Analyzing Trends in the Global Business Environment Post Automation

This essay explores the increasing role of automation in the global business environment, addressing concerns about job displacement and the need for humans to adapt. It answers key questions about how individuals can remain competitive in an AI-driven economy, strategies for managing automated tasks when environmental changes occur, ensuring the accuracy of automation, and controlling task creation. The essay highlights the importance of human-machine interaction, continuous learning, and strategic implementation of automation to maximize productivity and minimize potential drawbacks. It emphasizes that automation is not merely a threat but an opportunity for augmentation and improved efficiency, provided businesses and individuals proactively address its challenges and leverage its benefits.

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TRENDS IN THE GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
(BEYOND AUTOMATION)
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Automation is a trending issue in business and a serious concern among people from
all walks of life. Automation is defined displacing human beings with machines. In the
manual sector, people have long been displaced by machines. In the 19th Century, which was
named as era one among the three eras of automation by (Davenport & Kirby 2015), people
were displaced by machines. That took away ‘dirty and dangerous’ equipment. There was an
evolution of machines from looms to cotton gin which relieved people from tedious manual
work. Predictably the people who deal with knowledge work will soon be replaced (Harvard
Business Review, 2018). The importance of this topic is to make the concept of automation
familiar to the reader and educate the reader on how to reframe the threat of automation as an
opportunity for augmentation.
Keywords; Knowledge work- work that only requires brain knowledge, Automation-
replacing human workers with machines and Augmentation- becoming greater in knowledge,
in this case, to compete with automation.
The essay seeks to answer the following four questions; what people can do to ensure that
they are not entirely displaced by machines (steps to renegotiate with automation) (Jennings,
et al. 2000). In the case of environments that are fond of automation, what should be done in
case automated tasks do not work when the environment changes. (Automation Anywhere,
2018). One can also ask themselves how accurate automation is and the final question is how
to control task creation.
i. What steps to take to ensure that human beings are not fully automated
(Kiulian 2017) gave tips on how to avoid being replaced by a robot. He stated that experts
from various fields disagree on how fast and intense the transition will be. Part of those
experts are optimistic and say that by 2055, 5% of the jobs in the United States will be fully
automated. Pessimists, on the other hand, say that 47% of the United States jobs will be faced

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with a risk of automation in the next 20 years. People from different fields of work should
acknowledge the fact that at some point, the Al driven economy will take control. Al software
and robots replace humans in the tasks they do in the Al economy. In order for human beings
to be competitive in the machine age, they need to formulate several strategies that will help
them control the artificial intelligence. A human being can be competitive because it is
human intelligence that gave birth to artificial intelligence so if machines outdo humans, it is
entirely the humans’ fault. The first strategy that has to be formulated is knowing how to talk
to the machines. Interactive Al software such as chatbots, virtual assistants, and analytics
alter the way customers and businesses get information as well as decision making by
businesses and its customers. People should then learn the human-machine efficient language
in order to exploit the machines. It is said that machines will be more generous to people who
communicate excellently. Just the way search engines respond in favor of those that enter
relevant questions. It is advisable that employees be conversant with the machines for their
job safety come the Al era. This kind of workers will be very important assets to their areas
of work in the coming era.
Secondly, in order to be useful in the new age, employees need to assist and augment
machines. The Al era will not replace all of the jobs but will augment workers and turn them
into machine operators and assistants. This will mean that they will have to acquire the
technological know-how to interact with machines. The Al employees will act as
intermediaries between the machines and customers.
ii. what should be done in case automated tasks do not work when the environment
changes
(Ayehu 2016) gave the most common reasons why most automation processes fail. One
reason is focusing on tools and tasks instead of focusing on people. Most automation projects

