CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Intelligent
automation will play a critical role in shaping a new,
technologically-enabled, post-pandemic future of work, according to
new research by Pegasystems Inc. (NASDAQ: PEGA), the software
company empowering digital transformation at the world's leading
enterprises. The global study, conducted by research firm Savanta,
surveyed over 3,000 global senior managers and frontline IT staff
for their thoughts on technology's future role in a significantly
altered business landscape.
The research found that preparedness for future pandemics or
similar disruptions was still the main focus for many, with an
overwhelming majority (84%) of respondents identifying it as a high
priority – an unsurprising figure when you consider that nearly one
in three (31%) said they were either totally unprepared or 'not
very prepared' for the impact of COVID-19. It also found that
intelligent automation has emerged as one of the key technologies
used to future-proof businesses against disruptive
events.
Seventy-six percent of respondents said the pandemic will cause
them to increase their intelligent automation investment.
Meanwhile, 74% of survey participants agree that further external
shocks that temporarily remove people from the workplace will
result in more intelligent automation and artificial intelligence
investment, while 76% also say that unpredictable mass illness
and/or self-isolation will drive increased business demand for
intelligent automation. Over half (51%) of respondents also said
they would increase investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and
cloud solutions to guard against the business impact of future
pandemics.
More broadly, the study found that technology will have a
profound effect on the way we work in the future, with 86% of
respondents expecting technology to either 'significantly change'
or produce 'quite a lot of change' in the way people in their
organization work over the next five years. Tellingly, 0% of
respondents said that technology would drive no change over that
period.
Additional findings highlight how other types of technology
could also profoundly change the way we work, our job satisfaction,
and also who – or what – we work with:
- Technology is now 'one of us': 84% of respondents say
they would be comfortable working alongside intelligent machines
with 73% agreeing that the term 'workforce' should include both
human employees and intelligent machines. Sixty-one percent say
they would even be happy being managed by an intelligent machine.
Employees are also playing a leading role in driving the use of
technology as a force for change within businesses. Sixty-six
percent of respondents said employees are asking for better
technology to improve the way they work, while 76% agreed that
increased use of technology is improving employee
satisfaction.
- Low-code is on the rise: 82% of respondents say IT
should provide platforms and systems that allow employees to build
and implement their own technology solutions. Meanwhile, more than
half of respondents (55%) say that either 'everyone' or 'the
majority' of the workforce within their industry will need low-code
skills in the next five years.
- Intelligent automation can save time and improve
creativity: Eighty per cent say that intelligent
automation is helping them to reduce human workloads, with more
than one third (36%) saying it has already saved them between one
and nine working hours per week over the last two years. Almost
half (47%) say they are using the additional time to do more
creative activities such as ideation and innovation. Forty-four per
cent say they are using the additional time to conduct more
analysis and critical thinking tasks.
Quotes & Commentary:
"What this study makes clear is that technology is one of the
top trends shaping the future of work," said Jacob Morgan, best-selling author, futurist and
founder of FutureofWorkUniversity.com. "In my own research, in
which I've interviewed over 140 of the world's top CEOs, it's
become apparent to me that every company today is a technology
company – whether they know it or not. What this means is that
every leader needs to be a technology-driven leader. If your
organization doesn't think about and plan for the future of work,
then it will have no future. And neither will you for that
matter!"
"The events of the last few months have shone a light on the
important role technology can play in enabling collaboration and
'business-as-usual' practices when disruptive events take place,"
said Don Schuerman, CTO,
Pegasystems. "Organizations must invest in transformational
technologies such as intelligent automation, AI, and cloud services
or potentially face even worse consequences when the next
disruptive event hits – it's now non-negotiable. Businesses were
understandably unprepared for the impact a global pandemic could
have on their operations, but when the next global disruption
occurs, there'll be no excuse and no place to hide as
technology-proofed competitors jostle to pick up their lost
customers."
Supporting Resources:
Read Pega's 'The Future of Work: New Perspectives on Disruption
& Transformation' report here:
https://www.pega.com/future-of-work
Download an infographic here:
https://www.pega.com/insights/resources/how-future-work-changed-2020-global
Notes to Editors
Pega surveyed more than 3000 senior managers and frontline IT
staff working globally in Financial Services, Healthcare,
Insurance, Manufacturing, Communications, and the Public Sector.
The results include responses from the
United States & Canada,
United Kingdom, France, Germany, the
Netherlands, Singapore,
Hong Kong, China, Japan and Australia.
Jacob Morgan is a Pega-sponsored
influencer.
About Pega
Pega is the leader in cloud software for
customer engagement and operational excellence. The world's most
recognized and successful brands rely on Pega's AI-powered software
to optimize every customer interaction on any channel while
ensuring their brand promises are kept. Pega's low-code application
development platform allows enterprises to quickly build and evolve
apps to meet their customer and employee needs and drive digital
transformation on a global scale. For more than 35 years, Pega has
enabled higher customer satisfaction, lower costs, and increased
customer lifetime value. For more information on Pegasystems
(NASDAQ: PEGA) visit www.pega.com.
Press Contact:
Jon
Brigden
Pegasystems
jon.brigden@pega.com
Twitter: @pega
All trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
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SOURCE Pegasystems Inc.