These days it feels almost impossible to have a conversation with anyone involved in the world of Information Management without bringing up machine learning and artificial intelligence. Everyone is talking about it, everyone has an opinion, everyone claims to be doing it — or at least thinking about doing it. AI is part of the popular zeitgeist, entering our lives in the form of autonomous vehicles on our roads, Alexa in our homes, and a burgeoning AI arms race between rival world powers. Yet despite all the talk, no one really seems to agree on what its real impact will be. In fact, everyone seems to have a different definition for what ‘it’ even is. There are those telling us it’s nothing new and its potential is over-hyped, while others tell us that AI and Machine Learning will make us all redundant.

AP Automation is an obtainable goal in this century, in this decade, in this year! How, you may ask? If you can relate to this stat from recent AIIM research where 52% of respondents say their invoice processes take at least three days – some up to as many as 25 days – when using manual solutions for invoice data entry, validation, and approval using paper, you are a prime candidate. So where to start?

This is the third article in a series; the other two are:

Surviving Disruption -- Strategies for the Era of AI and Machine Learning

Looking at Information Management Through a Different Lens

Digital Transformation effectiveness is imperiled by a rising tide of information chaos and confusion.

AIIM believes that information is the currency that fuels an organization. As such, it is an organization’s most important asset. But at the very time that information assets are increasingly important, our ability to manage them is eroding due to the exploding volumes, variety, complexity, and velocity of information coming into our organizations. Addressing “Big Content” and the rising tides of information chaos is a prerequisite to solving the Digital Transformation puzzle.

Organizations need to think about how the advent of the third wave of exponential change – the drive to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning - will require them to look at the future through a different set of lenses.  I’d like to offer three of these “lenses” – I’m sure there are more – but I think these three are ones that those in this community are uniquely prepared to tackle.

Truly disruptive moments occur only once in a generation. They occur when the cumulative inertia of technology innovation combines to disrupt business models. And the heart of disruption is ultimately when radical technology changes are standardized and then incorporated into new business models.

Automation in the workplace is already well underway. The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that up to 50% of workplace tasks could be fully automated by 2055, if not before. For employees, this can be a daunting concept, as increased automation in professional settings could lead to job loss on a mass scale.

Automation will have a global impact like nothing else we have ever seen. This is not to say that it is altogether a new idea. Decades ago, science minded dreamers from around the globe would paint philosophical dreamscapes that relayed a world built on the backs of human ingenuity.

When you’re working to document your processes, an initial goal is to map the workflow of the typical, standard task, getting the most common branches outlined. This will comprise of the steps you know well, the steps that already run fairly smoothly. Yes, this will not cover every scenario, but that’s ok at this stage.

This is an overview of what is involved when it comes to documenting how to automate your processes. Of course, the devil’s in the details, and certainly, this is not the only way, but after listening to and learning from hundreds of our industry’s best consultants and analysts (the benefit of producing so many webinars – I listen to them all), I think this is one approach for you to consider.

Yep, that is what I am hearing these days, reminiscent of the scene from the Wizard of Oz when they are entering the forest, knowing that there are animals and possible danger hiding in the shadows. Yet they choose to enter anyway.

Now we have Facebook, and news that information was collected and used by Cambridge Analytica. So how does this happen? Have you ever agreed to play a game, use and app, or participate in any other social media activity where you are asked to allow the app to access your Facebook information and contacts? Hmmm, could that be a way they collect some of your data? Do you share information, videos, and messages with friends who then share them with others who share them with others, and so on? Could that be a way your data is being collected? Is it possible that like the characters from Oz, we are all willing participants in allowing our data to be shared with others, and then surprised when it shows up somewhere outside of Kansas unexpected, or is potentially part of a major data breach that has suddenly been exposed?