The year 2020 began with Brexit, as the United Kingdom ceased to be a part of the EU. Businesses across the UK (and Europe) now need to grapple with the upcoming changes brought on by this event. By March 2020 the Brexit topic was pushed backstage with the news of global pandemic COVID-19.

Innovation is often framed as a eureka moment, but really, it’s more of an iterative process based on short-term needs. I’ve seen this time and again in the world of tech development. Small problems lead to small discoveries, which then accumulate into monumental changes. Ideas from different industries cross-pollinate into major breakthroughs.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

Automation is nothing new. In fact, it's been influencing manufacturing processes for centuries, allowing human beings to produce without constantly keeping their hands on the wheel. But as the head of a business process automation company, I can see that we're on the cusp of a Fourth Industrial Revolution that will see automation pushed to new heights and change our thinking in the process.

My experience in business process automation has given me firsthand exposure to the kind of job displacement that’s possible as new technologies emerge.