Automated workflows are often praised for their cost-effectiveness, their accuracy and their ability to integrate into complex workflows. All of this is true. With automated systems, employees spend less time fixing errors and inputting data. Employee productivity increases and communication across silos improves. All of this allows employees to allot their energy to human-centered endeavors. While automation sounds excellent, what if employees aren't certain how to use the newly available time in their schedules?

Here are a few business matters that only humans can attend to, for now.

Polish a Narrative

Although artificial intelligence and automation are fast becoming capable of learning and applying new information, machine learning is currently incapable of creating a narrative. Researchers have found that automated systems can predict outcomes and can reason through problems, but they cannot tell a story. An automated system (like auto-correct or auto-complete) might be able to finish your sentences, but it cannot finish a paragraph. 

While automated systems are engaged in rote work and repetitive reasoning, employees have time to create presentations, connect with leads and communicate with stakeholders in compelling and meaningful ways.

Summarize Reports 

Automated systems don't appreciate nuance. This is one reason why they are so beneficial. Computers stick to the facts. But to automated systems, all facts are equal. To provide nuance, some computer scientists have created sentence scoring algorithms. Automated systems score sentences based on how likely they are to be important. Though they can hash out some pieces of information, the result is often a hodge-podge of loose, grammatically incorrect sentences.

Humans understand nuance and are able to highlight and summarize relevant pieces of information. Human employees also understand how to tailor summaries for specific audiences, and with automation in place these human employees will have more time to read, assess and summarize reports.

Incorporating automated systems into your workflow allows employees to spend time creating connections with customers, co-workers and leads. It also allows those in technical fields the time they need to pursue more complex tasks.

To find out how automated systems can improve your employees' productivity, please contact us.