In a hybrid work future, access to digitally savvy talent will be a critical component of successful digital transformation. However, the region is witnessing a severe shortage in this area, potentially hampering business growth. In Singapore, the current education system produces only 2,800 ICT graduates annually for an industry that will require 60,000 more within the next three years – leaving a concerning shortfall between supply and demand.
This shortfall is also taking a toll on organizations’ abilities to adopt critical technologies needed to advance their operations and adapt to a digital world. In 2020, IDC found that more than 85 percent of organizations in the Asia-Pacific region struggled to gain agility from cloud adoption because of barriers such as low competencies to support the journey.
Skilled migration as a talent source is one lever we currently cannot pull as international travel bans are in place for many countries and may continue for the foreseeable future.
In response to these challenges, organizations are turning to emerging technologies to remain competitive, ensure business continuity, and help address talent needs. Automation is one such technology that is shaking up the business landscape.
Unlocking economic advantage with automation
According to the International Federation of Robotics, Singapore is the most automated country in the world with 918 robots installed per 10,000 employees. South Korea (868 robots) and Japan (364 robots) come in second and third place, respectively. This momentum is expected to continue – our latest Enterprise Cloud Index revealed that 45 percent of respondents in Singapore see automation as a key priority for the next 12 to 18 months, higher than the global average of 31 percent. By reducing human intervention in processes such as deploying user environments, managing database lifecycle, and deploying cloud workloads, automation frees up scarce digital skills to focus on tasks that offer businesses a higher economic advantage.
Revamping IT with automation
The benefits of automation can also be applied to IT. By freeing up IT teams, they will be able to focus on projects that move the needle for the organization, which drives efficiency. Not to mention, when IT admins and engineers are reassigned to more high-level, engaging activities, they benefit from nurturing their skills. And for businesses overall, improved employee retention is likely, in addition to economic advantages.
RBL Bank in India for example have reaped the benefits of automating routine IT tasks, which then freed up resources to support other areas of the business such as catering to the growing customer demand. With automation, they were empowered to respond faster to new opportunities, onboard new customers quicker than before and compete effectively in the financial services industry.
In light of rapid change driven in response to the pandemic, businesses are reviewing their digital transformation plans and reassessing how strategic IT investments can drive business growth. Organizations must continue to tackle challenges with innovation and optimize business processes, and automation is a key factor in this.
Whether it be to close the digital skills gap, save costs, or realize more long-term benefits for your company, there are plenty of reasons to consider automation across your IT environments.
