>> From New York City, it's theCUBE!
Covering Automation Anywhere Imagine.
Brought to you by Automation Anywhere.
>> We're in Midtown Manhattan
at the Automation Anywhere Imagine Conference 2019.
Really excited to be here.
1,500 people talking about RPA, but really the RPA story
is much more than just robotic process automation.
It's really a new way to work,
which we hear about all over the place
and really re-imagining what this technology can do.
And we're excited to have our next guest.
She's Shelly Kramer, an analyst
and partner for Futurum Research.
Shelly, great to see you.
>> Great to see you, too.
And you got it!
>> I got it right. >> You got it right.
>> Excellent, well, you're a very busy lady.
You've got all kinds of stuff going on,
which is what we like.
So, first off, just kind of have you been here before,
general impressions of the show?
>> This is my first Automation Anywhere event
and so it's exciting.
I write a lot about RPA and about the future of work
and workforce transformation, so it's great to be here.
>> Yeah, and you just wrote not a super uplifting article
on LinkedIn about employee dissatisfaction
and some of the issues with employee retention.
We talked before we turned the cameras on
about things like calling them human resources
and human capital, they're people.
And I thought Mihir really touched on it well
in the keynote today that this is not a rip and replace
technology for people, this is a tool
to help us do our jobs better, just like our laptops
and our mobile phones and our applications.
So, are you excited about the opportunity?
Do you see this as transformative?
>> I do see it as transformative
and I think that before we talk about the technology,
that we have to talk about people.
And I'm pulling this out of my memory banks,
so, on average, about 82% of employees
within any organization are disengaged, okay, 82%.
>> So the ping-pong tables and the foosball tables
are not doing it? >> No.
And so when you think about it, an engaged workforce
are people who wake up in the morning,
or whenever it is they go to work,
and who are excited about what they're doing,
excited about the company they're working for,
love the culture that they're working within,
love all those things that they're doing.
And so when you realize that 82% of people are disengaged,
that's problematic. >> Right.
>> Then you're talking about the toughest talent acquisition
market that we've had in a really long time,
so we're all fighting for top talent,
not just top tech talent, but any kind of talent.
>> Right.
>> And so focusing on how we can make the workforce
better and create better cultures and put systems
and processes in place that can make people
do their jobs more efficiently,
more productively, and actually like them.
To me that's the beginning of where we get
to this technology piece and what our PA can do,
how AI plays a role in there, and how employees can partner.
You think of technology as a partner as opposed
to worrying about technology >> Right.
>> Replacing them, so I think it's an exciting time
in the workforce and when you think
about it that way it makes a lot of sense.
>> Do you think the difference in kind of the expectations
that people have when they go to work, to be engaged,
is a function of the Millennials
who are looking for something that's more mission-led?
Is it a function of just the competition
is so robust that before people could get away
with having maybe a less compelling work experience?
What do you think is driving the change or has it changed
and maybe now we're just paying more attention to it?
>> You know, I think it's changed it a little bit.
I think that you and I are old enough that when we were
coming of age and we were working our way
up the corporate ladder, you kind of sold a little bit
of your soul to the company store.
I mean, I grew up in advertising, right?
>> Right.
>> And you know, I worked crazy hours and I loved it
but I never questioned that there were dues
that I had to pay and that sort of thing.
And I think that people don't necessarily expect
the world on platter, but I think,
especially the more skilled you are,
whether it's knowledge of tech or whatever it is,
in today's market I think that we know,
and again it could be someone my age,
it could be someone that's 25,
it could be someone that's 40,
I can find something else.
So the minute this isn't doing it for me.
>> Right.
>> I can go find something else.
Now, that said, there are also people
who are punching a clock, you know what I'm saying?
And I don't mean shift workers necessarily
as much as I need to pay the mortgage,
I need to get my kids fed, I don't love this job.
Maybe it's a path to something.
One of my daughters works for an insurance company.
She has a very non-glamorous job.
She doesn't love it but she knows she has to do it
for X amount of time before she can be considered
for this different promotion and she is watching
the clock, literally, on getting to that milestone
and asking for her promotion
and if that doesn't happen, she'll leave.
So I think that when you can, people don't feel like
they need to be stuck. >> Right.
>> So I think that we as leaders and as executives
in the workforce, I think you always have to be
mindful about what the work environment
that you're creating is and focus on how do we get people
>> Right. >> And how to we fulfill
the value prop that we used when we enticed them to say yes
to our offer, how do we get them to stay?
>> So many things there.
But one of the things that you just mentioned
is I don't think they accept it like we did maybe
when we were coming up, which is, you know,
you hire somebody and you hire them for the attributes
that they're bringing into your organization
and it used to be then you give them
the employee rule book and you basically squash
kind of all the individual creativity
>> Right. >> And ingenuity and enthusiasm
which is why you hired them in the first place.
