8 ways that technology is changing the way work is done

Introduction

Emerging technologies—such as arti?cial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR)—are reshaping the future of work. Across industries and countries, these technologies will affect what jobs will be available and what skills will be essential in the years to come.

Understandably, many workers fear being replaced by machines. But the Asian Development Bank estimates that more jobs will be created than displaced in key Southeast Asian industries because of the adoption of these technologies, and the resultant blurring of boundaries between digital, physical, and biological—a hallmark of the ongoing fourth industrial revolution.

Companies are already ramping up investments. A Gartner survey found that, across all technology domains, 58% of respondents increased or were planning to boost their investments in emerging technologies in 2021. Companies are also deploying these tools faster than they did in 2020.

These technologies are changing how employees work and how organisations operate. The transformations extend to the world of human resources (HR), with HR teams experimenting with new digital tools and novel ways of doing old tasks.

From companies that can operate from anywhere in the world, to processes powered by blockchain, data, and virtual reality (VR), it’s clear that the way we work is undergoing a meaningful shift. Here are a few key trends to watch.

1 The rise of Anywhere Operations

During the pandemic, many companies learned that the ability to operate even without access to an o?ce or any physical work site made them more resilient to disruptions. Cloud technology and other digital tools are making this possible.

“Anywhere operations” allows businesses to run as decentralised enterprises unencumbered by physical location. Some may do fully remote arrangements, others may opt for hybrid operations that mix on-site and remote work.

This model also enables “anywhere talent,” or the ability to widen your talent pool and hire people from other cities, even other continents. This can protect your organisation from talent shortages and other location-speci?c hiring challenges.

By 2023, a Gartner study estimates that 40% of organisations will have hybrid operations, resulting in improved employee productivity and customer reach.

2. Massive Cloud Migrations

The Western world may have embarked on its cloud journey earlier, but Asia Paci?c is catching up fast. Companies in the region are now migrating to the cloud at a faster pace than those in the US and Western Europe, a Boston Consulting Group and Amazon Web Services (AWS) study found.

Currently, cloud services make up 5% of the average IT budget in the region; this could double by 2023, according to the report.

One of the most notable cloud initiatives in Asia Paci?c is the Singapore government’s ?ve-year migration roadmap. Launched in 2018, the roadmap outlines Singapore’s plan to move most of its on-premise information technology (IT) infrastructure to a commercial cloud service in order to enhance the quality and e?ciency of public service. As of June 2021, the government has migrated almost 600 systems to the cloud.

According to GovTech, the agency that oversees the migration, using the cloud allows for quick and scalable development of applications and services for citizens, and also strengthens their systems’ overall cybersecurity and data security.

Tax administration and revenue collection services, for instance, can be made more e?cient. Singapore’s tax system runs on the Inland Revenue Interactive Network (IRIN), serving almost ?ve million entities and 2,000 o?cers every year. Upon full migration to the government commercial cloud, the entire tax process (from assessment to payment) will become simpler and easier to manage. The cloud-based system will also integrate more readily with corporate taxpayers’ existing accounting software.??

Other services that will be hosted on the cloud include the Smart Water Meter Programme of the Public Utilities Board, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s Integrated Regulatory Info System.

3. AI gets conversational

Companies are also increasingly deploying virtual assistants and bots to improve their interactions with customers. This helps make the customer experience more consistent and e?cient, and eases the burden on customer-facing employees.

But in a region as diverse as Southeast Asia, localisation is key. Some chatbots may come across as too generic or robotic, and they typically follow American English.

Singapore-based conversational voice AI startup WIZ.AI hopes to address this gap with their smart talkbot that understands Singlish, Mandarin, Manglish (Malaysian English), Filipino, Bahasa Indonesia, and English. The startup’s clientele includes telcos, banks, ?nancial institutions, insurance companies, healthcare organisations, logistics ?rms, and e-commerce companies. Co-founder Jennifer Zhang says that their solution has helped clients improve customer service quality at scale and reduce costs.

Within organisations, conversational chatbots are also helping HR teams deliver services to current and potential employees. AI can turn mundane HR tasks—such as those that require a lot of data entry, for instance—into self-service ones that employees can complete at their own pace. AI can also assist in talent acquisition by helping HR teams quickly and more systematically process high volumes of applications.??

These improvements free up HR staff’s time for higher-level tasks that drive more value for the organisation.

