Table of contents
In this article, you will learn:
- Which employee tasks recur most often
- Which routine employee duties are suitable for automation
- How automation affects employee workload
- How to use the capacity recovered through automation
Wasting engineers’ potential on manual data entry is a costly mistake that reduces your department’s efficiency and undermines team motivation. Effective process automation using RPA can eliminate up to 70% of human errors, freeing specialists from tedious, repetitive reporting. Intelligent task automation can increase operational productivity by as much as 240%, giving you back time for innovation and key technical projects. Discover how to reshape employee workloads to genuinely increase the value added by your organization.
What monotonous tasks do technical employees perform?
A technical employee’s workload often consists of many repetitive tasks that, despite their importance, do not require the full use of the employee’s skills and creativity. Below are the most frequently recurring tasks that affect the capacity of technical employees.- Data entry: Manually transferring information from various sources (e.g. paper forms, emails, spreadsheets, and readings from measuring devices) into company systems such as ERP, CRM, or CMMS.
- Report generation: Preparing recurring summaries (e.g. daily production reports, weekly failure reports, and monthly efficiency analyses) by manually collecting data from various systems and formatting it in spreadsheets.
- System monitoring: Regularly checking equipment operating parameters in the system (e.g. in manufacturing companies, these may include motor temperatures, installation pressures, or fluid levels), often requiring physical rounds and meter readings.
- Documentation processing: Completing forms (e.g. work cards, inspection reports, and spare-parts requests) and updating technical documentation (e.g. installation diagrams and operating instructions) in document-management systems.
- Maintenance planning: Creating and updating schedules for routine maintenance (e.g. weekly machine inspections and quarterly electrical-system inspections) based on manufacturers’ recommendations and failure history.
- Data management: Regularly archiving project files, organizing network folders, and categorizing technical documents in knowledge-management systems.
- Software updates: Installing and configuring updates on multiple workstations and devices (e.g. PLC controllers, industrial computers, and IoT devices), often requiring a physical presence at each device.
- Order processing: Handling standard orders for spare parts or consumables, including checking inventory levels in the ERP system and initiating the purchasing process.
- Data synchronization: Manually transferring and reconciling information between different systems to ensure data consistency.
Which activities can be automated?
As you can see, the list of monotonous tasks that burden technical employees is quite long. Fortunately, RPA can help by offering solutions that make your specialists’ work much easier. Let us examine which of these tedious activities can be streamlined through robotization:- Data entry: RPA can automatically retrieve information from various sources (emails, spreadsheets, and forms) and enter it into company systems, eliminating the need for manual transcription.
- Report generation: The system can independently collect and process data and produce standard reports at specified intervals, saving hours of manual work.
- System monitoring: RPA can continuously track key parameters in company systems, automatically detect deviations, and generate alerts, reducing the need for constant employee oversight.
- Documentation processing: Automation can cover the completion of standard forms and the updating of technical documentation, reducing time-consuming administrative work.
- Handling repetitive queries: RPA systems can analyze the content of standard questions and answer them automatically, freeing employees from repeatedly providing the same information.
- Maintenance planning: RPA can create and update inspection schedules based on equipment-usage data and manufacturers’ recommendations, optimizing the planning process.
- Data management: Files and documents can be organized, categorized, and archived automatically in the background without taking up specialists’ time.
- Software updates: RPA can manage the update process across multiple devices, eliminating the need for manual installation at every workstation.
- Order processing: Automation can cover inventory verification, initiation of the purchasing process, and order-status tracking, streamlining the entire logistics process.
- Data synchronization: RPA can automatically synchronize information between different systems, ensuring data consistency without manual intervention.
How will automating monotonous tasks affect a technical employee’s workload?
McKinsey data indicates that for approximately 60% of occupations, at least one-third of activities could be automated, demonstrating significant potential to transform technical employees’ workloads. Automation of technical tasks eliminates repetitive, monotonous work, leading to:- Reduced working time: As many as 38% of employees believe that they spend too much time on repetitive tasks. With automation, employees can focus on more complex and creative aspects of their work instead of performing routine activities.
- Increased productivity: Process automation can increase productivity by 20%, while work efficiency can rise by as much as 240%.
- Improved work quality: Automation can reduce errors by as much as 70%, which significantly improves the quality of the tasks performed.
- Better work-life balance: 76% of employees believethat automation could improve their work-life balance.
- Development of new skills: Technical employees have an opportunity to develop new competencies related to managing automated processes.
- Greater job satisfaction: 82% of employees believe that automation will improve their performance at work, which may translate into greater satisfaction with their duties.
- Savings for companies: Organizations can expect time and cost savings of 50-70%, which may translate into better working conditions and development opportunities for employees.
How should the available capacity of technical employees be used?
Automation of technical tasks through the introduction of solutions such as RPA releases significant capacity. Here is how this potential can be used effectively:- Innovation development: The released capacity of technical employees can be directed toward developing new solutions and process improvements. Employees can devote more time to creative thinking and experimenting with new technologies.
- In-depth data analysis: Increased capacity enables more thorough analysis of data generated by automated systems. Technical employees can focus on interpreting results and drawing valuable conclusions.
- Skills development: Part of the released capacity should be devoted to employee training and competency development. Employees can acquire new skills related to modern technologies, increasing their value to the organization.
- Improved customer service: The capacity of technical employees can be used to improve customer-service quality. They can devote more time to solving complex customer problems and providing personalized support.
- Process optimization: The time released can be used to identify ways to improve and optimize system operations.
- Cross-departmental collaboration: Increased technical-employee capacity enables better collaboration with other departments. Technical employees can share their expertise and support other teams in solving problems.
- Proactive risk management: Technical employees can use the additional time to identify potential threats and develop preventive strategies, increasing system security and stability.
- Mentoring and internal training: Experienced employees can use their available capacity to mentor younger colleagues, sharing their knowledge and experience.