>> Right. >> And we don't see that
as much anymore but at the same token,
now everyone's worried about robots taking their job,
at the same time there's so many
unfulfilled reqs out there and as you said,
it's the most competitive labor market out there.
How are employers supposed to kind of square that circle?
Because they need to bring in the automation,
they want to keep the people happy,
it's a hyper competitive market and they need mission
but, you know, we got to pay the bills
>> Right. >> And get the products out.
>> I think that we can never forget that people
who work for our companies need
to pay the bills, too, right?
So when you can give them something
that they can be excited about to do, that helps, right?
But I'm thinking back to the presentation,
and I can't remember his name, but the VP of product
did a presentation today on mortgage loan application, okay?
That has to be one of the most boring things, right?
If you're in that mortgage loan processing.
Do this, do this, do this,
fill in this spreadsheet, blah blah blah.
By the way, I hate creating spreadsheets.
I just want to look at a finished one.
But anyway, it was so cool to just look at this,
and I shot a video of it and shared it on Twitter
if you want to see what I'm talking about,
but it was just so cool that you can do this,
and do this, and do this, and you create this process
and in no time the technology has done all the work
and all the calculations and you've got a recommendation.
Approved, not approved, and so if you're in the mortgage
loan business, the way to think about that,
at least the way that I think to think about it,
is it doesn't mean that your job is going to go away,
it's just like my daughter doing that not very exciting job
that she's doing, if automation could fuel some
of the mundane, repeatable, banal tasks
so that she could focus on the other part
of the equation where it's more interesting
and more exciting, I think then
that's really the value equation there.
But I think what businesses have to do is be transparent
and very honest with their employees
and tell them, you know, this is why we're doing this.
And this is what our PA means and this is
how it's going to add value and we're not doing this
to necessarily replace humans, this is so that we can make
this work better, >> Right.
>> More efficient, more, you know.
And I think that, I'll step back and say
from a personal example, we went through a process
last year where we evaluated all of our business processes
and we looked at how much time our employees were spending,
because we track time, doing certain tasks.
And we were realizing the value there.
We were actually paying too much in terms
of the time investment for tasks that didn't make sense.
So then, we set out integrating automation
into our processes and it was a big project.
>> Right.
>> And people were kind of worried, you know?
They were kind of worried about it.
But one of the things that we told them early on
was like, "This is not so that we don't have work for you.
This is so that we can make what it is you're doing
more efficient and you can do things you like better."
>> Right, right.
>> And that has happened and we didn't lose any of our team
and a lot of those tasks that they were doing
are now automated but they're doing stuff
that they like more. >> Right.
>> So I think that's really the challenge for businesses
is the messaging. >> Right.
>> And then involving your teams in the process
of deployment of any kind of technology.
>> Right, I think it's just the soul-crushing expression
is so valid for these types of activities.
And I think here I had a great stat,
4% of U.S. jobs require a medium level of creativity
which, you know, people want to get out from under that.
But if we can define it as a tool
and personal digital systems, my bot,
well that used to be just my Palm III was my PDA, right?
>> Right? >> Wow, no one was threatened
by the Palm taking the job away
so I think you're right, if we can put it in the context
of it's just another tool that's just going to help you
get your job done, that's a very different way
to frame the problem, versus kind of this rip and replace
narrative which we hear >> Right.
>> Kind of over and over again.
>> Well and I think it also goes beyond, Jeff,
and I think that employees at every level
have to understand this, it goes beyond
just helping you get your job done.
It really is about the companies that survive today
and tomorrow are the companies who transform.
And you know, we talk a lot about digital transformation
and I'm out there on the front lines
all day, every day, and I can promise you
there are many, many companies who are far
from really understanding and embracing this
and understanding what it takes
from a technology standpoint and the value that data adds
and how to use that data and the impact that
that has on customer experience
and all those sort of things.
So I think it really is about much more than
this will make your job suck less, right?
>> Right, right.
>> I think it's about this is how
our company stays successful.
This is how you help make your job and the role you play
within our organization what you want it to be.
>> Right. >> And I think that,
you can probably tell I'm in marketing
because I'm always thinking about how you spin something,
and I don't mean in a spin like a PR way,
but I think we all have to step back and think about it
in terms of the whole equation and there are a whole lot
of companies that don't exist anymore.
>> Right. Right. >> And whether you're talking
about the financial services sector
and every business everywhere is being disrupted.
I told a story, I was talking with Mihir earlier
this morning and I was telling him a story
about how my husband and I just bought a new car
and we expected to get a loan for that car
from our, it's not a community bank,
from our local bank. >> Your local bank.
>> Our local bank has been recently purchased
by a bigger bank in the last couple of years,
but we run all of our corporate money, I mean everything
that we've ever done is here in this bank.
