The year 2020 began with Brexit, as the United Kingdom ceased to be a part of the EU. Businesses across the UK (and Europe) now need to grapple with the upcoming changes brought on by this event. By March 2020 the Brexit topic was pushed backstage with the news of global pandemic COVID-19. As businesses and organisations continue to cope with both these events and the upcoming effects on the economy, it is becoming more evident that automation is the key to sustain and manage businesses in the post-Brexit era, post-pandemic era.

Over the past few years, it has been clear that businesses, especially government agencies need to adopt automation of their processes to keep up in the digital era. Information and data are the most important currency for any organisation and having smooth data and workflow systems result in increased efficiency, productivity and cost savings as well as creating a future-ready organisation. The current pandemic scenario provides further affirmation, where remote-working employees are relying heavily on digital systems to ensure business continuity.

The transition phase, ideal for change

With the transition brought on by Brexit, and the rapidly shifting business dynamics brought on by the pandemic, organisations in the UK and Europe are trying to find ways to establish the new order. The right automation decisions at this point will set your organisation on path of becoming a more agile, evolved business prepared to thrive in the ever-changing digital age.

Business process automation is getting more traction due to restrictions brought on by Brexit as well as the impact of COVID-19 on business organisations. As the cost of resources goes up due to the restrictions, it would be easier, faster and more cost efficient to automate systems and create programs that do the job.

For most organisations, automation begins in the non-core but crucial systems. Take an example of the mailroom that handles your post and parcels, initiating workflow automation in this department can not only transform your information management systems but also save you large sums. Exela’s Digital Mail centres in the UK are helping the Government to deliver Digital Transformation across a range of citizen services. Today, more businesses are realising the need to digitise and prepare for eventualities such as COVID-19.

Document digitisation and automation in the mailroom

Papers, forms, letters, claims, reports, receipts, manuals and more; every government or public
office deals with thousands of documents every single day. The UK customs office currently handles 55 million declarations annually, it is estimated that post Brexit this number will rise to 255 million annually. That’s an increase of more than 363% in the number of documents to be managed. There is no doubt that automation is the only way forward.

With mailroom automation, the post and paper (or any kind of document) can be digitised, sorted, indexed and made searchable to ensure swift workflow. It can also be delivered to the right person or department to enable quick decision making and information gathering.

Creating data streams for information management

The digitised, searchable and accessible data powers all the information systems within your organisation. But it’s not just about the data captured from paper. Data across web portals, interfaces and online data feeds into the information systems creating data repositories that become the hub of business intelligence and business insights. These insights can bring about a radical change in how you address customer and public queries or handle their requirements. With the right data you keep a finger on the pulse of your organisation.

The Brexit-COVID aftereffects

One of the biggest changes that Brexit brings will affect the workforce. The regulations and point based immigration systems mean that businesses that need blue collar workers will have to pursue other options. Yes, the rules will be modified eventually (maybe in 2 to 3 years) but usually the business need is immediate, and the solution the businesses decide on now, should be long term.

Here’s how automation can resolve this. For every mailroom operation handled by 10 people, Exela’s Digital Mailroom, with its software driven robots, programmes and knowledge workers can manage the operations with 6 people, which can be further optimised. The other solution is to completely outsource the incoming documents to our facilities across the UK, EU or the rest of the world. With the right decisions, organisations can free up space, create smooth workflows, build efficient information streams and save significant costs, time and effort. In the current scenario, with employees working from remote locations, a solution such as Digital Mailroom with its digital delivery of paper mail is becoming crucial for businesses that receive time-sensitive important documents including payments and payment advices through the mail.

Opportunity beyond Brexit

The government has called out for innovation as a solution to managing the workforce issues. Mailroom automation is a small part of what a business process automation company such as Exela can do. Our software and services provide a range of solutions that can transform departments and businesses across various industries. Through technology platforms and automation modules, Exela rapidly deploys integrated technology and operations as an end-to-end digital journey partner.

The story we’ve been telling for years now resonates deeply with what is being said by the UK government. This historic turn of events doesn’t stop with the government, it’s also an important point of decision for businesses and organisations. And what you decide today will alter the future of your organisation.

To stay ahead of the Brexit aftermath and to know more how we can drive your business transformation get in touch with our team today.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/exela-technologies/
Tel:
01279 645000
Email:
simon.stackhouse@exelatech.com
Website:
http://www.exelatech.com

This article was originally published on Government Business

As humans, our obsession with predicting the future has been a constant throughout history. Ancient Chinese farmers developed perhaps the first predictive “technology” when they created a solar calendar to forecast climate changes. Fast-forward to the 1940s, when we saw far more advanced predictive analytics that helped British intelligence decipher German encryption and reveal plans of attack. In the late 90s, the Oakland Athletics and general manager Billy Beane changed professional baseball forever by using predictive analytics to build a competitive team with a small budget.

