Sustainable Automation Journey

TRANSFORM by scaling down responsibly. Automation takes manual tasks from human workers and automates them. In human history, this happened a lot of times. This change is basically where our progress and prosperity comes from. The question is how responsible this process is implemented and how flexible new working models can be.

Starting with: The starting points for this principle are manifold. Therefore, it is important to not lose focus. Begin with implementing solid communication about the change that will happen. Talking about possibilities and fears is the base for mutual decision-making. Secondly, consider new working models or shift employees to different roles or departments if they are interested in. It is important to get the acceptance from your employees for the change to come if you want to scale down in a responsible way.

Measures & Initiatives: Start with testing a four-day week (or even a three-day week), for example with equal pay, in order to keep employees in your organization. For the first experiments with employees that are willing to try it out, it makes sense to evaluate their experience. Also, consider shifting interested employees to different roles after processes are automated. Some employees might even be willing to be the manager of the new robots or other automation systems. They know their tasks very well, and if they get the chance to control the processes as well as the devices, there is a huge potential in creating new (volitional) responsibilities. Also, further education is an option to bring an existing employee into a new role. If it is not possible to keep employees, your organization might try to find a job for this employee in the existing business and partner network.

Feedback on progress: Feedback for different experiments is very important here. It is inevitable that, together with the works council, all experiments and changes are prepared and communicated carefully. Here, it is not about speed, it is all about finding the right initiative that fits your organization.