Automation will eliminate repetitive jobs

Accenture announced the global rollout of an intelligent automation platform called ‘myWizard’ that enables smarter, more innovative and more efficient application services consisting of systems integration, application development, and management. The platform combines Accenture’s industry and technology assets and business knowledge across 40 industries and myWizard supports productivity improvement for clients by employing a team of virtual agents, powered by artificial intelligence, to analyze data, identify patterns and guide human workers to make better-informed decisions.

In an exclusive interview to DATAQUEST, Bhaskar Ghosh, Group Chief Executive—Accenture Technology Services elaborates on intelligent automation and how it will disrupt enterprise computing. Excerpts.

Can you talk more on Intelligent Automation?

We have launched the ‘Intelligent Automation’ platform to enable a liquid architecture. The new platform brings together numerous proprietary Accenture industry assets, including intelligent and analytics tools and methods, as well as tools from across Accenture’s alliance partner ecosystem. Organizations can use Accenture myWizard and achieve approximately 60% more productivity gains by automating task-related work and enabling them to focus on more strategic work.

Accenture is recognized for its extensive industry knowledge and technology capabilities. By bringing leading technologies together in an automation platform and enabling it with artificial intelligence, we are poised to dramatically impact productivity, decision-making and cost and operational improvements for our clients. So it’s a blend of technology, industry, analytical, cognitive and AI assets and powering it with a virtual agent.

How does it change the scheme of things?

Well, there are certain jobs, which are manual and repetitive. Here is where intelligent automation will have a disruptive impact. I think manual repetitive jobs will be eliminated as automation takes further root.

Does automation lead to layoffs?

On the contrary to this perception, we believe automation will usher in more quality IT to be delivered to the clients. Beyond the small portion of repetitive job roles, IT has a whole lot of non-repetitive tasks. But that said, what automation- like myWizard brings to the table is a new approach to problem-solving, decision-making, crunching data, faster delivery, quality output and the whole lot of other deliverables that are not possible in a conventional development approach.

Why the need for automation now?

When you look at the history of the Indian IT industry - last 15 years -it was dominated by two values: one is globalization and the second one is industrialisation. And now it’s all about ‘intelligence’ and the next 10 years it is all about intelligence and innovation.

Moreover, the role of IT is also changing. In the past, it was about managing a business. But today it is not about only managing business, it is also about growing the business as well. So we are seeing the emergence of platforms aimed at driving more growth. The most important development practices today are aspects like continuous delivery, agile development, speed to market, better business outcomes et al. And this is the crux of our intelligent automation initiatives and gives us the leverage to achieve these divergent development practices and client deliverables.

IT outsourcing is a crowded market, where do you think Accenture’s sweet spot comes in?

Our sweet spot is that we deliver more business outcomes. We add significant value to the clients by providing them a well meshed IT architecture.

Can you talk about Indian operations?

India is very strategic location for us. We have 50 plus delivery centers across the world spread across 120 countries, and India houses our largest development centers and very strategic in terms of competencies and delivery capabilities. As a market, India is morphing into a very mature geography with huge opportunities spanning out in the realm of digital transformation that will drive growth in this part of the world.

On your vertical play

We operate across verticals such as Financial Services, Communication & Hi-tech, Health & Public Services, and Resources. In terms of revenue distribution, its very well balanced

What are your top 3 priorities?

I will summarize our priorities on three broad themes: automate to optimize, digitize to grow and modernize to make future ready.