The future of work
AI & Algorithms in the Future of Work
Over the past decade, the way we work has undergone a radical change. Technologically and business-wise, we have found new ways of applying automation to increase productivity. In the next ten years, we will face even greater challenges as artificial intelligence and robotics continue to gain ground in the workplace. How will algorithms affect the “Future of Work”? How will they help us get work done? And what role will humans play in a world where machines are becoming increasingly intelligent?
Over the past decade, the way we work has undergone a radical change. Technologically and business-wise, we have found new ways of applying automation to increase productivity. In the next ten years, we will face even greater challenges as artificial intelligence and robotics continue to gain ground in the workplace. How will algorithms affect the “Future of Work”? How will they help us get work done? And what role will humans play in a world where machines are becoming increasingly intelligent?
The fourth industrial revolution
Ever since the first industrial revolution, we have seen that productivity increases with automation. For example, research agency McKinsey reported that the steam engine increased workforce productivity by 0.3%, and the emergence of IT has increased productivity by 0.6%. In the current, fourth industrial revolution, productivity is expected to increase from 0.8% to 1.4%. The adoption of technology such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning is the primary driving force behind this development.
Researchers at the University of Oxford predict that many jobs will disappear in the next decade. And it is not only jobs that involve a lot of repetitive actions that are susceptible to algorithms, but also those for the highly educated. However, there are plenty of scenarios in which humans will emerge victorious. Bringing humans and algorithms closer together will create more space for well-being. But how will this affect your organization and how can you use this to your advantage?
The new normal
One of the biggest shocks in recent years was, without doubt, the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone suddenly had to work from home, which meant that many organizations had to unexpectedly implement a variety of measures. All meetings took place online and many companies had to find new ways to share information.
We realized that working from home created flexibility. For some, it was a blessing – it meant that they could spend more time with their families. The commute had gone, and the working day became more productive because people could plan it the way they wanted. For others, working from home was actually more of a burden. Many people became more isolated, and they sorely missed social interactions and the dynamics of office life.
Now that the world is gradually opening up again, discussions and visions about the future of work are starting to emerge. Which aspects of our working life will return to the way they were before the pandemic, and which things have changed for good? We anticipate a number of trends whereby technology will serve as a catalyst.
Five trends that are reshaping work
1. Work the way you want
Thanks to technology, many professionals are able to work anytime, anywhere. Time and location-independent employment has been around for years, but the coronavirus crisis has given it a boost. Many people will not want to return to the old normal, and will instead opt for a hybrid form.
The technology your organization uses must be set up to accommodate this. How can you quickly and easily exchange information between employees who work partly in the office and partly from home? How can you ensure that employees who choose to work entirely remotely experience the same corporate culture as employees who choose to work exclusively at the office? Organizations will need to find solutions to cater for all scenarios.
2. A changing perception of work
We are used to clinging to our job title because it is a part of our identity. It helps to give other people an idea of what we do. Automation is making it harder for us to accept that algorithms do some aspects of our job better than we do ourselves. It can affect who we are and how we see ourselves. Just think of the doctor who is replaced by an app or an administrative assistant who is replaced by a smart algorithm that automatically processes invoices.
Work is not the only thing that is changing; the perception of a career will have to change as well. Work is fluid; changing jobs throughout your life and continuous learning is part and parcel of the future of work. Switching from the word ‘job’ to ‘tasks’ is a first step, but it also requires a cultural change in which technology plays an important role.
3. Greater focus on disconnecting
The working week will shift from being a 40-hour week to one that fits in better with the new normal. Most of us work from 9 to 5, and our days usually start and end with e-mails. Work is literally in the palm of our hands. Thanks to our smartphones and laptops, we no longer have to ‘go’ to work – our work comes to us.
And while many people are still clinging to the 40-hour working week, more and more companies are requiring their employees to work less: Some are introducing a six-hour working day, a four-day week, and even making it compulsory to stop at 4:00 PM so that employees can spend time with their family. This is becoming the new normal. Organizations will implement more and more measures so that employees can disconnect and start the next working day or week fully refreshed.
4. The robot as a personal assistant
Assistants have always made our work easier. Further digitalization and developments in artificial intelligence will only result in a growing number of robot assistants. Many of us already use Siri, Alexa, or Cortana to navigate somewhere or to buy products online.
