Hi, I’m AI! Getting to Know Your Robot Co-Worker

How humans and automated technologies work hand in hand

By Suma Nallapati, CIO, Insight Enterprises

Business leaders are always seeking ways to increase productivity, enhance performance and reduce operating costs. However, these goals can be hard to achieve amidst the backdrop of a volatile macroeconomic environment that includes layoffs, increased turnover, squeezed budgets, high inflation and other challenges. These factors are multifaceted, and in combination, are particularly tricky for management teams to not only navigate but solve for.

This is where automation can step in. Automation is broadly defined as technology applications and interventions that take over manual, repetitive tasks and processes to reduce the cognitive load on human beings and improve the efficiency and accuracy of business operations. Automation can improve processes so that they are more reliable, more productive and easier to use, supporting the well-being of employees in the workplace, boosting morale, engagement and work output as a result. In fact, a recent Salesforce survey found that almost nine in 10 (89%) full-time workers say they are more satisfied with their job, and over eight in 10 (84%) are more satisfied with their company, when automation helps with their daily routine.

There is an exciting opportunity for companies to create a positive impact on their teammates, partners, and customers through data-driven IT automation strategies. When utilized effectively, these applications can help companies achieve their competitive advantage and augment human capability. Here’s how …

Identifying pain-points to improve productivity

To ensure the successful implementation of an automated system, companies need to start by identifying the areas that are causing the most pain for their people, both internally and externally. Automation should be delivered thoughtfully, with the consideration of people’s needs at the forefront. In other words, automation shouldn’t be adopted just for the sake of it; there must be intention behind it.

This process often starts by reviewing existing business processes to better understand where the inefficiencies and challenges are. A prime example is “busy work” that eats up employee time and reduces productivity. Once this pain point has been identified, organizations can begin designing and implementing a tailored solution that fits its specific needs.

I saw this firsthand while working at a telecommunications company; accounting and finance teams were putting in long hours to complete their month-end close, sometimes working overnight, missing family events and sacrificing after-work commitments. This was not sustainable, nor was it productive.

To ease their stress, my team collaborated with them to create an automated system that trimmed days from their close cycle. In this case, automation was used to tackle processes that were taking up the most time for employees, sparing them from potential burnout and driving more efficiencies in the process.

Reallocating labor to improve human outcomes

The use cases for automation are broad, with the most reliant industries currently being automotive manufacturers, avionics, CPG and medical instrument manufacturing. However, companies across sectors can benefit from automation in some capacity; a recent survey by Gartner found that eight in 10 (80%) executives think automation can be applied to any business decision.

One industry that has often underexplored automation is grocery, despite the fact that grocers face significant cost pressures that automation could help alleviate, including labor costs, constantly changing costs of goods sold and complex supply chains.

Recently, Insight worked with Harris Teeter, a regional U.S. grocery chain with more than 230 locations along the East Coast, to develop an automated system to help protect their staff in the workplace by preventing the spread of illness. By implementing automation through Internet of Things-enabled thermal cameras and devices connected to video analytics application, temperature scans of employees entering their warehouses and offices were faster, more reliable, more secure and more cost-effective than the previous method of contracting nursing staff for manual temperature scanning.

This system not only helped streamline Harris Teeter’s COVID-19 testing process — which was critical for the chain’s continued operations amid the height of the global pandemic — but also resulted in tangible benefits for staff and customers alike. Even better, the same solution is scalable to other uses, like measuring food temperatures in store freezers to prevent unnecessary spoilage from occurring.

Better workflows make for happier teams

While there’s no silver bullet for tackling today’s business challenges, automation offers a compelling intervention. Organizations across every industry and size can realize the transformational power of automation. Investing in strategic, employee-centric automation solutions gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace — but, more importantly than creating a better bottom line, there is the potential to create a more rewarding and desirable workplace that doesn’t replace what humans bring to the table, but instead enhances it.

Learn more about how to take bold steps forward on your organization’s digital journey in the latest edition of Insight’s quarterly magazine, Tech Journal, examining today’s top technology, security, workforce and industry challenges at insight.com/techjournal.

Insight CIO Suma Nallapati leads a global team of more than 400 information technology specialists and drives Insight’s digital transformation efforts — including enhancing client experiences, expanding data and digital capabilities, and overseeing day-to-day IT operations and cybersecurity.