From Looking Digital to Being Digital: The Impact of Technology on the Future of Work And yet, while this deep shift in the way human and machine as mutually exclusive technology will not accomplish the task people work may not be obvious to the sources of knowledge. That’s why, in both any more than buying exercise equipment untrained eye, it’s already going on in some instances, veteran employees with working will make you healthy. Technology by itself companies. Take, for instance the changes knowledge—know-how—find digital won’t enable a company to keep pace that have happened in recent years in technology a source of stimulation, with rapid change in product markets. two very different industries: retailing and not insecurity. But technology is making possible a iron ore mining. Convenience stores like radical leap in the way work gets done in 7-Eleven and mining companies like Rio Unless you work for Rio Tinto or 7-Eleven, organizations. We call the enablers of this Tinto share little in common when it comes you’re probably not aware of these change “intelligent digital processes.” to the things they sell. But a look behind changes. You can easily see the impact of the scenes reveals surprising similarities. digital technology on consumer products like cars. Slip into the driver’s seat and The emergence of Both scan huge databases with you’re quickly familiar with things like intelligent digital processes sophisticated algorithms in search of dashboard data centers, iPod hookups and clues to hidden treasure: underlying electronic stability control. Less visible The chief way that companies “look customer preferences for 7-Eleven and are the huge behind-the-scenes changes digital” without “being digital” is through veins of iron ore for Rio Tinto. Both equip that are revolutionizing automotive design the process of digital substitution: frontline employees with intelligent tools and manufacturing. gradually replacing physical processes 3 that allow them to make decisions that with equivalent digital ones. Make no improve performance based on contextual These include digital tools that compress mistake, this change does bring about knowledge. In the case of the retailer, the time it takes to create and test product improvements in speed and cost without employees select inventory best suited designs; that both enable and demand the need to dramatically re-architect to local conditions; in the case of the intimate collaboration between marketing, the workplace or the workforce. miner, they adjust mining technique engineering and manufacturing groups based on seismic data, satellite images rather than “over the wall” exchanges; Digital documents replace the paper and on-the-ground operator experience. that link robots and humans in flexible variety, making it easy to share and modify Finally, both organizations rely on people production teams; and that employ them. People can access all kinds of digital and computers working together—one analytics to give managers the ability to artifacts—not just documents but photos, augmenting the other—rather than viewing experiment in real time with more effective music, videos, spreadsheets and more— ways of working without disrupting the from multiple places at once, making it 2 flow of production. possible for teams of far-flung members to collaborate with speed and efficiency. Based on research we’ve conducted over the past year, one conclusion is clear: being digital changes work in fundamental ways. Companies that want to lead in the digital era—no matter what their industry or their location—must rethink the way they get work done. Buying and installing digital Technology is making possible a radical leap in the way work gets done in organizations. 10 | Accenture | Copyright 2014 Accenture. All rights reserved. ©