ROBOTS NEED PEOPLE
A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STORY
By Owen Greenwood
WHILE TECHNICAL IN NATURE, THE SUCCESS OF A DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION HINGES ON MEETING HUMAN NEEDS.
Imagine you’re an accountant at a major manage so much information. But in this new role in the digitally transforming
corporation. You’ve been in the industry transformation, the leadership is providing organisation—consistently facilitating,
for 15 years, so you’ve seen how much you with training and teachers to help you supporting and delegating responsibility.
technology can transform the office. You process, compare and evaluate information (and 65 percent of all knowledge workers) sources. This support is helping you and To your surprise, the new community
have a feeling that your job will look your coworkers find direct and simple vibe makes you feel like you have more
significantly different five years from now. ways to apply that information in your work control over your work. You’re much more
Because of that, the announcement that without getting overwhelmed. autonomous and efficient because you’re
management is implementing a digitisation
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able to work when, where and how you
and robotisation initiative is alarming, but Your company’s efforts go beyond the want. Really, it’s a bit of a boost to your
it’s not surprising. You know that it’s good most basic protections. In the past, self-esteem.
for the evolution of business, even as you’re competition over funding for departments fully aware that the layering of machines and functions could get nasty. Different In fact, instead of completely replacing your
threatens to commoditise people like you. departments worked in different buildings job functions, the digitisation automated
and under different budgets. The system much of the number crunching and created
As digitisation begins to take form, has always seemed counterproductive, more space for you to interact with other
however, you’re comforted by how because everyone’s tech needs have employees and use empathy, creativity,
conscious your company is of staff needs. been pretty much the same. Now, they’re judgement and critical thinking. With the
To start with, they’re working hard to keep emphasising your shared interests and new technology, you feel more motivated to
you safe from information overload. The encouraging an environment of belonging. work and engage and exceed your previous
accounting department (and any office, Leadership seems confident, and they’re performance.
for that matter) can only absorb and doing everything they can to explain your
DIGITECH Magazine
Summer 2017