The debate around automation in the workplace has long been framed as a binary: humans versus machines, jobs lost versus efficiency gained. However, Saurabh Agarwal, Managing Director, Unify Facility Management Pvt. Ltd’s 16 years of experience tells a different story. When implemented thoughtfully, technology does not displace human effort, it elevates it.
Unify’s operating philosophy has always been people-centric. Safety, Trust, Integrity and Respect are not just values that are displayed on a wall. They shape how the company hires, trains, and deploys their teams. That same philosophy governs how it approaches automation.
Every technology the company introduces into a client site exists to support the people, not to sideline them. In practice, this means autonomous systems take on high-frequency, physically demanding tasks such as mopping, vacuuming, and scrubbing large floor areas across warehouses, airports, manufacturing floors, and commercial real estate. These systems deliver consistency and endurance that no shift-based manual operation can sustain over time.
However, the real shift is not just in task allocation. It is in how workflows are structured. The company reconfigures workflows around its capabilities, ensuring that human teams and automated systems operate as a coordinated unit. Robots handle coverage and repetition, while human teams focus on quality checks, exception handling, client interaction, and service responsiveness.
This creates a hybrid operating model where machines bring consistency and scale, and people bring judgment and adaptability.
Competitive Edge
The business case for automation is often framed around efficiency. In reality, the more meaningful advantage lies in predictability and control.
In large-format facilities, one of the biggest operational challenges is maintaining uniform service quality across shifts, zones, and teams. Robotic systems address this directly. They deliver consistent output without fatigue, variation, or drop-off in performance. This has a direct impact on audit outcomes, complaint reduction, and overall service reliability.
More importantly, automation allows the user to move from reactive execution to planned and increasingly data-informed operations.
For instance, robotic systems regulate resource usage such as water, chemicals, and power far more precisely than manual processes. This not only improves cost efficiency but also supports sustainability objectives.
At scale, these efficiencies compound. Facilities experience fewer service gaps, reduced need for rework, and greater alignment with compliance standards, particularly in regulated environments.
The outcome is not just efficiency. It is operational predictability, the confidence that service standards will be met consistently without constant intervention.
Integration/Novelty
There is no shortage of automation solutions entering the facility management market. What is less common is disciplined adoption. The company has adopted technology not for visibility but for evaluating operational fitness, scalability, and measurable impact.
Increasingly, this also includes a data layer that provides informed decision-making. For example, cleaning deployment is not static. It evolves based on observed usage patterns, footfall density, and operational demands. Supervisors are able to make informed adjustments, ensuring that both machines and teams are deployed where they add the most value.
The company’s Building Management Systems, preventive maintenance programmes, and technical services provide a comprehensive view of each facility. Automation decisions are made within this context, ensuring alignment with overall performance objectives.
Equally important is knowing where not to automate. Certain environments remain too dynamic or require a level of human judgment that machines cannot replicate. In such cases, we continue to rely entirely on skilled teams.
The goal is never automation for its own sake. It is always the right outcome, delivered in the most effective way.
An Experiment
Mumbai’s Sky City Mall presented a challenge familiar to any FM operator working in high-footfall retail: maintaining consistently high cleanliness standards across a large facility without disrupting the visitor experience.
The company introduced multiple autonomous floor-care robots were into a structured, multi-shift operating model. During peak hours, robots navigate concourses alongside janitorial teams without disrupting movement or requiring area closures. Their routes and deployment are aligned with footfall patterns, ensuring optimal coverage during high-demand periods.
After hours, the same systems are used for deep cleaning cycles, enabling full-area coverage overnight.
The integration has been seamless. The machines are simple enough for frontline teams to operate, requiring minimal disruption to existing workforce structures. At the same time, supervisors retain control over deployment and quality outcomes.
The results have been consistent across key metrics:
- High and reliable coverage across all shifts
- Sustained client satisfaction
- Reduced variability in service delivery
- Improved allocation of human effort towards high-touch tasks
An unexpected outcome has been customer engagement. Visitors, particularly children, have responded positively to the presence of robots, integrating them into the mall experience rather than viewing them as an operational intrusion.
Looking Ahead
The future will be increasingly data-informed, with systems that support predictive decision-making and continuous improvement. At the same time, the role of human expertise will become more critical, not less.
For the company, the foundation is already in place. The focus now is to build on that.