Where are you seeing automation or robotics decrease the need for staff?
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The question is quite broad. Automation, Robotics, AI and other technology just elevates the industry. Yes, some staff jobs are eliminated but some new jobs are also created. We see areas like book-keeping become more financial management. We see cashiering/order taking move more to supply/demand management. And etc.
Automation and robotics in service turns out to deliver different benefits that the deployment of these technologies in manufacturing, logistics and engineering. To date most of the automation and RPA projects I have been involved with have used the productivity increase they enabled in reducing turnaround time and improving customer responsiveness. But that increased capacity also creates opportunities to have the same number of staff do additional or better things. In call centres, for example, increased automation seldom leads to staff redundancies - instead the wait time for someone to answer is reduced. We see the same with mortgage and loans applications, insurance claims processing and other - previously manual - processes.
Everything that can be automated should be automated like backoffice, worklfow. Automation will displace many jobs over the next ten to 15 years, but many others will be created and even more will change. Jobs of the future will use different skills and may have higher educational requirements.
As per experience in my organization, automation can only decrease the need for staff when the whole business process is automated. Automating part of the process and leaving another part to be handled by staff will not reduce manpower. Atleast that's what we are seeing.
Accounts payable and receivable mostly. We have some new automation that is allowing us to decrease staff in the procurement area as well.