Innovative technology has been our only avenue for prophesying. But though predictive technology is only as effective as current science and engineering developments allow, that hasn’t stopped humans from holding lofty visions for a high-tech future. In 1930, John Maynard Keynes predicted that productivity advancements would shrink his children’s future workweeks to 15 hours. And at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, visitors stepped into a futuristic world where cities were encased in climate-controlled domes and they could fly to work using “gyrocopters.”

Today, we know these wild predictions didn’t come to pass. But to understand why -- and to find out how accurate predictions can benefit us now -- we need to analyze the factors essential to successful predictive technology. To do so, we’ll examine the ways in which advancements in predictive technology currently impact our lives through different industries.

The Predictive Technology Of Today And Beyond

Data is the lifeblood of predictive technology. Before computers, we had no way to collect and store the amount of raw information needed for accurate predictions. A lack of computing power also meant that even if we had the data, we wouldn’t have been able to glean actionable insights from it. More importantly, though, predictions like those made at the Seattle World’s Fair were so often inaccurate because people were able to make predictions only based on historical data.

As the CEO of a business process automation company, I’ve long studied predictive technology and how we can harness it to create more accurate visions. Thanks to sophisticated language processing and deeper artificial intelligence, we can now make predictions based on completely unstructured data from various sources and use it to answer abstract, ambiguous questions.

Here are different ways three industries are adopting new forms of predictive technology to improve our lives.

1. Serve Better, More Relevant Advertisements

Artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive technology have completely transformed the way advertisers and marketers work. Targeted advertising began by brands leveraging basic data (such as previously purchased products, location and age) to serve more specific ads: deploying snow removal ads only to people who live in cold climates, for example, or life insurance ads only to those over the age of 40.

Today, consumer profiles are much more advanced, as we’re able to gather more data from multiple sources and use AI to fill in data gaps. For example, a system could learn how old I am, where I live, where I attended school and what kind of car I drive. AI could then predict my salary based on those factors and serve me ads based on my income.

These data aggregation and predictive systems can get even more sophisticated with hyper-targeted ads that include everything from the specific color of products to what time of day is likely the best to get a response to what copy is likely to resonate with a particular person.

2. Build More Efficient Communal Spaces

When I see inefficient design throughout my city, I recognize an opportunity for predictive analytics to make a positive impact. I’ve sat at countless traffic lights, frustrated that even though there’s no cross traffic, my light remained red. Using predictive analytics and measuring vehicle and pedestrian traffic to coordinate traffic lights, public transportation, and even pedestrian crosswalks could trigger immense gains in convenience and efficiency of community design -- and safety would be boosted as well.

Similar data could further increase community safety in helping to allocate emergency services resources more efficiently by predicting how many officers should be on duty at one time and where they should be assigned. Similarly, it can help determine where to build fire stations and whether an area has adequate access to health services.

Predictive technology can also enhance efficiency and reduce costs in construction. Bentley Systems and Topcon Positioning Group coined the term “constructioneering” to refer to automating digital construction processes that would build safer, more efficient communities. By pulling in data from multiple sources, digital 3D models can be shared with machines, operators, supervisors, civil engineers, and project owners to improve construction execution and cut costs.

3. Improve Health Outcomes Worldwide

Predictive analytics can also help us forecast and mitigate infectious diseases, such as the annual flu outbreak, based on community risk factors and individual illnesses. Biobot Analytics, for instance, uses robotic devices to collect sewer water -- a surprisingly rich data source -- and analyze waste for illness, chemicals, drug use and viral markers. As a result, epidemiologists can better gauge a community’s overall health and determine its risk for future disease outbreaks.

Automated predictive technology can also improve individuals’ health outcomes. Rather than rely on historical patient data and singular experiences to diagnose and treat patients, predictive systems can aggregate data from a broad spectrum of symptoms, historical patterns, patient data and treatments to help physicians better determine the cause of illness and most effective treatments.

Though predictive technology has been around in some capacity throughout history, it’s only in recent years that automation, AI and machine learning have begun to improve the way we predict the future. As science and engineering continue to advance, so will predictive technology, and though I don’t see us driving gyrocopters any time soon, automated predictive technology is set to transform our lives in big ways.

This article was originally published on May 13,2019 on Forbes For more up-to-the-minute Exela news, bookmark the Exela Blog. To learn more about Exela’s rapidly deployable business process automation solutions, check out our Solutions page.