It is anticipated that these kinds of assistants will also make their way into the workplace. Microsoft’s virtual chatbots can already assist new employees in the onboarding process and provide information by asking just a few simple questions. And we will increasingly use voice commands in addition to writing.
5. From code to (almost) no code
Agile methods have changed the way programmers and the business work together. Where programmers used to work in silos, methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, and DevOps facilitate the translation of a company’s requirements into software.
No-code and low-code software will only further fuel the trend of working with sprints and delivering prototypes at lightning speed. Anyone with a good idea and a bit of skill can develop applications faster or implement automation to help the company move forward. The result? Greater autonomy for the employee and a boost for the organization.
Continuous Journey
One thing is certain: the future of work is never ‘finished’. Sooner or later, everyone who delves into the topic discovers that the technical side of things is not that much of an undertaking.
After all, the technology has already demonstrated its practical merits and we can also guide you through the process. The real challenge lies in the adaptation and the way in which work is organized in the future. Because, ultimately, that is the key to success. And that’s where Broad Horizon can help.
We understand that every organization is different. As such, we have developed an approach that consists of several phases: Envision, Onboard, and Journey. By working methodically through the three phases, we make the technology accessible to you and enable your employees to actively participate in the process. While doing so, we also gather insights about the organization, its goals, and its target groups – insights that we use as a foundation for developing a roadmap based on smaller use cases. A number of quick-wins are often instantly for the taking.
Future of Work – Practical applications
A variety of technological and social developments come together to shape the Future of Work. The following solutions are just a few of examples:
Scalable and personalized workplaces
The digital workplace of the future is all about personalization. It is a workplace that fulfils its purpose and where the user has easy access to the information they need to do their job. To achieve this, the business process must take centre stage when making choices during an implementation. Putting people first, rather than technology. This also means that the workplace will increasingly incorporate social aspects, such as a portal with access to news, colleagues, assigned applications, and more.
Employee empowerment
To stay ahead, rapid innovation is the name of the game. Business applications play an important role in this since they automate or accelerate certain processes. Although there is a wide range of business applications on the market, your organization may have specific requirements that the supplier is unable to meet. More and more employees are therefore taking matters into their own hands and embracing low-code and no-code tools. Thanks to these empowerment tools, employees are able to test business ideas and create prototypes faster.
A workplace as a virtual meeting place
Will the office continue to be a meeting place for colleagues, or will the workplace take over this role? Broad Horizon offers workplace solutions in which the Intranet plays a central role. This means that a workplace is not just a collection of information and applications, but a place to communicate, exchange information, and collaborate.
Carintreggeland (customer case)
Carintreggeland’s ambition in terms of IT is to support employees in such a way that they can fully focus on providing tailor-made care to clients, and thus become a modern and innovative care organization that is ready for the future. As such, in 2018, they teamed up with Pink Elephant and the Pink 365 workplace.
Building blocks
The future of work begins today. There is no ready-to-use product that you can buy and suddenly find yourself transported into the future. But there are many solutions that bring together data, AI, and work in different areas, making people more productive and happier.
Power Platform
The low-code/no-code Power Platform can be used to perform automated processes based on data from IoT, for example when exceeding a certain threshold. This can be applied directly to the work process via a PowerApp.
DOTS Predictive Services
Our prediction models based on machine learning help us better predict maintenance work on equipment and potential failures based on collected IoT data. The result? An improved customer experience and lower operational costs.
Managed Cloud
An important starting point for any IoT initiative is the central cloud environment where all data is stored. And since, over time, we are talking about huge amounts of data, we have specific ready-to-go configurations based on Azure IoT available for IoT where it comes to computing power, performance, and storage capacity.
Pink365
The ultimate personal and scalable workplace. Thanks to Pink365, users have access to everything they need to do their job from a single portal.
Target to Data
With our Target-to-Data approach, we bridge the gap between the organization’s strategic objectives and the implications for data management and technology.
Managed Security
Protecting systems is becoming increasingly important. We have developed a service specifically for IoT contexts where large amounts of (user) data is stored that continuously monitors and optimizes security.
Microsoft Viva
A modern workplace application where communication, knowledge, learning and insights about work come together in one place. Viva uses the many apps that the Microsoft ecosystem has to offer and integrates them into one solution.
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