People are beginning to worry about automation in the workplace. You often hear the concern that if workplace modernization keeps going at its current pace, there will soon be robots out there so advanced, they can replace us in the workplace and leave us unemployed forever.
These fears are unfounded in most cases. The truth is that the vast majority of us humans who have jobs are essential, and there’s very little risk of machines replacing us. Research from McKinsey and Company found that less than 5% of jobs can theoretically be automated using the technologies demonstrated today.
But here’s the real scoop: While machines can’t take away our jobs, they can most definitely improve them. Technology isn’t going to leave people unemployed – it’s going to make them smarter and more efficient than ever.
For example, consider the impact of reducing the amount of time you spend on simple, repetitive, manual tasks. According to Smartsheet data, over 40% of workers spend at least a quarter of their time at work completing such tasks. These include sifting through emails, collecting data, logging data, and so forth – tasks that aren’t really at the core of what we do, but demand our time and attention constantly, nonetheless. Tasks like these are where the rise of automation could be a major asset.
According to Forbes, modern technology has the potential to create a more human workplace.
“Technology changes how we work and can be a huge benefit,” said Jeff Weber, an executive vice president at Instructure. “It is incumbent on all of us to evolve and update our skills to match this advance. With the right preparation for this challenge, we can not only avoid much of the disruption, but actually use technology to get back to building relationships and strengthening the human connection that’s so important in positive workplace environments.”
In other words, if you automate simplistic manual tasks like data entry, you can free up more time to focus on the big things in the workplace – things like developing genuine relationships with people and fleshing out truly great ideas.
For most of us, our daily routines are full of simple, mundane tasks that we can practically do in our sleep. We send and receive routine emails; we collect numbers and enter them into spreadsheets. We upload files; we download files. We request updates, send updates, ask for approvals, give approvals, and so on. With all these simple tasks eating up our workday, it should come as no surprise that 70% of people say automation can help them reduce the time they waste on repetitive work, per Smartsheet. And once you do that, a whole new world of possibilities opens up.
At Zones, we offer a wide range of services aimed at helping you make your business more efficient. For retail businesses looking to improve the customer experience, we specialize in Advanced & Mobile POS solutions. For corporate offices that want to improve communications among team members all over the globe, our Video & Conferencing Design & Implementation might be the perfect fit. For any organization that wants to display information to large audiences, either internal or external, our Digital Signage experts can draw up a plan.
The business world is embracing technology quickly faster than ever – and we don’t want your organization to be left behind. Read more about our Workplace Modernization offerings and find out what we can do for you.
Zones
Zones : Nov 4, 2019 4:55:10 AM