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are designed around tasks instead of people who would inevitably help. That is why most
automated tasks fail when the environment changes. Therefore, when putting up automated
tasks, it should be aimed at benefiting the IT team and not putting them through stress. The
results would be much greater if human workers were considered prior to the tools or tasks.
The other reason why automated tasks fail is that the right tools are not used. Not every
automated tool is created equal. Some are made using quality materials and are more efficient
compared to the ones that people rush to purchase at cheaper prices. As the saying goes, you
get what you ask for. A machine may also underperform in some areas because the
management made a mistake of buying the tool thinking that it is top-of-line only to find that
it is not suitable for the task. It is a total waste of money, therefore, the right thing that a
company should do is carry out their own research and select a tool that is affordable and one
that suits the company’s special needs.
iii. How accurate is automation?
(Bezuidenhout 2016) said that automation boosts accuracy. Automation cannot be
compared to tasks performed by humans because whenever there is human intervention,
there must be an error. As the saying goes, man is to error. Automation process runs
constantly without fail or fatigue. When errors come up, the alarm beeps and that makes
you know immediately. Automation is not completely perfect because, for example, an
error can occur in Excel. The computer literate people know that in Excel, formulas need
to be updated on the formula bar. An error may occur because the accuracy of the
solution depends on the memory and keenness of the document holder. Errors may also
occur in Excel if the formula cannot contain the range of data.
(Kaeb 2016) said that automation not only improves accuracy but also delivers
accountability and safety when the right system is used. When records that contain details

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of how an operator performed his or her task helps the Manager in accessing employees
competency.
iv. How to control task creation
There are numerous ways to keep automation from running out of control. Among these ways
are, entrusting a group of employees who are experts in developing automated tasks and
procedures and leaving the work of task creation in their hands. Giving other employees
performance licenses who should be using automation but not giving them the work of task
creation.
Thirdly, trainers should grab the opportunity of educating employees using the company’s
devices. They can even do so online. That way, people involved with task creation will have
a clearer understanding. The named three processes were developed by (Automation
anywhere, 2018).
Automation has many advantages as opposed to disadvantages (Cameron 2018). Automation
increases productivity. This is because it machines work continuously without failure. It is
also available for day to day activities. It is reliable (Gardner 2014) especially during off-shift
operations that are prone to errors. Automation is cost reducing because the costs are only
incurred during purchase and installation. The other costs include repairs which are rare.
Servicing of machines is also necessary to maintain a healthy system. Generally, automation
is beneficial and should be adopted by as many businesses as possible.
Concluding the research, there is a disagreement on pessimists’ say that automation is going
to replace close to half of the jobs in the United States. Automation is a necessary evil.
(Heater 2017) said that technology is killing jobs and its only technology that can save them.
From the findings, people only need to negotiate with the machines to make sure that their
jobs are not rendered useless come to the anticipated age of Al (Winick 2018). Management

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systems of companies should also conduct research in order to avert underperforming
machines. Automation errors should be dealt with, for example, experts coming up with
automatic formulas instead of computer users updating their own formulas. That would be
helpful. Lastly, people entrusted with task creation should be experts.

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References
Automation Anywhere, (2018). Robotic Non-fiction. Available from:
https://www.automationanywhere.com [Accessed 26 Apr 2016]
Ayehu, (2016). 5 Most Common Reasons IT Process Automation Projects Fail. Available
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Bezuidenhout, R. (2016). Automate your processes and reap credibility through accuracy.
Emagination.
Cameron, P., (2018). Automated Operations: 5 Benefits of Automation. Help systems.
Davenport, H. T., and Kirby, J. (2015). Three Eras of Automation. BEYOND AUTOMATION.
Gardner, A. (2014). 7 Benefits of Business Process Automation. SOLIDitech; Automate Your
Business.
Harvard Business Review, (2015). Available from:
https://hbr.org/2015/06/beyondautomation [Accessed on 26 Apr 2018]
Heater, B. (2017). Technology is killing jobs, and only technology can save them. TC.
Jennings, N.R. et al. (2000). Automated Negotiation. Proc. 5th int Conf. on Practical
Application of Intelligent Agents and Multi-agent Systems (PAAM-2000), Manchester, UK,
pp: 23-30.
Kaeb, J. (2016). Automation Ensures Accuracy. Seed WORLD
Kiulian, A. (2017). How To Avoid Being Replaced by a Robot; Facing the Next Wave of
Automation and Machine Intelligence: Available from https://hackermoon.com [Accessed on
26 Apr 2018]

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Winick, E. (2018). Business Impact; Every study we could find on what automation will do
to jobs, in one chart. MIT Technology Review