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"Today, there is access to huge amounts of information and technologies to process this data, and we have intelligent robots that learn and act largely on the basis of Data analysis – these are powerful algorithms that affect us today and that will mean more and more, even in the workplace, "said Underthun, a researcher at the Labor Research Institute (AFI).
With Arild H. Steen, he prepared the report "Digital Change in Working Life – a Four Industries Report" commissioned by YS. They examined the impact of new technology on four industries:
- Municipal care at home
- insurance
- Shuttle bus
- The tax administration
– Is it possible to see some characteristics common to four different industries?
– Yes, we find some common features. New technologies place new demands on employee skills, mainly in terms of language and technology. The demand for written reports and the ability to use new technologies are increasing. In addition, new technologies offer the possibility of increased employee control, both in terms of time management and work, "says Underthun.
The information is also much easier now available. Previously, there were many systems and places to check. You now have access to all information in a user-friendly interface. This provides security and is positive for employees and users.
Open for control
Another interesting area is the influence of new technology on work management.
"We are getting more information from the algorithms and we expect that we will be guided through the working days.This could be called digitized management, where much of the responsibility for the work rests with the individual, but where it is always subject to a high degree of control and oversight.It is expected that employees will follow their own performance and judge according to these, "says Underthun, who sees more dangers with this.
"It has to be done in a very thoughtful way, especially on the management side, it's easy to find yourself in a negative control regime, where autonomy is diminishing and the unmotivated employees lose their creativity and their desire for development." said the researcher.
Digital worklists
For municipal home nurses, scanning involves the introduction of what's called digital worklists for employees, via a smartphone that is registered whenever the health professional or the doctor Nurse is at work.
Digital worklists plan and report on the measures that will be implemented for each home visit. Employees have access to information on procedures, medications and essential information from other health care agencies.
Lists also help to be more flexible on time, as employees and managers have an overview of excess time or time deficits in all day-to-day visiting routines.
– Opinions are divided on this subject. Before having an hour of morning meeting, we went through the details. Now all this information is available in digital form. He cut the time spent at these meetings by half. This has gone a little over the social, with fewer points of contact for employees. According to Underthun, the focus was on topics and less on the social.
Digital Council
In finance, the researcher examined the customer center of an insurance company. Here, the company introduced a specialized specialization related to the digital routing of customer requests over the phone and the desire to move away from a one-sided sales incentive structure.
Digital routing also involves the introduction of learning tips for digital customers, in which the customer advisor receives advice based on algorithms on how to meet the customer and gives his opinion on the quality of the same tips in a " digital learning loop ".
Second, the insurance industry has put in place a clearer management of time to ensure a continuous supply to customers. Third, the company focuses on tracking employees by a set of performance figures based on algorithms to improve the dialogue with managers.
Performance figures are related to both skill specialization and time management.
– In general, employees have less freedom in working days. They missed a greater degree of freedom and autonomy. They were measured to follow a schedule, based on the needs of available expertise. At the same time, there was also a new organization of expertise, which was much more than previously specialists. This was seen as positive because it was felt that the expertise that we had seen was completely different from the one that existed before, said Underthun.
Language challenges
For bus transport, the digitization initiative involves introducing tablets for drivers. Drivers should use the tablets and associated applications for continuous training, check schedules, have the driver's manual at all times, learn about their own driving habits and fuel consumption, and maintenance requirements.
Drivers are also assessed for their fuel consumption and driving habits to become drivers of better quality and more environmentally friendly.
– Although the tablet contains a lot of information, employees also came to present an oral report to the manager. It is probably about the need to be seen. If you submit only a written report in such a system, you will not receive any feedback indicating that what you are doing is good and good. According to Underthun, there are many foreign workers in this industry and the shift to more written reports on digital platforms can be problematic.
More difficult tasks
In the area of tax administration, researchers examined how the tax administration used new technologies to modernize the population register. This involves, among other things, new methods of identifying and assigning identification numbers and identity cards to foreign workers wishing to work in Norway. Here, the front line service has been in charge of control, instead of just registering. This implies a high degree of skill improvement.
"Many employees have gone from role play to control, and the particularity here is that many of those who work here have only one primary or secondary school, and with this reorganization they have gained greater responsibility and responsibility. At the same time, some employees saw the transition as difficult because they find themselves in situations they are not used to, says Underthun.
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