Computers endowed with intelligence and capable of learning new tasks and robots faster and more efficiently. Elements of a future that, in fact, are already reality and bring a simple question: is the market ready for these innovations? In an attempt to answer this and other questions, the study "Preparing for the Digitization of the Workforce" (Preparing for the Digitization of the WorkForce), carried out by everis in partnership with the British magazine The Economist, explores how these trends are changing the nature of work in the 21st century and how organizations are preparing for this revolution. The report interviewed 228 executives from companies in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
“The biggest trends presented in the study are the efficiency of robots and artificial intelligence. There is a huge demand in the market involving these innovations. They are proving that it is increasingly possible to efficiently perform tasks that were previously impossible to carry out”, highlights Rodrigo Catalan, an Information Technology specialist who leads everis' Business Process Outsourcing operation in Brazil.
New professional opportunities. Given this scenario, one of the points raised is that the digitization of the workforce takes place during a time of high demand for talent. The most common challenge among respondents is the limited supply of skilled labor, a problem that the technologies analyzed offer a number of solutions, as 80% of respondents to this report believe that an organization's ability to utilize digital sources of work will be a key factor for your future success.
The search for more strategic needs. The study finds that more than half of companies have created a strategy to address the digitization workforce, but less than a quarter of them have adopted it. The impact of work digitization is on the corporate agenda, but while a total of 58% of respondents planned a strategy that encompasses work digitization, only 23% actually implemented it. Some common barriers include a lack of technical expertise, struggling business processes to make changes, and an unwillingness to innovate. This does not mean that they are not being used, on the contrary, they are just not being used strategically.
Technologies will benefit markets in five years. The use of robots has allowed highly qualified professionals to focus their talent where it is really needed and in a more strategic way. On the other hand, according to the report, the lack of technical knowledge is the biggest challenge in the area. For 45% of respondents, the lack of understanding of new techniques and technologies is the main obstacle. When asked if the organization makes any use of robots in its processes, the resource is used by only 38%. The majority, 50% of those interviewed, do not use it or do not intend to use it in the future. However, for 48% of those who participated in the survey, over the next five years, one of the areas that will benefit most from the efficiency of this technology is manufacturing.
Still according to Rodrigo Catalan, with the emergence of new technologies and cost reductions in hardware, three important trends related to the efficiency of the use of robots can lead intelligent companies to rethink their use: “The first, with the use of industrial robots to carry out of different tasks leaving the factory environments and working, for example, in hotels or restaurants. The second, with the use of more efficient clouds, which allow the use of robot hardware connected to a server to coordinate hundreds of other robots in huge warehouses, for example. And the third, with the use of robots outside industrial environments, as in the self-driving car project, drones and exoskeletons, which are clear examples. There is also a new wave of products, such as the personal robot Jibo, that promise to change the way we interact with the world”, he concludes.
According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), robot sales reached 178,132 units in 2013, by far the highest level ever recorded in a year. In 2014, they increased by over 27%, to an estimated 225,000 units.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already widespread in the business world. The survey reveals that 43% of respondents say their organizations are making some use of this technology. The most common application today is in data analysis. Regarding this area, the study reveals that around 65% of companies intend to apply AI, as recent innovations have helped companies to extract knowledge and learn from the growing volume of data they collect. Respondents also see AI as a tool to help professionals be more productive.
“Companies from all sectors will benefit from the use of these technologies, the financial sector, for example, has great opportunities in this scenario, since it is a sector that has a significant number of qualified professionals performing low value-added tasks, but which are fundamental to institutions. Some companies have already used AI-based applications to understand their customers, recommend or suggest solutions relevant to their needs”, explains Catalan.
Important points to consider in the future. In the coming years, companies will need to start studying new possibilities and analyzing who is already reaping the benefits of digitization so they don't fall behind, as cognitive technologies and the use of robots have become increasingly accessible and less costly, significantly reducing barriers to productivity and innovation; the workforce of the future also needs to start thinking, in terms of the skills that will be needed to be aligned with the strategies of growth and expansion of the business.
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