Robot overlords aren’t going to take over the Earth anytime soon. But the fear associated with task automation is very real. Employees, especially those with years of on-the-job experience, are intimidated when asked to re-skill. Lack of confidence in their ability to adapt raises the specter of obsolescence. Introducing robotic process automation only adds to the uneasiness, as they ask: Will the robot take my job?

Management is more likely to see the benefits of automation as a productivity tool that will help both workflow and bolster the bottom line. But they also see the big-picture advantages to the workforce. Less time spent on repetitive workload means more time for mission-critical tasks.

“At the end of the day, I am making sure that I hit my budget targets for the business,” said Chris Currier (pictured, right), senior director of service delivery at CenturyLink Inc. “But, I also have a lot of people that work for me. So, part of the big area for me … is how do I transform my workforce? How do I bring them with me?”

Currier was joined by Shaji Kumar (pictured, left), client partner at Infosys Ltd., for a conversation with Dave Vellante (@dvellante) and Rebecca Knight (@knightrm), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the UiPath Forward event in Las Vegas, Nevada. They discussed the relationship between the two companies and the challenges and benefits of incorporating automation in the telecommunications sector (see the full interview with transcript here). (* Disclosure below.)

Bringing workers into the digital age

Making a business case for automation is “a bit art and science,” according to Currier. He relies on Infosys and Kumar to guide him through the complicated path of reassuring and encouraging employees as they are forced to adapt.

“For me, it’s interesting trying to break a sedentary workforce into a more dynamic workforce,” Currier said.

This can mean wearing many different hats. “I have to become the salesperson, in addition to operations leader, in addition to a budget manager,” Currier said. He went on to explain how he tells cautious employees about evolving their role: “This is an opportunity for you to do something more interesting. You have that 20 years of experience in the industry. I want to use that knowledge in a different way,” he added.

Automating tasks the employees dislike most is a good way to encourage grassroots adoption, according to Currier. “It becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said. “You get those who evangelize based on learning the new technology, and then they train their peers.”

Implementing automation is especially important in telecommunications, according to Currier. CenturyLink, like many others in the industry, is an aggregation of many companies under one brand.

“The front of the house looks very elegant and very smooth,” Currier said. However, behind the scenes is a mishmash of networks, delivery options, and products that have to be seamlessly stitched together to provide a good customer experience.

“That’s where the automation comes into play,” he added.

Education is the key to transformation

Infosys’ Wingspan platform provides a way for businesses to simplify employee education, according to Kumar. “It’s about learning,” he stated. “Learning can make people transform, as well as the companies transform.”

Having the correct tools is important, agreed Currier. As well as relying on Infosys, CenturyLink also partners with UiPath Inc. for automation solutions. UiPath’s tools allow him to tell employees: “No, you’re not a programmer, but you can automate things,” Currier explained. “You’re always going to have multiple partners,” he added.

When it comes to choosing between best-of-breed and all-in-one solutions, the answer is “you do both. Diversity is a good thing, and so is competition,” Currier concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the UiPath Forward event. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the UiPath Forward event. Neither UiPath Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE