The future of work is now.
The way we work has changed dramatically in recent years. The rise of technology, unprecedented destabilizing change and the transformation of work itself have all had a profound impact on the way organizations operate. The future of work is already here.
As a result, the key dimensions of work — the what, who, when and where — are changing rapidly. To stay ahead of the curve, you need to adapt and transform work now and continually.
What is work transformation?
Work transformation is the process of:
- Assessing and redesigning work
- Optimizing organizational structures
- Forecasting the capabilities needed to succeed in this new world of work
Work transformation provides the what, who, when and where of how you achieve your purpose.
Through what, how and where work gets done
Why work transformation matters
Today, your business must adapt and innovate quickly to stay ahead of the competition. Work transformation enables you to do just that, adapting to shifting business directions and changing market dynamics.
35% of work will be done by automation in three years, almost twice as much as three years ago
Source: 2023 Global Dynamics of Work Survey
Cost reduction and efficiency improvement are also significant drivers of work transformation. Amid increasing cost pressures and heightened competition, you need to streamline your operations and optimize resources.
Work transformation empowers you to identify inefficiencies and remove redundant processes to create leaner structures. By automating routine tasks and leveraging technology for improved operational efficiency, you can minimize costs while enhancing productivity and overall performance.
Work models
Work models seek to understand the way organizations create value and provide services. It is the process of analyzing how activities are grouped and delivered, while considering the dynamics and evolving work environment and market requirements.
Work models define how work gets done in an organization, The work models — operating model, value chain and operational processes — you choose have implications across your organization. They have a significant impact on productivity, efficiency and employee engagement, and can affect your ability to respond to changing circumstances.
The right work model can foster innovation, reduce bottlenecks and duplication of effort, support employee productivity and wellbeing, and improve resiliency and sustainability. On the other hand, an outdated or ineffective work model can hinder performance, create silos and redundancies.
Ultimately, the purpose of work models in work transformation is to enhance a company’s operations and services.
Organizational design
Organizational design is the process of creating a structure that allows your organization to achieve its goals effectively. It involves defining employee roles and responsibilities, creating teams and departments, and establishing lines of communication and authority. We aim to understand the way work is organized, evaluate the best way to group it and clearly define the mandate of jobs and departments.
Workforce planning
Workforce planning is an ongoing process of ensuring that your organization has the right mix of people and other capabilities such as AI and robotics to meet its current and future operating needs. This often involves redesigning roles and responsibilities, reallocating resources and implementing new technologies to cater to the evolving needs of the business.
52% of employers expect to see opportunities to create value through new sources of talent
Source: 2023 Global Dynamics of Work Survey
When planning your workforce, we help you decide whether you should outsource, automate or consider gig workers. We’ll also help you forecast future workforce demand and supply, identifying talent gaps and technology and automation needs and developing strategies to address those needs.
How work transformation reduces risk
Failure to address work transformation comes with significant people, business and operational risks.
People risks
Evolving talent-market dynamics call for ongoing work transformation. The modern workforce is characterized by changing expectations, emerging skillsets and evolving career aspirations. You need to adapt your work models to attract and retain top talent by offering flexible work schedules, professional development opportunities and inclusive workplace cultures. Failure to meet your workforce’s demands can result in:
- Difficulty recruiting and retaining relevant talent, compromising the quality and expertise of the workforce
- Lower employee engagement and satisfaction, as individuals may feel detached and unmotivated in a stagnant work environment
- Obstacles to organizational growth and development
Business risks
From a business perspective, the consequences are equally profound. Neglecting work transformation reduces innovation, sustainability and resilience. Together, they make meeting market demands and evolving customer preferences more difficult for your business. This often culminates in a further decline in productivity due to redundancies and process bottlenecks, ultimately diminishing profitability. The associated inefficiencies and waste also increase costs.
Operational risks
Finally, overlooking work transformation exposes your organization to a myriad of operational risks, including:
- Cybersecurity
- Compliance risks
- General operational risks
Additionally, without the right mix of automated and manual processes, your organization could find maintaining business continuity during crises particularly difficult. You might even find meeting commitments during this period of transformation challenging.
Disruptive technologies
Finally, the advent of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence serves as a key driver of work transformation. Digitalization, automation and the proliferation of smart devices are reshaping traditional work processes and introducing new opportunities for efficiency and innovation. To leverage these technological advancements, you must transform your work practices, including how work is designed, delivered and measured. Embracing disruptive technologies requires you to upskill your workforce, adopt agile methods and develop a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
The time to address work transformation is now
While others may talk about the future of work, we recognize that time is already here. We are ready to help you address your organization's workforce needs today.
