Impact of emerging technologies on the future of work

Fast-evolving technologies are changing the nature of work, the dynamics of the workforce, and the notion of the workplace.

Technologies will minimize the need to perform repetitive tasks manually. The nature of work will shift from focusing on task completion. Problem-solving, communication, listening, interpretation, and design will gain prominence.

Advances in AI-driven technologies and robotics will increase the range and amount of work that can be done by smart machines. Organizations will need to innovate how humans work alongside machines.

Companies will reconsider the employee work lifecycle. They’ll use multiple employment formats to obtain the creativity, passion, experience, expertise, and skill sets needed for the project at hand.

New communication platforms break down barriers among multiple office locations and remote teams to enable seamless collaboration.It also requires companies to rethink how they can foster culture and team connections within a virtual working environment to nurture and retain increasingly scarce talent.

Automation is key to increasing efficiency, reducing human error, and lowering operational costs. Fewer workers will be needed for repetitive tasks, and more employees will focus on strategic decision-making and creative problem-solving.

There are two main types of process automation technologies — Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Business Process Automation (also called Business Process Management or BPM).

• RPA automates individual tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming with very little added value (e.g., faster data entry.) It cuts cost without the need to change the underlying infrastructure.
• BPM is the automation of end-to-end business processes (e.g., more accurate decision-making). BPM often serves as the strategic foundation of an organization’s digital transformation

Automation will prompt businesses that rely on repetitive processes to assess how to improve efficiency.

Unified communications (UC) platforms enable organizations to leverage the benefits of a remote workforce effectively. These cloud-based technologies help streamline workflow, facilitate collaboration, and increase efficiencies.

The artificial intelligence (AI) umbrella encompasses machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, natural language generation, and more. The use of AI allows organizations to efficiently extract insights from their proprietary business data for accurate and timely decision-making.

AI’s ability to process a large amount of data and extract insights is crucial. It helps humans cut through the clutter and figure out where to focus their attention to enhance strategic thinking and decision-making.

Quantum computing can process data thousands of times faster than traditional silicon-chip-based computers while using less power.

This exponential increase in computing capacity makes it possible to run complex AI-powered applications. They’re used for analytics and modeling, allowing organizations to leverage a large amount of data available.

Quantum computing can support an array of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications. Also, it can dramatically improve cybersecurity. It’ll reduce IT costs and allow organizations to protect sensitive data effectively when using technologies from cloud-computing platforms to automation software.

In conclusion, organizations need to rethink workflow, workforce, and workplace from the ground up to take advantage of technologies while creating meaning and value for employees.

Sonia Randhawa (MBA, PMP) is Senior Technology Executive based in San Francisco, California. She has held several leadership roles at IBM, Telstra, Alcatel-Lucent, F5 Networks, and Intel Corporation.