And so we, of course, fill out the loan application
no problem, give us an interest rate no problem,
but they made every part, my husband and I both travel a lot
for business and every part of the process required us
to be somewhere together, to have an official closing,
to do this, to do that, and it was just like
we could never purchase this car
because they were making it so difficult for us.
So we ended up talking with the car dealer
who said, "We can fix you up."
Financed it through their banking partner,
which is a huge national bank, approved in five minutes,
loan documents in five minutes,
hey come on out, you sign this tomorrow,
he can sign this when he gets back.
>> Right. >> And when I talked
to my bank after the transaction I said,
"Here's the deal, I wanted to do business with you.
But when you make it difficult for a customer
to give your their money, they're not going to
hesitate to give somebody else their money."
>> Right.
>> So I think the banking industry is one example
of these processes that are so cumbersome
that in some ways can be automated,
but it just doesn't make sense
and customers today, you and I are impatient people
as are people younger than we are.
And we know there has to be a better way.
Technology can give us a better way.
>> Right and you know they can use different data sets
and I mean, I've bought some stuff recently
and you just push the button the phone
and it takes a minute, the wheel spins,
and then you're approved, right?
And you're done. >> You're done.
>> And it's a completely different experience.
But the part about the digital transformation
I wanted to follow up as it came up today
where a lot of times people are the integration point
between these systems, very similar to the example
you just used and you can't digitally transform
if all these automated systems ultimately
have to bottleneck through >> Right.
>> Some person to take this piece of data
and stick it over there. >> Right, right.
>> So it's absolutely critical >> Right.
>> To get those people out of the way.
>> Right.
>> So as you look forward 2019,
what are some of the big trends beyond RPA
and kind of personal digital systems not called Palm
that you're seeing and that you're excited about?
>> Well I think that it's hard not to be excited
about RPA, just simply because it's predicted
to be at $1.9 billion this year
and to almost double by 2021, I mean,
it makes sense that companies like Automation Anywhere
are doubling down on that, right?
>> Right. >> It also makes sense
that gigantic companies like IBM and Deloitte and EY
>> They're all here in force.
>> They're all here, right? >> Right, right.
>> There's a reason for that. >> Right.
>> Because IBM's customers want this
and Microsoft's customers want this.
So I think that in general, I think that technology
is fueling our world, our personal lives,
our business world, and I think that probably
one of the biggest things that I pay attention to
and that we pay attention to is that technology alone
isn't the answer, it's the partnership
of human beings and their skillsets and capabilities
and data and automation and artificial intelligence
and all those things, so I think that it's
an incredibly exciting time.
It's kind of like when you go back to the video
that we saw this morning >> That was good.
>> In the opening keynote about the internet.
I don't know if you remember this.
I don't know how much older I am than you.
But I remember that internet machine
and wow I could send an email, you know?
But then when you think about >> Right.
>> And those comments that Matt Lauer and Katie Couric
were making that were dumb comments.
We didn't know. >> Right.
We didn't know the impact >> Right.
>> The internet could have, would have,
and so I think the same is true of this kind of technology
today, this next generation of technology.
>> Right. >> So there's not just one
thing I'm interested in, I'm interested in all of it.
>> You got to keep learning, right?
Because we have a hard time, we're very linear
and everything's growing exponentially
>> Yeah. >> so you got to be willing
to learn the next thing because it's
right around the corner.
>> And I think that's so key.
That's a great wrap.
I think that people who happiest today
are people who actually love change
and who love learning and I would say, I would posit
that those are not inherently things that people,
traits that people possess.
I'm lucky because I do.
But you see what I'm saying?
>> Yeah. >> I think that human beings
>> Yeah, that's an interesting question
whether that's inherent, if there's just people
that like to learn and are curious all the time
>> Yeah. >> And then they got
the stick in the mud and can the stick in the muds
change their attitude and become learners again.
>> Well, maybe they won't.
I do think that there are people who are wired
to like change and are curious and who love learning
and I there are a whole bunch of people who are not.
>> Yeah. >> And I truly believe
that for success in today's world and moving forward
for young people and not so young people,
you better get there. >> Yeah.
>> If that's not your deal because I don't think that,
and I have stumbled across conversations
of people having well that's not going to happen
so I don't have to worry about it
because I'm going to be out of here by then.
And you know what, there are a whole bunch of people
that have that mindset. >> Yeah.
>> And that's A-okay but especially
for young people making their way.
>> It's an A-okay mindset but it's not the fact.
That's their problem.
>> No, it's not the fact.
>> It's happening, the future is here
and it's happening at a faster pace.
Well Shelly we could go on and on and on
but we're going to have leave it there
and I appreciate you taking a few minutes out of your day.
>> Absolutely, my pleasure.
>> Alright, she's Shelly, I'm Jeff.
You're watching theCUBE, we're Automation Anywhere Imagine
in Midtown Manhattan, thanks for watching,
see you next time.
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