Thematic Research: The Future of Work

Technology is fundamentally transforming the way we work, fueling excitement but also anxiety. A prolonged decline in overall employment is unlikely, but society will have to adapt to significant structural changes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given businesses an unprecedented opportunity to implement profound changes to the way we work. From digitizing processes and re-shaping supply chains to redesigning offices, the pandemic will leave a lasting legacy. For manufacturers, technology will play an increasingly prominent role in building resilience. As for office work, this will not be the same after COVID-19. Physical spaces will be transformed, and remote working, supported by technology, will become the norm for millions of employees.

With the global economy expected to enter a deep and long-lasting recession, automation will accelerate as companies strive to cut costs, bringing with it renewed fears of job losses. While companies are experimenting with new technologies and ways to redesign their workflows to increase productivity, the impact of automation will be felt differently across job categories and disproportionately affect workers with lower levels of education.

The report discusses the below in detail:

• Future of work framework: Framework includes categories such as visualization, connectivity, automation, collaboration, and interpretation

• Digital twins: Using better computing infrastructure and sophisticated sensors, innovative simulation and modeling capabilities will increasingly redefine workplaces

• Data visualization: Data visualization tools extract insight from unstructured information by using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps

• Industrial Internet : Intelligent information is gathered by the Industrial Internet, with a strong focus on the safety of workers

• Drones: Drones in construction is a new way to visualize structural requirements. Drones have proven to be particularly beneficial in inaccessible locations and places where workers are unable to perform tasks in a timely and efficient manner

• Industrial robots : From automobile manufacturing to electronics, robots have been employed for decades across different industries.Robots support surgical interventions requiring high levels of precision

• Robotic process automation: Automation in the workplace is typically associated with manual labor, but the growing power of software has brought automation to the office, with major implications for the workplace. Robotic process automation (RPA) refers to the use of software that can be programmed to perform basic tasks across a range of platforms and applications

• Macroeconomic trends: COVID-19 is a point of no return for manufacturing as the global supply chain is experiencing a level of disruption that has never been seen before.Post-COVID-19, there is a possibility that some workers will never return to the office and will become permanent home workers.

• Regulatory trends: Antitrust and data privacy, regulating the gig economy

• Inside coverage:

• Players

• Our future of work framework

• Trends

• Timeline

• M&A

• Companies

• Sector scorecards

• Glossary

• Thematic methodology