Paper and nickel

Generations before us at some point referred to money, be it the euro, the dollar, the pound, etc., as paper and nickel because of how it is composed. This being so, in this edition we will look at the other side of the coin: inflation, robotization, and networking.

Japan, unlike the rest of the world, has been struggling with deflation (the constant fall in prices) for more than two decades. While the United States recorded an increase in consumer prices of 7.9% and the European Union 6.2%, in Japan it was only 0.9%.

The country of the rising sun faces two highly complex scenarios: a lack of consumption because its citizens are reluctant to pay higher prices, and an ageing population with no children to take over and no immigrants to take over, which according to Statista are only 2.3% of society, which leads to a lack of foreign labor.

At the same time, aging and the constant fall in prices mean that the population is saving more and more due to the fear that they will not be able to pay the costs with their pensions alone. So, lots of savings and little consumption says BBC.

In the previous edition, we mentioned Andrés Oppenheimer’s book Sálvese quien pueda (Every man for himself) in which he highlights the robotization of the workforce. So much so that at the beginning of April Amazon opened its largest warehouse in Australia, more specifically in Western Sydney, with 200,000 m² of space and 4 floors high.

The fulfillment center will create 1,500 jobs at different levels. In turn, it can store more than 20 million products and provide consumer support to 11,000 Australian SMEs around the country. All this happens 4 years after having arrived in the country with the installation of the first store and 10 years after the opening of the online store.

The following video shows how this warehouse works in practice:

The robotization of the fulfillment center lies in having different kinds of them, such as the low-rider, which is a low platform robot that carries stacks of containers to the employees, who take what you have ordered and send it to be packed. Along the same lines, there is Ernie, a robotic arm that selects a container and removes it from the shelf so that the conveyor can then take it directly to the worker.

The automation of routine tasks seeks to prevent work-related accidents and increase productivity. Previously, a worker had to go upstairs, search through different stacks of containers for the product and then take it to be packed. All these series of movements could hurt the employee because the boxes are not always within easy reach. Therefore, with robotization, Amazon is also seeking to increase risk prevention.

We know how important a good networking network is. So much so, that these weeks we have been reading the book by Cipri Quintas, in which he offers guidelines to follow to develop and consolidate good social relationships and thus enrich yourself both emotionally and economically.

Practicing networking with heart, kindness, empathy, and generosity opens the doors to success. Saying thank you, taking time to listen, putting your ego aside, helping things happen, avoiding toxic people, overcoming shyness, or making the most of new technologies are some of the keys that Cipri Quintas has used to improve personally and professionally, and that he shares with you in these pages designed to improve your social skills and be able to achieve everything you set your mind to.

Thank you for taking five minutes of your time.

See you in 15 days.

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