Currently, the phrase “robotic process automation” is used to refer to the use of sophisticated computer software that automates rule-based processes without the need for constant human supervision. It is tough to be a human!
How will automation affect me? Let me count the ways…
Automation can impact your strategic direction in a variety of ways. In the hands of your competition, it may put a dent in your sales. In the lives of your customers, it may represent a change in expectations. Within your organization, it may have a negative impact on employees (you will need fewer of them) and a positive impact on the speed or quality of your processes.
Because technology changes at alarming speeds these days, your organization may need to follow trends a little more aggressively than in the past, and your next strategic planning session may require a little more time, effort, perhaps outside help to assess how your product or service creation or delivery needs to change to keep pace.
Endangered jobs list; who is on it?
Have you come across any lists of the jobs that are most endangered by machines? It is a growing one. If you operate a press or read a meter, chances are good that a machine will be doing the job someday. I am seeing a rise in the hotels where I stay giving me online check-in, reducing the need for front desk staffing. Smart Manufacturing reports that robotics automation is expected to grow 60% by 2022: http://smartmanufacturingseries.com/showfeatures/automation-seminars/
But before you get too excited about how much money you will save by replacing people with automation, know that Bill Gates and others are already talking about establishing a robot tax to offset the loss of jobs done by humans. Read about that proposal: http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2017/02/20/bill-gates-calls-for-robot-tax-to-offset-jobs-lost-to-automation/ Yep, we need to be sure taxes placed on human revenue don’t get lost just because a human being doesn’t have the job. It is a cold world, but it is reality. How will these positive and negative benefits impact your bottom line?
How are you incorporating technical change into your strategy?
As you review your current strategy and prepare the next iteration of your strategic plan, are you assessing the impact of possible and probable changes to the way work gets done in your industry? Are you looking at what your competition is doing with technology? Are you on top of the technical changes that might be coming your way? If you need a little help thinking about technology in this way, I invite you to take advantage of a free, no-strings 10 minute call to help you get started. Email me at mreynolds@breakthroughmaster.com to set up your call, or just call me at 816-622-8843.
Do you know how your customer base feels about technology in the use of your product or service? What about those millennials? Are their expectations going to be different?
If these considerations are not in your current strategy, consider assessing these in your next strategic review.