EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF USING AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR ENTERPRISES AND HOW ARE SUCH CAPABILITIES SECURE ?
Intelligent automation will play a critical role in shaping a new , technologicallyenabled , post-pandemic future of work , according to new research by Pegasystems , the software company empowering Digital Transformation at some of the world ’ s leading enterprises . The global study , conducted by research firm , Savanta , surveyed over 3,000 global senior managers and frontline IT staff for their thoughts on technology ’ s future role in a significantly altered business landscape .
The research found that preparedness for future pandemics or similar disruptions was still the main focus for many , with an overwhelming majority ( 84 %) of respondents identifying it as a high priority – an unsurprising figure when you consider that nearly one in three ( 31 %) said they were either totally unprepared or ‘ not very prepared ’ for the impact of COVID-19 . It also found that intelligent automation has emerged as one of the key technologies used to future-proof businesses against disruptive events .
A total of 76 % of respondents said the pandemic will cause them to increase their intelligent automation investment . Meanwhile , 74 % of survey participants agree that further external shocks that temporarily remove people from the workplace will result in more intelligent automation and Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) investment , while 76 % also say that unpredictable mass illness and / or selfisolation will drive increased business demand for intelligent automation . Over half ( 51 %) of respondents also said they would increase investment in AI and cloud solutions to guard against the business impact of future pandemics .
More broadly , the study found that technology will have a profound effect on the way we work in the future , with 86 % of respondents expecting technology to either ‘ significantly change ’ or produce ‘ quite a lot of change ’ in the way people in their organisation work over the next five years . Tellingly , 0 % of respondents said that technology would drive no change over that period . Additional findings highlight how other types of technology could also profoundly change the way we work , our job satisfaction and who – or what – we work with :
• Technology is now ‘ one of us ’: 84 % of respondents say they would be comfortable working alongside intelligent machines , with 73 % agreeing that the term ‘ workforce ’ should include both human employees and intelligent machines . Sixty-one percent say they would even be happy being managed by an intelligent machine . Sixty-six percent
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76 % AGREED THAT INCREASED USE OF TECHNOLOGY IS IMPROVING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION .
of respondents said employees are asking for better technology to improve the way they work , while 76 % agreed that increased use of technology is improving employee satisfaction .
• Low-code is on the rise : 82 % of respondents say IT should provide platforms and systems that allow employees to build and implement their own technology solutions . Meanwhile , more than half of respondents ( 55 %) say that either ‘ everyone ’ or ‘ the majority ’ of the workforce within their industry will need low-code skills in the next five years .
• Intelligent automation can save time and improve creativity : 80 % say that intelligent automation is helping them to reduce human workloads , with more than one-third ( 36 %) saying it has already saved them between one and nine working hours per week over the last two years .
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