Man and Machine – The Digital Employee

We live in a world of constant change, where technology is advancing faster than ever — and where our role as humans keeps evolving right along with it.

Are we making the most of this shift — one where people and technology complement each other to create truly effective collaboration?

Are you keeping pace with these changes, so your own strengths are put to their best possible use?

By Stefan Dahlgren, 1. oktober, 2021

Table of content

1. The Power of Humanity

2. The Human Interface

3. The Digital Colleague

4. No More Excuses

The Power of Humanity

We humans are remarkable in so many different ways. Think about the range of qualities and skills that exist in each individual — traits that look a little different from person to person, yet share a common purpose: combining our strengths and experiences to solve the situations we face.

Humans, and the way we live, are constantly evolving — which means we’re often facing new challenges. These challenges push us to keep looking for new tools that make everyday life easier and help us tackle what’s ahead.

From the invention of the wheel to the use of robots in industry, progress has come a long way — and it keeps moving forward fast.

The Human Interface

Administrative processes have advanced too — we’ve traded pen and paper for increasingly digital ways of working. Many companies rely on multiple systems to support their processes. Unfortunately, these systems often struggle to communicate effectively with one another. As a result, we can no longer get the same value from our systems as before, and people end up acting as a human interface — bridging the integration gaps between different systems and stepping in wherever the workflow isn’t running smoothly.

System vendors are continually working to improve and automate their systems, but unfortunately, many companies remain stuck with customized solutions that are both time-consuming and costly to replace — leaving valuable human time spent simply monitoring and maintaining the flow.

So why not let a digital employee take on this job instead?

The Digital Colleague

By introducing a digital employee, you free up your employees’ time, reduce vulnerability, and boost quality by minimizing the risk of human error.

Imagine the workforce potential we could unlock if our employees had the time and freedom to focus on what humans do best. Tasks where strategic and big-picture thinking are valued, work where creativity, human connection, and empathy add real value to company relationships, and where proactivity, flexibility, and pragmatism are part of everyday life.

No More Excuses

Today, there’s really no excuse not to free up your employees’ time. The technology is already in place to put a digital employee to work.

So which tasks are best suited for a digital employee, and which for us humans? Digital employees are far better suited to repetitive, routine-based tasks, since they work quickly and accurately, and are alert and available around the clock.

Just like a human, a digital employee can carry out tasks such as:

Invoice processing
Performing reconciliations and documenting them
Maintaining master data
Handling onboarding, changes, and offboarding processes in the HR system
Order processing
Case handling
Testing, maintaining, and migrating IT applications
Performing checks

Whatever the task, it’s still the people on the team who remain responsible for the work — the difference is that the digital colleague is the one carrying it out.

Technological development is only going to continue, and as digital employees become part of the picture, administrative roles are shifting. The administrative employee is moving from performing tasks to taking on a more analytical, strategic role — one that creates greater value for the company.

Get inspired by automation and what a digital employee can do for your business. Read more on our website, or fill out the contact form and we’ll get in touch.

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Stefan Dahlgren

Stefan Dahlgren er Senior Consultant innenfor området Intelligent Automation på NORIAN Accounting AB. Han har jobbet i ledende stillinger og som konsulent innenfor økonomi i mange år, og har et sterkt fokus på utvikling og smarte løsninger. I de siste årene har Stefan jobbet med Intelligent Automation, primært med RPA (Robotics Process Automation).