Then there was a person and his team who used to be so busy finalising the company accounts at the end of each reporting period. They were a bunch of busy body accountants. It is still a busy body with a different set of skills. Fifty percentages are accounting, and fifty percentages are bringing data from various sources together. It is called ETL and is as far away from accounting as one can get. Awesome!
We really should wonder if there is an accountant left in the company. We have people who deal with banks, customers and systems. The debit and credit issues are long resolved.
I remember years ago the union of the Communist Party of India in the Public Sector Banks in India went on strike against computerization. If you look at the shape of banking today, we can eventually look at only decision makers sitting at the front desk. The senior manager, if it is one of our Public-Sector Banks will sit across you and give you a decision across the table.
I can hear you reading this and saying, so what’s new. We have been there, done and got over that.
As I write, you and I are also reading the news splattered all over the media, that technology jobs are being reskilled and leading to some job losses. And quite a few of the Area sales managers in the insurance segment or FMCG feel far and distant from this event. I am using Area sales manager in Insurance as an example. A lot of folks in middle management in finance, sales and logistics think that this is not about them. It is precisely about them.
So, whose job do you think technology is being reskilled to go after?
Smarten, our analytics engine includes a new component in the coming release. It is called social BI. One of the biggest possibilities out Social BI is compressing the reporting structure. The Regional Manager will ask the area manager who will ask the field sales manager is the typical process. With Social BI and analytics, a senior manager who typically could handle 5 – 7 subordinates, can look at 15 to 20 direct reportees.
In the same way, self-serve data preparation tools will compress the technology team in the finance team.
As the system’s ability to decide based on experience expands, the compression in jobs which use past information to make plans, communicate or act will accelerate.
So, whose job is it anyway? Just some food for thought. I hope all your jobs are safe you get the regular increments this year too!
Original Post: Whose job is it anyway?