4. Optimising operations through the Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT)—essentially a network of sensors and processors embedded in physical objects, allowing for the ?uid exchange of information between devices and systems—is already streamlining operations in various industries. Many companies in manufacturing, construction, and agriculture are enjoying operational e?ciencies and cost savings thanks to IoT solutions.

The technology is also helping an international chain of serviced residences boost energy e?ciency and cut costs at one of its Singapore locations. The property suffered from energy wastage because, about 35% of the time, occupants would leave their lights and air conditioning on even when they step out. This resulted in additional costs equivalent to almost 50% of each?unit’s monthly electricity costs. To curb this, the company deployed Singtel’s IoT Sense solution, which switches the lights and air conditioning off whenever the sensors detect that a room is unoccupied.

5. Hyperautomation and personalisation

Companies are automating what they can to free up employees’ time for more complex work, and this trend will continue in the years to come. In fact, a Gartner survey found that 88% of mid-sized companies plan to deploy hyperautomation technologies to improve their processes. These automations will be powered by machine learning, AI, and robotic process automation (RPA).

Even the Singapore government is putting robots to work. Since 2019, several of the city-state’s agencies have been deploying RPA to automate tedious, repetitive, high-volume tasks across human resources, ?nance and procurement, and business and operations. RPA mimics and learns from human actions. It can perform things like consolidating reports, moving data from a spreadsheet to an email template, and sending out emails in bulk.

At the Public Service Division, bots were introduced to help onboard new hires. This reduced the time it took to assign new employees a laptop, a phone number, and an access card from 76 minutes to just 7.5 minutes. Previously, three separate teams handled these tasks.

But no matter how exciting launching new tools can be, it’s crucial to keep in mind that digitalisation and automation are not just about technology. As we point out in our Digital Transformation Playbook, the right skills, processes, and mindset are equally important.

6. Immersive workplaces in the metaverse

The line between the physical and the digital is blurring, with the two worlds amalgamating into a shared virtual space known as the “metaverse.” Enterprises are straddling this same boundary through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

IBM reports that companies using AR are already reporting average productivity improvements of 32% and a 46% decrease in the time it takes to complete tasks.

And in the second half of 2020, Asia Paci?c spending on AR and VR picked up, led by the education sector, retail, and discrete manufacturing, according to an IDC report. Much of this growth is a direct consequence of the pandemic, with organisations experimenting with AR and VR to sustain their operations amidst restrictions.

Educational institutions gave virtual teaching a shot, as did companies that wanted to create an engaging training experience. Fraunhofer Singapore, for example, is doing VR training to provide trainees with immersive learning environments.

By 2024, IDC expects the top use cases to include emergency response, videography, diagnostics, on-site assembly and safety, and retail showcasing.

7. Data-driven mental wellness

Mental wellness was a salient topic during the pandemic. As more and more people dealt with negative experiences and feelings of isolation, conversations surrounding mental health became more commonplace. Several studies already point to an uptick in mental health issues in 2020.

The discussions weren’t just con?ned to social circles; companies started to take notice, too. To help care for their employees’ mental wellness, companies turned to digital platforms such as SafeSpace, Intellect and Joye in Singapore. These platforms deliver wellness support through an app. Most of them also offer a wider range of features for their corporate clients.

Using data gathered through digital platforms, employers can identify patterns in their employees’ wellbeing and provide relevant support. Data-driven mental wellness is one of the top 10 emerging HR technologies that we cite in our Digital Transformation Playbook.

8. Blockchain-based background verification

Another top trend that we highlight in our Digital Transformation Playbook is blockchain-based background checks. To speed up the hiring process and make it more secure, HR teams are experimenting with blockchain-based background veri?cation. This takes advantage of blockchain’s immutability—all transactions are recorded, and nothing can be erased.

Blockchain can be applied to many other uses. Singapore, for instance, developed a blockchain-based platform OpenCert that stores digital certi?cates for graduates of local universities and other educational institutions. This gives employers a reliable, publicly veri?able way to check potential employees’ educational quali?cations. It also reduces schools’ costs associated with manually verifying each certi?cate.

Conclusion

We’re already seeing how emerging technologies are changing the way we work; they will continue to do so for years to come.

In the future, work will blend the physical, digital, and biological realms. To keep up with these changes, organisations must think hard about their digital transformation journey. But to truly make the most of the future of work, companies must also reimagine their skills, processes, and adopt a digital-?rst organisation culture.