Page 53 - Realcomm13-Final-LR

“RPA is the start of a dramatic change in the concept
of work as we know it today. It is the beginning of
an ethical dilemma the human race will soon not be
able to ignore, and will be a disruptor of an industry
that has thrived over the past 15 years.”

as you will need to consider factors such as onshore/offshore mix 4. If you’re not already talking about it, it is already too late
for BPO offerings as well as certain tasks still requiring a degree We’ve all heard the horror stories of disruptive events causing
of human intervention using RPA. However, according to KPMG, seemingly successful companies to go out of business. Robotic
while the benefits of a BPO labor arbitrage solution can typically Process Automation is the start of what could be one of the most
be between 15 to 30 percent, an RPA solution can deliver benefits disruptive events we have ever seen. Don’t find yourself being the
in the range of 40 to 75 percent. Blockbuster chain in the age of Netflix. If you are not already talking
In their current state robots cannot replace people one for one; about it, you’d better start—for it might already be too late.
they are more likely to take over smaller parts of many individuals’
basic tasks. However, as technology advances in the fields of ma- Dustin Strydom is responsible for the corporate direction and
chine learning and artificial intelligence, this will all change and strategy of Custom Software, including overseeing its business
with it the cost benefit of offshore outsourcing will be removed. development and client experience. Prior to joining Open Box,
Appetite for outsourcing is already waning according to KPMG. Dustin was involved as a deal transactor for a niche corporate
In India for example, the value of outsourcing deals shrank by 42 finance and private equity firm, after which he developed a taste
percent from 2010 to 2014 and over the same period the number for technology whilst structuring, shaping and pricing large,
of deals reduced by 61 percent. complex corporate transactions at Accenture. He joined Open Box to develop and
Concerns of quality issues, hidden costs, threats to security head up the Key Account Management function before moving into his current role.
and confidentiality, and being tied to the financial well-being of
another company, along with emerging countries’ rising labor
costs and a shrinking talent pool due to global demographic
trends, all seem to be contributing to the decline. Robotic Process
Automation allows companies to alleviate their concerns while
still getting a cost benefit and this could ultimately be done from
the same city. Some will argue that RPA will be complimentary to Rise Above the Ordinary
offshore BPOs. This may be the case in the medium term while
people are still required in the process for more cognitive think- Technology Evolves.
ing, but once the technology catches up, offshore BPO is dead So Should Your Building.
and outsourcing will live on in the form of software robots. Your InsideIQ partner identifies
the best new technology. We
3. It’s not going to make you popular but you are going to apply smart, emerging solutions
do it anyway that actually enhance building
RPA raises an interesting ethical dilemma: ultimately as robots performance.
take on the work of employees, people will lose their jobs. insideIQ.org
This dilemma goes even further when one considers the
future landscape of automation, when cognitive intelligence is
improved and added to the mix. The bottom line is that in the
not too distant future, the very concept of ‘work’ is going to be
challenged and we as the human race are going to have to make
some very hard choices. But without getting ahead of ourselves,
in today’s world, if you roll out a large-scale RPA program you will
quickly realize that your organization can function with far fewer
people—and this decision is going to make you very unpopular.
MEMBERS WORLDWIDE
The reality is the bottom line impact will be so significant that THOUSANDS OF PROFESSIONALS
you will have no choice but to do it anyway.

Realcomm 51