A data-led, Tech-Powered, Human-centric approach
It’s no secret that personal assistant and administration functions are the backbone of any organisation. As we find ourselves on the brink of a new era powered by Generative AI (GenAI) and further technological advancements, adopting a human-centred, tech-powered, and data-led approach can revolutionise these functions for the better, ultimately setting the pace for innovation and operational excellence.
The Imperative of Enhancing Admin Functions
Where would we be without our administrative support? These functions are instrumental in ensuring organisational efficiency, and when optimised, they have the ability to significantly boost an organisation’s productivity, streamline operations, and maximise its return on investment (ROI). Recognising the importance of these functions is essential for the sustainability of any modern business.
What is a Human-Centred Approach?
A human-centred approach places people at the core of organisational operations, ensuring that while technology plays a pivotal role, it serves to augment human capabilities rather than replace them. This approach prioritises the well-being, skills, and experiences of employees aiming to create a harmonious synergy between humans and machines, ultimately minimising the risks involved with technology while maximising its benefits.
Think of it this way: we’re empowered by technology but led by people.
What does this look like in practice?
1. Empathy and Understanding: Designing processes and technologies that consider the needs, challenges, and preferences of both clients and employees, ensuring that the tools and systems implemented are user-friendly and genuinely beneficial to all involved.
2. Collaboration and Inclusivity: Encouraging collaboration between teams and departments, fostering an inclusive culture where diverse perspectives are valued, leading to more innovative solutions and a more engaged workforce which will then drive greater outcomes for clients.
3. Continuous Learning and Development: Investing in the continuous learning and development of employees, equipping them with the skills needed to work alongside advanced technologies. This includes both technical training and soft skills enhancement, ensuring that they're not just keeping pace with technology, but setting the pace. From a business support perspective, stakeholders will benefit from a workforce that can, in turn, identify inefficiencies with greater ease, boost productivity, and drive growth.
4. Ethical Considerations: Ensuring the deployment of technology adheres to ethical standards, safeguarding privacy, and promoting fairness. This builds trust and a sense of security among employees and stakeholders.
Integrating Tech in Your Admin Functions
The integration of technology and GenAI is transforming administrative functions. It’s high time businesses positioned themselves to adopt such practices as the automation of routine tasks (scheduling and data entry, for example) allowing administrative roles to expand, boost productivity, and have the capacity to take on more tasks. Hence, leaders can free up more time to focus on value-adding activities.
Tech Integration in Practice
1. Data Utilisation: At SmartPA, we leverage comprehensive data insights - right down to role, function, task specifics, duration, and turnaround times - to enhance efficiencies from both a service delivery and client perspective. This also helps to allocate administrative resources based on peak activity periods and specific departmental needs, ensuring optimal support where and when it's most needed.
2. Automation of Routine Tasks & Tech-Powered Scheduling: Adopting tools that can optimise meeting times and resource allocation, ultimately reducing conflicts and the need for manual adjustments.
3. Predictive Analytics for Workload Management: Leveraging predictive analytics to forecast busy periods and adjust staffing levels accordingly, preventing burnout and ensuring consistent productivity.
4. Feedback-Driven Improvements: Collecting and analysing feedback from business support staff and stakeholders to continuously refine processes and tools, ensuring the technology evolves in line with user needs.
The shift towards a tech-powered operating model also involves leveraging data and technology to enhance speed, agility, and resilience. Organisations that place data and technology at the core of their operations can manage complexity more effectively and scale without a proportional increase in staffing. This allows businesses to discover untapped sources of value, enhance their offerings, and radically reduce costs.
Benefits of Tech Integration
1. Enhanced Efficiency: Automation, as mentioned above, allows more time for tasks improving overall productivity.
2. Improved Service Delivery: With better data insights, organisations can provide more personalised and responsive services.
3. Increased Stakeholder Support: Efficient processes and better decision-making capabilities lead to higher stakeholder satisfaction and stronger relationships.
4. Increased ROI and Value: In a recent report by Accenture, it was highlighted that Generative AI could create an additional £8.15 trillion ($10.3 trillion USD) in economic value by 2038 if companies adopt responsible, people-centric approaches.
Ready to Empower Your Admin Functions?
At SmartPA, our commitment to a tech-powered, data-led, and human-centric approach has not only enhanced our own operational efficiency but has also significantly benefited our clients. By strategically integrating cutting-edge technology, data utilisation, and automation into our administrative tasks, we have seen tangible results and improved productivity across the board, enabling us to provide informed, consultative decisions and deliver measurable ROI, proving invaluable in offering effective outsourced admin and business support.
This approach has not only empowered our team, it has also provided substantial value to our clients' admin and business support functions. With this in mind, we encourage organisations to reflect on their relationship with technology, data, and the importance of placing people at the centre of their operations. By adopting a tech-powered, data-led, and human-centric methodology, organisations can enhance their support functions, achieve significant positive outcomes, and not just keep the pace with technology, but set the pace with it.
Consider how these principles could be applied within your own administrative functions to unlock greater efficiencies and productivity as embracing this approach may be the key to future-proofing your organisation.
Find out more
Click here to find out more about how partnering with SmartPA can help your organisation enhance efficiencies through our data-led, tech-powered and human-centred approach to support. Empower your business support functions today by contacting us directly to discuss your requirements.
About SmartPA
SmartPA is a pioneer of remote, outsourced admin and business support, providing individual SmartPAs, multi-skilled cross-functional teams, and full lift and drop admin process outsourcing. Working with more than 5,000 businesses of all sizes worldwide, SmartPA draws on a global talent pool of accredited SmartPAs, with a Centre of Excellence based in the UK, near-shore hubs in South Africa and Uganda, and an offshore hub in Malaysia.