There haven’t been many times in recent history when technology has caused so many disruptions in such a short period of time. The massive earthquakes produced by the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are causing both excitement and turmoil for organizations and society.
It seems that with every viral piece of content that highlights shockingly impressive capabilities, many industries shake and questions about the future of work are rising.
Employees are understandably concerned about their future roles. It is a fact that some jobs will disappear in the foreseeable future, many others will be deeply impacted, and new ones will be created as needs change.
In this article, we want to go deeper into how workers’ lives are impacted by Intelligent Automation (IA). With all the tech jargon floating around, it is important to understand the differences between technologies. In a previous article, we explain in detail what Intelligent Automation is, and how it’s different from Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Firstly, Intelligent Automation is not necessarily new technology, at least not by what “new” means in tech. It has been widely used for several years by a wide range of industries, as part of their digital transformation efforts, with great success. Unlike artificial intelligence being released to the general public with effects that are difficult to predict, we know exactly what Intelligent Automation can do for businesses and why it’s being adopted at increasingly higher rates.
What is Intelligent Automation?
Think of IA as a conglomerate of different technologies rather than one. It incorporates RPA as a workforce of digital workers. These digital software workers do the heavy lifting, tirelessly completing repetitive tasks based on rules set by humans. IA also has a “brain”, which can be a mix of artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML), optical character recognition (OCR), and natural language processing (NLP).
These latter technologies enable Intelligent Automation solutions to handle not only structured, rule-based data sets, but also unpredicted changes and inconsistencies. Intelligent automation’s main goal is not to replace human workers but to make their work easier and more interesting.
Just like industrial robots have relieved people from the most physically demanding tasks, IA’s role is to help with large volumes of repetitive, low-satisfaction work. This creates various effects for employees. Here are five of the most significant changes.
Better decision making
The business decisions with the highest impact are made with full access to relevant data. Yet most organizations will have a substantial amount of unstructured data. Combing through it manually is time-consuming and carries a high risk of human error. Intelligent automation excels at data processing. It can gather and organize data with minimal risk of errors in a fraction of the time. Having quick access to clear data streamlines decision-making, ultimately improving organizational efficiency.
A stronger bond between people and roles
This may sound surprising, especially to people with higher levels of anxiety about the part technology will play in their jobs moving forward. Intelligent automation is known for building and restoring high levels of job satisfaction. The reality is that nobody really wants to spend hours or days doing low-qualification, low-satisfaction work repeatedly. It is a particular pain point for ambitious employees who are aware of the value they can bring to the organization. Companies with a reliable intelligent automation framework report higher levels of satisfaction among employees and better productivity.
There is a logical explanation. Once tedious tasks are removed with solutions like Atomatik’s Enterprise Automation Platform, workers can shift their energy, focus, and creativity to more meaningful work, ultimately finding it more rewarding. A classic example is in finance, where automating repetitive tasks like invoice processing, accounts payable, or accounts receivable can allow employees to do more strategic work like financial analysis, forecasting and management.
Better collaboration
Siloed teams that spend long hours on routine tasks tend to communicate less with other functions. A poor communication flow can have downsides like low productivity and a difficult working environment. Automating these routine tasks can create more collaborative projects, therefore increasing productivity and the quality of the environment.
Better work-life balance
The discussion about the relationship between work and personal life has been significantly amplified in recent years because of two main reasons. One of them followed the effects of the pandemic lockdowns as work was taken at home completely. As the line between the two became blurred, the need for separation became obvious.
The second factor driving changes in this area comes from Gen Z entering the workforce and causing significant changes. Unlike previous generations, they are more protective of their lifestyle and their boundaries are more prominent. Intelligent automation supports a better work-life balance by shifting human roles from repetitive tasks to strategic ones. This effect, along with increasingly common flexible hours programs helps employees to better manage personal and professional responsibilities, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling life.
Upskilling and re-skilling
The growing implementation of intelligent automation has created a demand for new skills in data analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Companies are focusing on re-skilling initiatives to prepare their workforce for the future. This creates valuable opportunities for employees who are seeking to expand their careers and learn new skills that will help them navigate a fast-changing business landscape.
To sum up
Intelligent automation is reshaping many industries by making work easier and more efficient, boosting productivity, and empowering employees to deliver better results. It is also a powerful driver of employee satisfaction.
This list of benefits is by no means a closed one. Depending on each organizational structure, IA’s impact will differ. Still, it’s safe to assume that, if properly implemented, it can massively enhance the quality of life for employees and the company's overall operations.
These are just some of the reasons why automation initiatives are becoming increasingly widespread.
If you want to learn more about how Atomatik can help your business, book a call with our sales team.