Business Automation Is the Future of Work – Harness the Power of the Human-Machine Symbiosis

Imagine walking into the office on a sunny Monday morning and being greeted by a team of robots determinedly working away at their assigned tasks. Unimaginable? You might be right. There’s no doubt that the future of work will be heavily shaped by increased business automation, in Australia and across the globe, but robots won’t be filling our offices quite yet. On the contrary, humans will always play a critical part in any successful business. Let’s take a closer look at why that is.

What is business automation?

In a nutshell, business automation introduces machines or software to organisations to take over repetitive tasks and processes that were previously handled by employees. Some machines, like AI-enabled recruitment technology, can even learn and improve further as they go along.

Business process automation is part of a triad of new technologies sweeping through organisations all over the world, alongside robotic process automation and AI-powered automation. According to a report by McKinsey Australia in conjunction with the McKinsey Global Institute, between a quarter and just under half of current work tasks in Australia could be automated by 2030. This development would lead to a significant increase in productivity and economic growth. The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science also noted that almost half of Australian jobs are susceptible to automation over the coming decades. Notably, though, these are largely lower-paid jobs held by less educated workers than their counterparts in roles with less exposure to automation.

What’s good about business automation?

Investing in automation can indeed be a sound choice for decision-makers. Here’s why:

• Increased productivity: Automated processes can churn out higher volumes than manual processing.
• Less margin for error: Making mistakes is part of being human; automation eliminates potential sources for error and expensive revision work.
• Improved collaboration: Companies with business process automation tools typically enjoy better and simpler collaboration across all their divisions and sites, as everyone has access to the same systems and data; this is especially useful in light of the increasing trend towards a decentralised workforce post-COVID.
• Consistent quality: Machines are programmed to produce the same output time and time again; unlike their human counterparts, they never get tired or lose concentration.
• Standardised, scalable processes: A huge advantage of automated business processes is the ability to easily standardise them across the business and to scale them as needed in times of increased demand without needing to hire extra manpower.

And the downsides?

As with anything, there are some potential downsides to consider when approaching business automation within your organisation:

• High start-up costs: Automating your business processes generally requires a substantial initial investment.
• Job losses: Wherever machines come in, human employees may lose their jobs or be reassigned to other sites or areas of responsibility that may not be their first choice.
• Unexpected technical problems: Technology, like business automation software, can at times be glitchy or stop working when you least expect it; such unscheduled downtimes are a major drawback compared to human workers.
• Lack of agility: Automation can also lead to a lack of control over processes, as automated systems may not be able to respond flexibly to changes in the market or customer requirements.
• Lack of human common sense: Especially in interactions with automated chatbots, for instance, misunderstandings can arise, leading to frustration and a poor customer experience.

A new approach to business automation

With this in mind, it might be time for a novel approach to business automation. In a world where most large organisations jump headfirst into automation and even race each other to the perceived finish line – just think Coles and Woolworths with their automated warehousing and checkout processes – go down a new path: combine the best of both worlds, traditional and new! And, importantly, be clear about your reasons for wanting to introduce business automation.

Know your 'Why'

There are two ways to automate your organisational processes: jump on the bandwagon and throw money at innovation just because it’s currently in vogue; or take a step back, analyse what exactly you need to get out of automation and seek expert advice. This stage might involve checking the latest business process automation research and case studies before introducing well-considered changes.

It might be advisable to automate only some of your processes and retain those where human beings make all the difference, especially at interfaces with customers and stakeholders. This will benefit your customers, your employees and, ultimately, the company as a whole.

Involve your staff to reduce resistance

Researchers at Griffith University have found that organisational change is often met with rejection and resistance by employees. This is because change disrupts the fabric of organisational life, for example, in terms of interpersonal relationships, reporting lines and employee status. And this, in turn, leads to increased stress and uncertainty for workers.

To combat resistance to a major change such as business automation, it would be a good idea to involve employees in the process as much as possible. You may want to seek their feedback and opinions, acknowledge their concerns, and provide staff with training and reassurance.

Creating a symbiosis of humans and machines

The future of work will see you lead teams consisting of machines and humans, and you need to confidently manage both. The best way to run a successful business is likely going to be through a unique symbiosis of people and processes, tailored to your business niche, your organisation and your stakeholders’ and customers’ needs. In fact, a study commissioned by Deakin University determined that: ‘machines may replace routine physical and cognitive tasks, but it is where machines and humans form powerful combinations that future business and employment opportunities will reside.’

This may mean using automation for low cognitive or repetitive activities, such as distributing marketing email campaigns, and using human experts for complex or highly cognitive tasks relying on human interaction, empathy, critical decision-making or strategic interpretation, e.g. in the healthcare or legal field. Demand for such roles remains strong, according to Senior Economist Callam Pickering’s figures published on Hiring Lab, with significantly increased numbers of job postings being recorded for occupations such as dentistry (+51%), childcare (37%), education (+29%) and physicians/surgeons (28%) in recent months.

Research published in the Australian Journal of Management has also shown that technological advancements have changed the nature of work performed by humans today. Roles are becoming ‘increasingly service-focused and cognitively complex and demanding’ and many employees now work as knowledge workers or in service-related roles. This is certainly something to bear in mind when it comes to your hiring strategies for the future.

Treat automation as another employee

Ultimately, tomorrow’s working world will require CEOs and decision-makers to adapt and be willing (and confident!) to lead the way and manage a mixed team of machines and humans. Be open-minded and imagine automation as another employee to be managed just like its human counterparts. You may want to start by taking stock of the current state of automation in your organisation and see where you can fine-tune or enhance it. Then hire human experts that perfectly complement your automated processes, so you have a well-functioning whole. This may mean reassigning tasks or hiring new staff. But, ultimately, this symbiotic strategy may give you the edge over your competitors who may still be pursuing a more traditional approach to business process automation.