Don’t feel like sitting in traffic? Then just turn on Waze to calculate the fastest route. The app is almost unbeatable and will definitely save us time in most situations. Waze is an example of how technology makes predictions based on data that simplify our daily lives. But if Waze is our trusty co-pilot on the way to work, our attitude towards this type of technology changes once we arrive at work. We prefer to use a classic street map.

It is almost impossible to find a sector or organization that technology has not impacted in recent years. But while everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) and other fancy terms, we see that some solutions still have little acceptance in the business world. And yet they really could make a big difference.

For example, as the end of the year approaches, many companies are currently building up large inventories because they don’t know how much of a product they will sell. A forecasting tool can often predict something like this. Among other things, the technology calculates the minimum inventory required to continue delivering. This is based on historical data.

Essentially, this isn’t much different from the way Waze maps our ideal route. Information is collected and past data is looked at to predict how traffic on our road will develop. Based on this, the app sometimes recommends avoiding a particular road, even if we are used to driving on it. Most of the time we don’t think about it and decide to follow Waze blindly. What stops us from doing the same in business operations with technologies that automate processes or support forecasting?

You don’t know what you’re not measuring

One of the reasons we give Waze the benefit of the doubt might be because the app has helped us in the past. The tool clearly shows when we will arrive and in most situations this is correct. This type of transparency is typically lacking in the business world. In individual cases it can often be felt that a tool was useful, but overall the impact is rather unclear.

Because companies still measure too little. They sense that something is not going perfectly, but in practice they don’t know what is going wrong and how they can improve it. Companies that systematically use forecasting to measure their inventory find that such tools – just like Waze on the Road – produce better results in most situations. These results stimulate the production of endorphins in our brain, which gives us a pleasant feeling and automatically increases confidence in technology.

Of course, the impact of a forecast or the impact of a technology can only be calculated in the long term. Companies must first take the step to support their business operations with innovative tools. And maybe the shoe often pinches there. Especially when the technology requires an investment and they feel that the business is doing well enough, they are not inclined to change anything quickly. Ultimately, we didn’t have Waze yet and thought it was normal to sit in traffic for hours every day. After all, we didn’t know there was any other way.

Fear of the impact of technology

There may be another reason why we are less likely to embrace smart technologies in the workplace than in our personal lives. What if such a tool does a good job? Shouldn’t we fear for our jobs? Many organizations still have the idea that their own experts know better than the technology. In some cases, this is true. If you have to manage an inventory of ten items, you may be able to calculate much more accurately how supply and demand are developing. But it’s a different story when you have to do the same thing for tens of thousands of items.

We can also override Waze for a short drive over familiar terrain. Finally, the app often sends us less common shortcuts that we know we should ignore. But to achieve Waze’s efficiency, we would need to check all possible traffic sources before every trip – from traffic reports on the radio to websites that display traffic jams and roadworks. In order to then calculate the optimal route using a classic road map – assuming the map is still up to date.

More time for strategic work

A smart tool like forecasting can make our lives much easier. We don’t need to be afraid for our jobs. Just like using Waze, we stay in charge in the workplace. However, technology will increase our efficiency and productivity and ensure that we get to our goals faster and with less stress. Assuming we automate 90% of our decisions, we have more time to apply our expertise to the remaining 10%. Or to focus on things that we just can’t get to today.

Automation is a must, especially for companies in a growth story. But in today’s world, every business benefits from smart technology. As every part of our lives becomes digital, it seems incomprehensible that complex challenges depend primarily on outdated methods. An idea to think about when you turn on Waze to drive home – or when you don’t and get stuck in traffic…

This is a contribution from Olivier Corluy, Managing Director at Optimact. You can find more information about their solutions here.