My experience in business process automation has given me firsthand exposure to the kind of job displacement that’s possible as new technologies emerge. As I (and others) have said, we’re in the midst of another industrial revolution, and things will be different this time around.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, machines heavily impacted manual labor, but this time, knowledge workers will be more directly affected. Today’s tech is already smart enough to take on more cognitive tasks, and it’s only going to get smarter. However, this doesn’t mean human workers will become obsolete. Companies just need to put employees to work in new ways — ways business and tech leaders might not expect.

The New Wave of Automation Innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way. Machines can now summarize writing and even construct entire articles. They can’t exactly replicate profound literature, but they do more than string a list of words together. Both The New York Timesand Washington Post have generated content using automation, and some media outlets are even using AI to explore creative writing. Likewise, adaptive AI systems can understand human speech and provide detailed answers to complex questions. This often requires the ability for machines to sift through large amounts of data for relevant information.

New AI machines can also determine the causes of illness as effectively — or even more effectively — than physicians. In 2018, physicians in Beijing competed against AI system BioMind to diagnose brain tumors and predict hematoma expansions. BioMind finished diagnosing 225 potential cases in about 15 minutes with 87% accuracy. A team of 15 doctors from top Chinese hospitals finished in 30 minutes with only a 66% success rate.

What Cognitive AI Means for the Workforce

Humans still have an edge on machines in certain higher-level cognitive work — at least for now.

Every industry still needs critical thinkers with problem-solving capabilities. As we move forward, businesses will continue to demand more IT system architects and security experts to ensure machines work properly and manage data correctly. Additionally, because many customers still prefer speaking to humans over chatbots, findings by McKinsey & Company project future demand for social skills to increase by 26% in the United States — something machines aren’t likely to master anytime soon.

Still, as the above examples show, the potential for AI-powered automation is widespread. With automation expanding quickly into the realm of knowledge work, the future of the human job landscape is increasingly uncertain. Tech’s emulation of human cognition continues to make human labor less cost-effective by comparison. According to at least one estimation, automation could replace nearly half of all jobs in the next few decades. History has shown us how this can happen, but the industrial revolutions of the past shifted workers away from manual trades toward more cognitively-demanding work. This next wave will likely have the opposite effect. As AI takes on more knowledge work, workers will be pushed into more manual pursuits, like those in the service industry. In fact, this trend is already taking shape: 43% of recent college graduates are underemployed, meaning they have jobs that don’t require a degree.

These are all considerations that today’s business leaders (and future employees) consider as they prepare for the business world of tomorrow. As cognitive AI continues to develop, skills that are in demand are likely to change and new skills gaps are likely to emerge. The following strategies will help you take stock of your business needs before the full effects of this advanced tech manifest.

1. Discuss capabilities with your tech team. Considering that data handling will likely be a major component of the future of automation, you’ll want to discuss your data capabilities with your CTO and IT management group. The first step is knowing who you’ll need to bring onto your team. For instance, data scientists are rapidly becoming more necessary. While automation platforms crunch numbers, data scientists are still required to manage those systems and adjust software to address changing needs. Data scientists can also identify gaps in data storage space and transmission architecture or assist with integrations between systems and languages. They’ll continue to be valuable in these areas, which well-functioning automation heavily depends on.
    
2. Focus on social, emotional, analytical and strategic skills. It’s true today — and will continue to be in the future — that human employees tend to be more valuable when they have high social and emotional intelligence. This is especially true of effective managers, sales team members, client and customer relationship specialists and just about everyone in between. Some other areas that will have reliably stable value are creative ideation, problem-solving, strategic thinking and business development. Keep this set of defining human characteristics in mind when hiring. Many of these “soft” skills will always be in demand, and humans should continue to have an edge in these areas for the foreseeable future.
    
3. Search for forward thinkers. Arguably, the most important investment you can make in emerging technology has nothing to do with the technology itself — but in those excited about its trajectory. Forward-thinking hires who aren’t afraid of automation and who want to embrace its potential immediately are an asset for any company. Gear your interview questions toward AI’s future. Be as specific as possible to gauge understanding of current AI, especially when hiring for IT director-type positions. Once you have those positions locked down, you can let new hires decide who to bring on to best round out the team. The last thing you want is for those in tech-facing leadership positions to be ignorant of what’s to come.

When it comes to quickly advancing technology, simply going along with a trend once it’s developed won’t lead to success. You have to stay ahead of it. Both employers and future employees need to be thinking about the evolution of automation and what it will mean for business. Technology advances exponentially, so it won’t be long before speculation becomes reality. Where will you be standing when that happens?

This article was originally published on July 26th, 2019 on Forbes

For more up-to-the-minute Exela news, bookmark the Exela Blog. To learn more about Exela’s rapidly deployable business process automation solutions, check out our Solutions page.