Not Just Machines Will Power Digital Innovation – Cognizant

Article Synopsis :

Technology driven automation leads to more agile operations and cost savings, but there is also the perception that it pushes humans to the periphery.

Digital insurers view talent in the context of their digital platform and developing firepower for innovation

In “People not just machines will power digital innovation”, Cognizant explores tomorrow’s workplace, suggesting that attracting and retaining the right talent will be every bit as important as having the right technology infrastructure in place.

The report, done in partnership with the Economist Intelligence Unit, surveys over 400 decision makers in the U.S. and Europe for insights on the workforce of the future. Key findings are as follows-

1. Digital investments catalyze innovation – Though 94% reported “moderate” or “severe” digital skills gaps preventing their organizations from reaching their digital potential, 57% said digital will lead to higher innovation rates. 55% are up-skilling existing workers with new capabilities.
2. Talent shortfalls will drive the digital ‘gig’ economy – Skills gaps of digital-literate talent will drive the distributed work environment for at least the next three years.
3. Linking platforms to “talent clusters” drives innovation – Explosions of entrepreneurial talent cluster in one geographic location or another (e.g. Silicon Valley). Linking company business platforms to these clusters can drive innovation.
4. Future performance requires bold digital reorganization – Dismantling the existing org structure and value chain and building niche clusters of talent is the current trend.
5. The workforce of the future needs a new rules engine to work – More back-office jobs will be handed over to software tools as new human-plus-machine combinations become the norm. A new digital architecture is emerging that will demand data mastery, fit-for-purpose talent, and more flexible environments in which to run software tools and robots.

Broadly speaking, organizations are building new master platforms to augment data and talent, using software and robots to free up human workforce to concentrate on smarter work, and tapping data to enhance employee productivity as well as anticipate worker wants, demands and needs.

The paper proffers the following recommendations for mitigating  transformation challenges:

1. View talent in the context of your company’s digital platform.
2. Invest and develop your organizational firepower for innovation.
3. Reset the dynamics of power and decision-making.
4. Develop a new master architecture to support “work”.
5. Bet big or go home — leadership demands it, no half-measures.

As digital technologies change business models, revenue flows and cost structures human talent becomes more – not less – important.

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