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While it is no longer ground-breaking news that technology will bring about disruptive change to how we live and work, it is undeniable that it has transcended beyond being just another fad. In fact, the increasing frequency of this news encroaching into our conversations (whether you realize it or not), reflect that this disruptive change is only set to accelerate in the years ahead.
Earlier last month, it was reported that the only big Swedish bank that recorded significant reduction in costs also happens to have one of the boldest plans to implement automation through its systems. Nordea Bank AB’s Chief Executive Officer Casper von Koskull shared that the bank’s planned to replace approximately 6,000 jobs with automated systems over the next few years, as one of their strategies to remain competitive.
Before we are too quick to throw our hands in defeat about jobs being replaced by technology, perhaps the focus should not be about replacement but rather transformation. It is not a bleak picture that is ahead, but all far-planning businesses and individuals should strategize to capitalize on the opportunities that technology and automation brings.
Rapid advancement of technology has been evolving the nature of jobs, freeing humans from the tasks that we were uniquely positioned to do. Regardless if the transformation as simple as having an automated email or query response system or having an automated scheduling system, this enables us to have a greater capacity to focus our energies on even higher value-added work or specializations.
Ultimately, underlying this drive is the need for us to reach higher heights of workforce productivity. In other words, technology and automation should be a stepping stone and not a stumbling block.
