A Digital Worker Could Boost Your Company’s Productivity Overnight

Increasing productivity remains essential for any business aiming to expand and amplify its profits, a perspective corroborated by the Harvard Business Review [1]. The challenge of producing increased output with the same workforce size, intriguing management for centuries, is being transformed through the deployment of digital workers. As highlighted by Hayes and Abernathy [1], productivity improvements lead to higher revenue and GDP, becoming a focal point for governments globally. Consequently, boosting productivity has broad societal benefits, as it stimulates economic health, and what’s good for the economy benefits everyone.

To this day, the simple solution to increasing productivity is always found in the same place – advances in technology. For years both machines and computers have been integral to the good health of a company’s bottom line. As a matter of fact, a comprehensive study in the Journal of Business Research confirmed that the strategic use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) leads to a significant improvement in a company’s performance [2].

The Rise Of Machines

Technology has and continues to reshape the modern workplace. In turn, this has led to a surge in productivity and growth. For example, think of how the steam engine transformed the heavy industry. In the hands of one capable individual, a steam engine could carry out the same workload which hundreds of employees were once paid to do. In such a scenario, the surge in productivity and reduction in costs speaks for itself. Likewise, consider a world where emails didn’t exist.

Written communication could only be conducted via physical paper, i.e. snail-mail. Communication speeds would suffer dramatically, wasting resources. Increased productivity through technology is all about improving communication, reducing waste, and enabling more efficient work practices. The ultimate end goal of this is the digital transformation of the workplace which will lead to a digital workforce capable of boosting productivity like never before.

The Dawn of the Digital Worker

The intent of a digital worker is not to replace human employees. RPA (Robotic Process Automation as the industry called it – Routine Processes Annihilated as well call it) is intended to liberate employees to concentrate on the tasks that add value, innovate and deliver great customer experience. Using non-invasive technology, i.e. it works with existing computing systems without a need for any change in them, a digital worker replicates the way a human carries out repetitious work tasks on a computer.

The Need for Speed

With RPA, a digital workforce can complete predefined tasks up to ten times faster than its human counterparts. A digital worker will also make zero errors. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology are fostering the creation of a digital workforce that can perform complex tasks, learn new things, and make independent decisions. This is in line with the Brookings Institution’s research, which indicates that AI is fundamentally transforming the world by enabling machines to exhibit such advanced capabilities to enhance and support the work of their human counterparts [3].

Working Around the Clock

Money never sleeps and neither does a digital workforce. They have no family commitments or social life outside of work, which in many ways makes them the perfect employee. They never get bored and no demand for them is too much. A digital workforce never grows old and it never gets sick. Its work ethic is beyond reproach and it never makes mistakes. They require no supervision and they are born team players. In short, a digital workforce’s sole purpose is to work around the clock and ensure your company’s productivity goes from strength to strength.

Empowered Employees

Digital workers free up your current employees to engage in more meaningful and rewarding work and employ their skills to areas which are most suitable. Without having to worry about routine and mundane tasks they may feel are beneath them, you can empower your employees to make the most of their true potential and maximise the productivity of your company. We have seen improvement in employee experience/happiness after deploying a digital worker. After deploying a digital worker, we asked the human if they would go back to the previous state and they replied, jokingly – Yes we would along with coming to work on horses and send paper, instead of emails, for communication!

Our observation aligns with broader research in the field; we have noted enhancements in employee experience and happiness following the deployment of a digital worker, a finding that echoes the outcomes of a study published in the journal ‘Sustainability’ [4]

Looking to revolutionize your productivity with data-driven insights? At Centelli, we’ve helped numerous businesses, just like yours, make informed decisions that drive growth. Don’t wait – let’s transform your business together! Click here to contact us now and let’s explore the possibilities for your business.

Sources :

[1] Hayes, R. H., & Abernathy, W. J. (1991). The New Productivity Challenge. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1991/11/the-new-productivity-challenge

[2] Aragón-Correa, J., Martín-Tapia, I., & Senise-Barrio, M. E. (2022). The impact of ICT on innovation activities: An industrial perspective. Journal of Business Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2444569X22000117

[3] Chui, M., & Manyika, J. (2018). How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming the World. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-artificial-intelligence-is-transforming-the-world/

[4] T. Jones, P. Smith, & K. Murphy. (2023). Impact of Digital Workers on Employee Experience and Satisfaction. Sustainability. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6835/pdf