When it gets to that point of the financial year when the end of Q3 approaches and Q4 comes more sharply into focus, as businesses begin to plan and evaluate their priorities and resources for year end, the theme of "reducing barriers to entry" for technology is ever more relevant.
Technology solutions should no longer be the domain of an over-stretched IT department. The focus should be on getting the right technology tools directly into the hands of the people who will take the most benefit from using them in their day-to-day work.
AI and the 'Jobs of Tomorrow'
We can’t miss that the advent of Generative AI has already hit the accelerator on technological adoption across a multitude of businesses and industries.
The World Economic Forum’s ‘Jobs of Tomorrow’ new whitepaper identifies a list of roles that incorporate activities with a high potential for automation, such as those within the financial services sector, and jobs that involve analysis for the improvement of operations or performance. According to a recent McKinsey Global Institute report, 30% of hours worked today could be automated by 2030, significantly driven by generative AI.
Thankfully, these reports also say that this does not necessarily mean that jobs will start disappearing in those sectors most exposed to AI, but with responsible and sustainable investment in AI many such jobs have a high potential for AI augmentation, rather than straight automation, or scope for re-skilling to fulfill new roles within the same teams.
These are roles where large language models such as ChatGPT or Claude2 will lend workers a hand and boost their productivity. These range from jobs that incorporate mathematical and scientific analysis to those that involve “crafting and wording of survey questions”.
Whilst there is an inevitability to the changes in the workplace that AI is bringing, it seems fair to say that many immediate practical applications are still being identified and defined.
Solutions for Now
On the other hand, the immediate availability of user-friendly no/low code data analysis and automation tools means that any department can take control now of how they manage their existing workflows and processes, and what they are able to do with the information they gather and work with.
These are solutions that don’t require months of implementation and disruption, or even need to wait for the results of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Instead, the main investment here is time spent as a team to collaboratively map out processes, identify bottlenecks, and agree an efficient path forward.
Immediate Gains
Whilst your team may need to work through a quarter or year-end to enjoy the longer-term gains, the return on investment for this type of collaborative exercise can often be felt immediately, with some of the key results being:
a motivated team with a clear understanding of the ‘why’ and ‘what’ they are doing
a joined-up approach to deliver the most impactful and efficient results
each team member empowered to find solutions and elevate engagement with colleagues and business partners
highly qualified staff focused on high-value work
fee earners freed up to spend time with clients
It doesn’t have to be Perfect
This doesn’t require achieving perfection and fixing everything at once, but a focus on the areas for improvement that can yield the most impactful results. From our experience, these are often already known, or at least quickly identifiable, and can be rolled out quickly with a collaborative and agile approach, using easily deployable data analysis and automation tools.
Embrace the power of automation now to streamline your data processes, improve efficiency and accuracy, and foster a more productive and satisfied workforce.
At MJ Solution Consulting, we're dedicated to helping businesses like yours identify inefficiencies, develop tailored solutions, and quickly implement best practices to drive significant improvements. Reach out to us today, and let's work together to take your data processes to the next level.