Right people needed for firms to maintain digital operations

GO and HERNANDEZ

BUSINESS LEADER’S TAKE ON AUTOMATION

While integrating intelligent operations in performing business processes is highly viable for Cebu-based businesses, they will still need the right people to run and maintain their operations.

Stanley Go, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president, said this as the industry continues to adapt to automated processes.

“We are striving for automation. But in order to arrive at that point, we need to have the right people who can create the best systems to be used. And we still need these people to maintain our operations,” said Go when asked about the impact of intelligent operations on companies’ human resources.

Go said that businesses are aware of the necessity of keeping up with the developments in technology to ensure that they would be able to keep their customer’s satisfaction and trust.

He affirms the findings of research conducted by Accenture Operations in the Philippines and HfS Researh which suggests that businesses must transform their processes into intelligent operations in order to thrive through this era of digital disruptions.

“The move to Intelligent Operations is fast becoming a make-or-break proposition for organizations, with 80 percent surveyed saying they are concerned with disruption and competitive threats, especially from new digitally savvy entrants,” reads an excerpt of the research.

Benedict Hernandez, lead of Accenture Operations in the Philippines, said that migrating into intelligent operations could bring more vibrant benefits to businesses more than just cost efficiency.

Hernandez said that engaging in automated processes will significantly reduce the cost or damages caused by human error, in the same way that it would increase the level of data security among businesses.

But Hernandez added that cost saved from engaging into automation could be utilized in investing in human capital or in the improvement of the human talents of the company.

Hernandez said that developing human talents should not be overlooked despite the call for intelligent operations because people will still be needed to even keep up with more digital advancement.

Hernandez added that enhancing the talents of a company’s human resources is a vital move to ensure the success of the migration to intelligent operations.

Aside from developing the employees’ talents, Hernandez said that companies would also need to work on efficiently utilizing their existing data as they integrate into intelligent operations.

Of the 460 international respondents to the research, 80 percent admitted that more than half of their data are largely inaccessible.

Hernandez added that businesses may utilize cloud computing, a process used to store information that can be accessible to a network, in order to make the data accessible.

However, Hernandez clarified that businesses need not to have their own software infrastructures to triumph in moving into intelligent operations.

Hernandez said that businesses can partner with companies that develop the software infrastructures and set the limitations of the shared data to ensure privacy safety.

“Having your own software infrastructure can be too costly for a company and can become obsolete fast,” said Hernandez.