August 20188 IN MY V EWTHE DIGITAL WORKPLACE: HOW AND WHEN DO BUSINESSES START?Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are two recent technological advancements which have greatly propelled the digital transformation of the workplace. Automation has replaced many administrative and operational tasks within offices, and AI is being used by cybersecurity companies to analyze network traffic patterns and detect attacks. Despite these benefits for organizations, both automation and AI have been viewed with some trepidation by employees. This is no surprise with studies reporting that up to 800 million jobs worldwide will be replaced by automation and how up to 50 million jobs in Asia are at risk from AI.Yet, not everything is doom and gloom. A recent survey revealed that 66 percent of employers in APAC believed automation can enhance human performance and productivity. But changes should start from the top and with support and buy-in from leadership, the path to transforming the workplace should be relatively straightforward. How should businesses begin?With more business transformation initiatives supported by AI, cloud computing and automation, employers have a plethora of options in their journey to build a digital workplace. From our experience working with a variety of local and regional businesses, we've learned that the best way to begin is to start small, but think big. Technology alone is not enough. A critical piece of digitization starts from within. People are at the core of such transformation and they are the crucial energy needed to drive successful digitization. To encourage their workforce to share the same digitization journey and vision, business leaders need to be specifically cognizant of individual employees and how they operate to provide a more engaging workplace. Thus, it is important to start the journey through transforming workspace before achieving greater success across organizations. Where to start: The foundation of a digital workplaceA true digital workplace goes beyond fancy pantries or biometric security systems. It enables users to share BY ANDREW TAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, JOS SINGAPORE Andrew Tan
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