A year in hindsight: How we perform work is being redefined before our very eyes

The way we get work done is being completely redefined before our very eyes. The rapid onset and maturity of smart automation and cognitive technologies is completely changing how organizations operate and interact with their customer, partners and employees. This irrevocable secular shift in business operations is unstoppable and the only way to compete effectively is to confront these impacts head on and work with our partners up and down our supply chains to establish effective ecosystems in this robotic age.

As new technologies – Robotic Process Automation (RPA), machine learning, artificial intelligence, digital labor – are rapidly reshaping the operations landscape, faster than many might wish, we have no choice but to venture outside our comfort zones to survive. Many organizations are left with little choice but to write off expensive legacy systems, obsolete processes and ways of working – these add negative value in the digital workplace and render many companies uncompetitive.

This secular shift in operations has thrust the practice of global outsourcing models into the spotlight – can the maturing of service providers, with all their global talent and technology help today’s enterprises cross this chasm in the brave new work of digital labor?

HfS Chief Analyst Phil Fersht takes you through his compendium of insights from the last 12 months, from the services and operations leading blog, www.horsesforsources.com.