Is this really a question of digital vs “human”?
Before getting into the topic…
What is Digital Transformation all about?
Gartner defines it as the process of exploiting digital technologies and supporting capabilities to create a robust new digital business model.
This concept is not as simple as it sounds, or maybe it is. Translating it into the real world, however, implies that a massive change is required within a business that is pursuing digital innovation in its operations, products, customer service, and beyond. This change will “enable new types of products and processes rather than simply enhancing existing processes and modes of interaction”. (Ben Kerschberg, contributor to Forbes.)
Now, even though not all businesses are into Digital Transformation, it is impossible to ignore the disruption that drives innovation in digital services and products in pretty much every industry. The disruption that has led to many operations leaders wondering to themselves, am I going to still be necessary for my company?
The answer is definitely yes! This is because digital transformation doesn’t mean the displacement of human labour. In fact, McKinsey suggests that human skills are actually becoming more critical in the digital world, not less.
Digital vs human?
The answer to this crucial question is: this is not a competition. The integration of digital is mainly done to help humans to incorporate stability, agility, and responsiveness into their operations. Furthermore, the majority of companies, if not all, will continue to be managed by people in the not too distant future — people who think, are able to assess and work for their own personal interests. In this way, we can say that digital is just a complementary resource which enables us to expand a business and ease the workload of both workers and clients.
“Digitization can be dangerous if it eliminates opportunities for productive human (or “analogue”) intervention. The goal instead should be to find out where digital and analogue can each contribute most.” — McKinsey
Advantages of digital in operations management
- Saves time: Digital can save valuable time when an organisation is reducing manual tasks, increasing workflow efficiency and providing the right information.
- Reduces costs: Digital is an excellent way to eliminate repetitive human manual work, which we know is expensive. The automation of different operations reduces the costs of a company.
- Improve customer satisfaction: This can be improved initially by focusing the company’s attention on the client after all the repetitive tasks have been delegated to the digital. This can also be achieved by creating specific services to either solve queries and doubts or give customers relevant information.
- Prevent errors: Digital has been designed to eliminate human error so that future errors are less likely to happen.
- Responds to market demands: Digital is, in itself, an answer to market demand as it is able to create new products and services in an easier and faster way than analogue can.
“No business leader can afford to ignore digital; it is now a matter of survival.” — Ben Kerschberg
Here at Codescrum, we know a lot about how digital technology can enhance the operations manager’s work. :)
Take a look at our case studies! https://codescrum.com/
