
“It doesn’t matter. Because everyone doesn’t carry cash these days, and when Skeletons are working, it’s written on the door of the convenience store that only card payments are accepted.”
“Good job. Anyway, when the skeleton can’t solve it on its own, an emergency call will go to the boss, so if you respond well then there won’t be any major problems.”
“It’s nice to have that.”
“Then I don’t think I need to stop by every day, so the installation was finally finished as of today. Do you agree?”
The boss nodded and said.
“I agree. To be honest, I was worried about what would happen if I paid 1 million won and installed it roughly, but I didn’t know that they would look after it so thoroughly.”
Then the programmer laughed.
“Our Seron can’t do that, right? Anyway, I will only be visiting once a month from now on, so if you want to make a change, please tell me then.”
“All right.”
“Oh, and I was told to do some satisfaction surveys. Are you satisfied with the skeleton part-timer?”
“The price was high and it was bad in the beginning, but I am satisfied now…”
“Are you thinking of canceling your Skeleton contract if you can get a human employee?”
Then the store manager thought about it for a while and said,
“Honestly?”
“Yes, you have to be honest.”
“To be honest, I think I’ll just use a skeleton. I don’t have to quit suddenly, and I can adjust my working hours to my liking. Of course, well… it’s a bit like giving a skeleton a night allowance.”
“I’m sorry about that. However, due to the issue of equity with human employees, it cannot be helped. Seron doesn’t want skeletons to threaten people’s positions.”
“I understand. I’m also a Gunsan citizen, so I don’t know. haha. After all, do you have human staff? Then I think I will use it as a manager instead of a part-time part-timer.”
“Are you the manager?”
“Yes, the skeleton has improved a lot, but I had to set up the plastic bag and have someone stop by once in a while to take care of the skeleton so that it can work well. So, there is no need to stay permanently, and I think a manager who will stop by once or twice an hour to take care of it or answer emergency calls for me would be perfect. Oh, so the labor costs are too high? Skeleton maintenance and manager’s salary… Anyway, that’s how I feel right now.”
The programmer said with a look of interest.
“A working skeleton and a manager who manages those skeletons. That’s good. Anyway, the satisfaction survey ends here. You have worked hard.”
*
Algorithms that are upgraded in real time according to the situation of each store over time.
Thanks to this, the bosses who complained at first are now mostly satisfied and have adapted to the skeleton part-timer.
However, a completely unexpected result was obtained from the satisfaction survey.
“The satisfaction level is higher than I expected.”
The price was deliberately set higher than that of human employees, but it is because the economy in Gunsan is so booming, the bosses are willing to bear that kind of cost.
He said it would be more convenient to just use a skeleton when using someone who suddenly quits or crashes.
At the same time, the story that came out was the manager.
A method in which a human manager is hired to manage the parts that cannot be covered by the skeleton.
I said with my eyes shining.
“Is this perfect?”
This is exactly what Seron is aiming for.
Skeletons work and people manage.
Perhaps now is the best time to introduce such a system, which is experiencing a manpower shortage?
“You’re the manager…….”
I was thinking of balancing the skeleton part-timer and human part-timer by setting the skeleton’s maintenance cost high, but in this way, the industrial structure of small business owners is completely reversed.
Originally, there was a boss and a lot of part-timers under him worked alternately, but this is divided into three stages: the boss who owns the store, the manager who manages the parts that the boss cannot manage, and the skeleton who works at the site. count.
“okay. That’s right, a natural cycle. But in order for this to work, the skeleton maintenance cost needs to be reduced, right?”
Previously, you only had to pay the salaries of part-timers, but now you have to pay the manager’s salary in addition to the expensive skeleton maintenance.
However, if the maintenance cost is lowered than that of people, there may be cases of abuse in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are different from those of small business owners.
I thought for a while and said.
“Let’s introduce it step by step.”
First of all, for small business owners, as they said, they balance the maintenance cost by reducing the maintenance cost to induce the hiring of managers.
And the next target, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a shortage of manpower, maintain the same high maintenance costs as before.
It is to find the optimal position where the skeleton and the person can coexist by testing sequentially like this.
After organizing my thoughts, I called Kim Deok-bae.
– Yes, Chairman.
“Please reduce the maintenance cost of small business owners. And they hire a manager and guide them in a way that manages them. And it seems that the small business test is almost over, so now recruit small and medium-sized businesses that are experiencing a manpower shortage in Gunsan.”
I said with a bright smile.
“Let’s proceed to the next test.”
*
Small business test followed by small business.
Naturally, the result was successful.
Unlike small business owners in the first place, SMEs are small, but in the end, it is no different from how Ceron ran factories.
Of course, unlike the small business owners who induced the manager to be hired by adjusting the maintenance cost, SMEs were dissatisfied with the slightly higher maintenance cost than humans. quickly faded away
Seron successfully filled the manpower shortage in Gunsan City by using the skeleton.
“Yeah.”
Thanks to this, Skeleton generates significant profits.
This time, about 3,000 skeletons were deployed in Gunsan-si, 1,000 for small businesses and 2,000 for small businesses.
However, since these skeletons each receive the minimum hourly wage, and among them, there are skeletons who work 24 hours, the average monthly income is close to 4 million won per machine, and the income earned from 3,000 skeletons alone is 12 billion won. Excluding the maintenance cost and programmer labor cost, the net profit was close to 9 billion won.
Of course, you might think that it is not a big deal because the sales of other affiliates of Ceron are so high, but the point here is that the 9 billion came from only one city in Gunsan with a population of 260,000, and it did not even apply to all industries.
“Korea’s population is 200 times larger. Then 1.8 trillion won a month with this alone?”
There is a shortage of manpower here, but considering the industries excluded from the test, the amount will be higher.
“This is surprisingly playful.”
We have thoroughly ignored small things that only medium-sized companies were accepted as partners, but it is huge because small things are gathered together, right?
I said with my eyes shining.
“We need to introduce energy purchase booths elsewhere as soon as possible.”
This will cause a manpower shortage due to energy sales revenue.
In addition, as the energy market linked with Protégé products has recently grown, it is even better because there was a controversy over discrimination in areas where energy booths were not installed.
“When there is money, there are fewer people to work for, and when there are fewer people to work, the skeleton takes over. Isn’t that the perfect cycle? Okay, now, beyond Gunsan-si, to Jeonbuk… huh? Wait a minute.”
Then a problem came to mind.
That is Seron’s manpower shortage.
“Can we just be our programmers now?”
Stores don’t always sell the same things, so you have to send programmers periodically to manage them.
“Even if it’s not, it’s the way programmers now work in factories and go out to deal with when they have free time. But what about the national scale? This is not going to happen.”
If that’s the case, it would be better to separate them into affiliates and recruit a large number of programmers who are exclusively dedicated to this task.
But the problem with this is that programmers’ salaries are never low.
As Seron rose to the ranks of large corporations, the salaries of programmers also rose exponentially.
“On average, factories need one programmer for every 100 skeletons. However, this means that the number of skeletons that can be handled will be much smaller because you have to visit the store and walk around, and the settings are different for each store.”
Of course, the more money you make, the more labor costs will be covered, but do you have to arrange programmers in all regions of the country to do overtime work and even manage them?
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Moreover, once a programmer is fully established in the area, it cannot be arbitrarily deployed elsewhere.
Because the store that a programmer worked in knows best with that programmer.
“Wow, this is not normal.”
I got up from my seat and walked around the president’s room and said.
“How do you hire and manage all those programmers yourself?”
Circulation arrangement is difficult and you have to manage each store yourself.
Seron, a large corporation, is too inefficient to take care of everything directly.
That’s when I thought about it for a long time.
“uh?”
The computer on the desk catches my eye.
“computer······.”
I looked at the computer and thought of my job as a programmer.
“Nowadays, computer experts are everywhere, but it’s not like it was when it was first introduced.”
A situation in which the skeleton, which had only been rolled inside the subcontractors and Ceron, entered another store or company for the first time in the form of employment.
This means that the so-called entry-level skeleton is being sprayed.
What was it like when computers first came out?
“At first, I was mostly blind. That doesn’t mean that computer company employees visited customers one by one and taught them all the functions one by one.”
At that time, computer shops that repair computers and computer academies that teach how to operate computers appeared in random order.
Of course, people took advantage of what they didn’t know about computers, so they took advantage of it, so they didn’t recognize it, but thanks to them, computers spread faster and could be completely incorporated into people’s lives.
“Computer academy and computer shop. Ohh?”
We are not only supplying skeletons, we are also supplying control methods.
Then, if you rent a skeleton control console and leave it to the market flow, wouldn’t it look similar to the early days of computer distribution?
Computer manufacturers only make and sell computers, and other minor repairs are done by nearby computer stores.
“After all, when money comes in, people flock to it. Let’s do it.”