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Published 23:25 IST, December 4th 2023

Beyond the Horizon: Soniya Malik's blueprint for a Transformed Business Landscape with Automation

Read about Soniya Malik's vision, as she articulates the transformative impact of automation on decreasing manpower and revolutionizing ops across sectors

Reported by: Digital Desk
Soniya Malik | Image: Republic

Soniya Malik stands as a beacon of innovation, challenging the status quo with her visionary approach to automation. As the founder of Akounto, her insights extend beyond the boundaries of a single company, offering a profound perspective on the role of automation in reshaping the business world. In this exploration, we delve into Soniya Malik's vision, as she articulates the transformative impact of automation on decreasing manpower and revolutionizing operations across diverse sectors.

The Strategic Imperative of Automation:

For Soniya Malik, automation is not just a technological advancement; it is a strategic imperative that businesses must embrace to remain competitive and resilient in an ever-evolving landscape. At the heart of her advocacy lies the belief that automation holds the key to unlocking untapped potential, streamlining processes, and driving sustainable growth.

Efficiency Redefined

For Soniya automation is when technology can free humans from repetitive work and they can focus more on analysis, decision-making, and other critical operations.

“Automation is not about replacing human workers but reallocating their efforts to tasks that require creativity, critical thinking, and strategic decision-making. Routine and repetitive tasks, prone to human error, are prime candidates for automation, allowing businesses to achieve unprecedented levels of precision and speed," said Soniya.

The application of automation in routine operations brings about a seismic shift in the dynamics of the workforce. As machines take on mundane tasks, human employees are liberated to focus on tasks that require emotional intelligence, complex problem-solving, and a nuanced understanding of the business landscape. This strategic reallocation of resources, according to Soniya, is essential for businesses aiming not only to survive but to thrive in the digital age.

Data - Driven Decision Making

Soniya Malik underscores the transformative impact of automation on decision-making processes. Automation systems, armed with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, have the capacity to process vast amounts of data in real-time. This ability provides businesses with a competitive edge by facilitating informed, data-driven decision-making.

The traditional approach to decision-making, often hindered by delays in data processing and analysis, is rendered obsolete in the face of automation. Soniya argues that businesses must leverage the power of automation to gain a comprehensive understanding of market trends, consumer behavior, and internal operations. Through this lens, automation emerges not as a threat to human decision-makers but as a strategic ally, empowering them with actionable insights to navigate an increasingly complex business environment.

“Data-based decision-making is important, is an understatement. These days data is the new oil. The effectiveness of decision-making makes all the difference that will decide if the business will perform or perish. Data gives you tools to measure, predict, and quantify. It brings objectivity and cuts out the noise,” said Soniya.

Cost Efficiency and Resource Optimization

As Soniya Malik delves into the intricacies of automation, she highlights its undeniable impact on cost efficiency and resource optimization. By automating routine tasks, businesses can significantly reduce operational costs associated with manual labor. This, in turn, allows for the reallocation of financial resources toward strategic initiatives, research and development, and employee training.

The cost savings achieved through automation are not confined to labor expenses alone. Soniya points out that automation minimizes the likelihood of errors in routine processes, reducing the financial implications of mistakes. This dual benefit of cost efficiency and error reduction positions automation as a cornerstone in building financially resilient and agile businesses.

Soniya emphasized that, “Automation is not just a cost reduction technique. The propensity to link cost to automation is a very linear approach. If you want to see from the perspective of cost, then it is the amount of man-hours saved, errors reduced, time saved in correcting those errors, opportunity of scalability, innovation and integration with other technologies, enhanced process flows, etc. Everything adds up to counter the cost.”

Customer-centric Automation

Soniya Malik envisions a future where automation extends its reach to customer interactions, creating a seamless and enhanced experience. Automated customer service tools, chatbots, and virtual assistants play a pivotal role in ensuring timely responses to customer inquiries. Soniya argues that this level of responsiveness is critical in a business landscape where customer satisfaction is not just a metric but a differentiator.

Automation in customer service is not about replacing the human touch but enhancing it. Soniya emphasizes that businesses should leverage automation to handle routine queries, allowing human employees to focus on complex customer needs, building relationships, and delivering personalized services. This harmonious integration of automation and human expertise is the key to fostering lasting connections with customers in an increasingly digital marketplace.

“I have always believed the maxim that the customer is the king and the king can fire anyone, even the CEO or any damn board member. Businesses exist to solve the problems of the customer while delivering value, experience, solutions, and something more for which the customer will come back to you. And that something more is the personal touch, customization, and efficiency, where technology becomes an indispensable tool. Remember that today's customer is also tech-savvy," said Soniya.

Challenges and the Human Element

While Soniya Malik is a fervent advocate for automation, she does not shy away from acknowledging the challenges associated with its adoption. The concern of job displacement is a valid one, and Soniya emphasizes the need for a balanced approach. Automation, she argues, should be accompanied by robust workforce development programs, ensuring that employees are equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in an automated environment.

Soniya believes in the transformative potential of the human element in conjunction with automation. She envisions a workforce that embraces technology, continuously adapts to evolving skill requirements, and collaborates with automated systems to achieve unparalleled levels of productivity and innovation.

“Upskilling and staying abreast with technological solutions is the name of the game. The challenges from technology are always counter-balanced with the long-term opportunities it creates. For e.g. the online shopping sector challenged mom-pop stores, but the whole logistics and digital marketing industry propped up really fast. And even then the joy of physical shopping is still there. Of course, there is some initial disruption and a steep learning curve, but automation has upped the game of the society at large," said Soniya.

A Future Defined by Collaboration

In conclusion, Soniya Malik's vision for automation in the business world transcends the narrow confines of technological implementation. It is a holistic perspective that recognizes automation as a catalyst for positive change, efficiency, and innovation. Through her insights, Soniya paints a picture of a future where businesses, guided by strategic automation, can navigate the complexities of the digital age with agility and resilience. The key, according to Soniya Malik, lies in recognizing automation not as a threat to the workforce but as a transformative force that, when harnessed collaboratively, can redefine the very essence of success in the business world.

Visit: https://soniyamalik.com/ 


 

Updated 23:25 IST, December 4th 2023

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