Humans and machines will work together as an integrated team; 38% Indian leaders believe that they have already achieved this. 57% are calling for clear protocols in the event that autonomous machines fail
We’re entering the next era of human-machine partnerships with a different and new vision of the future, according to quantitative global research by Dell Technologies in collaboration with Vanson Bourne. The research was conducted with 3800 global business leaders including 300 Indian business leaders, across 17 countries.
It is increasingly clear that humans and machines will have to work as a cohesive workforce with 40% rooting for administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, data inputs to be taken over by machines, thereby freeing time. 42% Indian leaders believe that inventory management as a task is most likely to be outsourced to machines by 2030
Further, despite the hurdles that businesses face and the inexorable race to move everything online and make available in real-time, 24/7, leaders are united in the belief that they need to transform. 50% already believe that they are catering to the evolving needs of their customers, with the help of engaging and customized offerings. While there is a whopping 66% who think that their organisations currently or will in 5 years struggle to offer equal opportunities across its different generations of workers due to varied digital skill-sets and mind-sets.
Businesses are split by whether the future represents an opportunity or a threat, and torn by the need to mitigate these risks. For instance:
- Cyber security is a threat that imposes far reaching implications on the business, believes 56%, the more we depend upon technology, the more we have to lose in the event of a cyber-attack.
- 55% of them feel that greater data capture could infringe upon the public’s right to privacy
- 57% are calling for clear protocols in the event that autonomous machines fail
- 56% say computers will need to decipher between good and bad commands
Barriers to transform
Indian businesses are confident of operating a successful digital business in 2030. The main barriers to becoming a successful digital business in 2030 and beyond are:
- Data privacy and cyber security concerns – 47%
- Lack of budget and resources- 36%
- Lack of senior support and sponsorship- 36%
- Lack of right skills/ competencies-36%
- Lack of employee buy-in-30%
- Lack of coherent digital strategy and vision-29%
Given the promise of monumental change—fuelled by exponentially increasing data and the applications, processing power and connectivity to harness it—56% speculate that schools will need to teach how to learn rather than what to learn to prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist
According to, Rajesh Janey, Managing Director & President, India Enterprise, Dell EMC said, “We’re entering an era of tectonic digital change. In spite of the multiple challenges faced by businesses to go digital, leaders are united in the belief that they need to transform. It is encouraging to see how Indian leaders believe strongly in the importance of providing customer experiences which are not only holistic, but also engaging. In today’s age of digital uncertainty, it is extremely important for enterprises to prepare for the future, focusing on workforce, security and IT transformation, in order to stay ahead. Through this research we aim to provide meaningful insights to business leaders to empower them with the ability to predict and plan for the digital future.”
Also sharing his views, Alok Ohrie, Managing Director & President, India Commercial, Dell EMC said, “We are at the horizon of an amazing digital future which is going to open newer and better business possibilities. As our dependence on machines increases, it is becoming imperative for businesses to plan and equip themselves for a collaborative human-machine future. This research is primarily aimed at helping customers and other businesses better envision the future and uncover peer advice on how to transform and succeed. A truly mutually beneficial partnership is on the cards – if businesses prepare accordingly.”
