Robotic Process Automation can help companies execute various business processes quickly and accurately at reduced costs with less need for human intervention than ever before but there has also been some fears around robots replacing the human workforce.
But is this suggestion realistic? Can robots steal jobs currently being performed by humans? These “robots” are exist within their own right but they are not here to negate the need for humans in the workplace. Experts suggest the complete replacement of human employees by robots is not likely to happen and that RPA is much more likely to contribute to potential job reallocation and even job creation. Experts also suggest that RPA will alter the way humans perform current job functions.
But how will job functions be altered you may ask? First, let’s cover off discussion surrounding job elimination, the impact of RPA on the ways we work, and who is impacted by RPA.
Worries of Job Elimination
Let’s be honest, RPA does have the possibility to impact jobs in some manner, but the capabilities do not allow it to entirely replace the need for a human workforce.
Consulting firm McKinsey & Company suggests that “currently demonstrated technologies could automate 45 percent of the activities people are paid to perform and that about 60 percent of all occupations could see 30 percent or more of their constituent activities automated.”
Based on the above statistics; in the next 10 years RPA is much more likely to replace specific tasks than an employee’s actual position. Ideal processes for RPA automation are rules-based and repetitive tasks, such as, copy-paste and order processing. Despite the impact RPA can have, many tasks still require humans to complete them. The robots are not yet capable of automating certain traits unique to humans such as, problem solving, creativity, and human interaction.
RPA still needs support from humans to be successfully implemented. Humans are the only ones who can determine processes suitable for automation and to monitor the performance of the robots. The technology is not yet able to operate without human intervention nor is it able to reproduce the higher-level thinking and actions of which humans are capable. Due to all these reasons, anxiety about RPA replacing the need for a human workforce is irrelevant.
Changes in How We Work
RPA will cause changes in the way we work, but what exactly does this mean?
