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Automation or Worker Augmentation?

Automation or Worker Augmentation?

Even while automation and artificial intelligence are evolving at an exciting rate, the ROI model for businesses looking to boost productivity quickly may not work. Full automation is not always an option due to the time and money required for automation as well as the limitations of relatively simple application areas.

Augmentation may be defined as the notion that human labor can be significantly improved by clever tools specifically adapted to enhancing human activity, historically beginning with manual tools such as wheels and knives, then with tools that were form fitted to the body like armor and eyeglasses, then with interfaces on computers and smartphones, and today with wearables like smart watches.

Rapid development of industrial robots is commonly mistaken for an increase in automation. Instead, it may be argued that society is instead entering a period of augmentation, which is very different and beneficial for the labor force. For the past few years, doomsday scenarios about how automation will affect the workforce have been making headlines, with total job loss being a major worry. Peter Sondergaard, research director for Gartner, for instance, predicted that by 2025, "one in three jobs will be transferred to software, robotics, and smart equipment." Although there are some areas of business that have major automation, generous estimates cannot place the average automation rate beyond 5%, which is far below the pace needed to replace a third of the labor in 7 years.


Some experts suggest that the 80 percent of the world's workforce who currently need significant on-the-job reskilling and may benefit from upskilling through no-code apps that increase productivity, control, and autonomy. Despite early forecasts that automation would lead to a complete replacement of human labor, this is not what we are currently witnessing. These technologies are instead being used to improve or assist with the work of human workers. Employees can concentrate on tasks that add value by using automation capabilities to ease the strain of repetitive administrative labor or to give information that enables people to make better decisions.

Human fatigue is one of the main obstacles to increasing productivity. Errors often rise when workers lose energy, whether in terms of stamina or muscle force. Because of this, it is increasingly crucial to use ergonomic design principles to maximize worker comfort and performance. Keeping unnecessary movement to a minimum and ensuring that the majority of physical activity is directly related to productive activities is one important opportunity. Among the fastest growing and most widely used tools in worker augmentation and automation are collaborative robots and machine vision.

Although the technology is there to deliver the type of workforce change projected in previous years, various obstacles may prevent firms from realizing the dream of a full automation. Roadblocks include human behavior and how quickly firms can invest in and adjust to big changes in both technology and process. The transition from a strategic plan with a 1- to 3-year timeline to a more comprehensive strategy plan with the longer time horizon required to participate in real technology innovation and transformation is still being made by many. (Calculate your collaborative robot ROI online for free here.)

3 Categories of Automation Technology

  • Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

RPA technology, the most basic type of automation, automates repeated rule-based activities. An RPA bot just applies a consistent set of rules to a process to provide rapid and efficient results; this technology cannot learn, adapt, or make decisions. This can simplify a lot of manual administrative procedures.

  • Machine Learning

Machine learning, which is the next step, enables a computer to use vast amounts of data to comprehend and forecast the desired course of action, with performance getting better over time. A good illustration of how machine learning is now applied in the finance sector is chatbots. These bots interact with human consumers in real-time using technologies like natural language processing (NLP). They analyze data from prior contacts to determine the subject of the customer's inquiry and then deliver the required details or response.

  • Cognitive Augmentation

The closest thing we currently have to actual artificial intelligence is cognitive augmentation. Cognitive computers, like IBM's Watson, can manage unstructured data and respond to complicated inquiries, enabling them to carry out tasks that were previously only humanly possible.

There is little doubt that automation will lead to a reduction in the number of workers needed to complete specific tasks. But automation will also provide new jobs and boost demand for others. Deploying and educating these technologies to function in particular commercial environments is clearly a growth area. Additionally, people will need to supervise AI teams, carry out quality control, and handle any errors or complicated problems that come up. Our worker augmentation and automation experts are available to brainstorm solutions for your most pressing issues. Schedule a 30 minute exploratory call today.







Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/natanlinder/2022/10/17/the-shift-from-industrial-automation-to-worker-augmentation/?sh=75d0166814c3; https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2018/06/augmented-workforce-fs.html; https://www.openbusinesscouncil.org/the-future-of-work-augmentation-vs-full-automation

Oct 20th 2022

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