In today’s tech companies, teams work together on specific projects with specialized roles. In the future, teams will work with AI tools and systems, focusing on versatility and adaptability, with generalized roles.
Future Roles
- AI Specialist
- AI Analyst
- AI Project Manager
- AI System Administrator
Current State
In today’s (as of 2024) tech companies, teams are often assembled based on specific projects or products, with a mix of roles working together to achieve common goals.
Many of these roles have become specialized, with individuals developing deep expertise in specific areas. For example, a software developer might specialize in a particular programming language like Java or Python, while a business analyst might focus on understanding the company’s business needs and defining solutions. This specialization allows for greater efficiency and effectiveness in their work, as team members can focus on what they do best.
However, it’s also important for teams to have some flexibility and cross-functional skills to adapt to changing priorities and projects. This means that team members should be able to collaborate and contribute to different areas of the project, even if it’s not their primary expertise. For instance, a software developer might need to understand the business requirements and provide input on the project’s direction. Having this flexibility and adaptability enables teams to respond effectively to evolving challenges and opportunities.
In general, roles in tech companies are specialized, but teams need to strike a balance between specialization and collaboration to achieve success.
Here is an overview of common roles in a tech company, grouped by category:
Development Team
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Software Developer (e.g., Java, Python, JavaScript) | Designs, develops, and tests software applications |
| DevOps Engineer | Ensures smooth operation of software systems, from development to production |
| Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer | Tests software to identify bugs and ensure quality |
| Technical Writer | Creates user documentation, guides, and tutorials |
Project Management Team
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Project Manager | Oversees projects from planning to delivery, ensuring timely and within budget |
| Product Owner | Defines product features, priorities, and requirements |
| Scrum Master | Facilitates Agile development processes and team collaboration |
Business Analysis Team
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Business Analyst | Identifies business needs and defines solutions, often working with stakeholders |
| Product Manager | Develops product strategies, defines requirements, and works with development teams |
| Data Analyst | Analyzes data to inform business decisions and identify trends |
Operations and Support Teams
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| IT Support Specialist | Resolves technical issues and provides assistance to employees or customers |
| System Administrator | Manages and maintains computer systems, networks, and infrastructure |
| Customer Success Manager | Ensures customer satisfaction and resolves issues |
Future State
In tomorrow’s (beyond 2024) tech companies, teams will be assembled based on their ability to work with AI tools and systems, with a focus on versatility and adaptability.
Gone are the days of specialized roles, as individuals will be trained to work with AI tools that can perform a wide range of tasks. For example, a single team member might use an AI tool like ChatGPT to generate code, create unit tests, and even perform quality assurance tasks. This versatility will allow for greater efficiency and effectiveness, as team members can focus on learning how to work with AI tools rather than developing deep expertise in specific areas.
Teams will no longer need to strike a balance between specialization and collaboration, as AI tools will enable them to adapt to changing priorities and projects with ease. For instance, a team member might use an AI tool to generate code in a programming language they’re not familiar with, or use a natural language processing tool to understand business requirements.
In general, roles in tech companies will be generalized, with a focus on working with AI tools and systems to achieve success.
Here is an overview of the new roles in a tech company:
| Role | Description | Replaces Old Roles |
|---|---|---|
| AI Specialist | Works with AI tools and systems to perform a wide range of tasks, from coding to QA testing | Software Developer, DevOps Engineer, QA Engineer, Technical Writer |
| AI Analyst | Analyzes data and uses AI tools to inform business decisions and identify trends | Business Analyst, Data Analyst |
| AI Project Manager | Oversees the use of AI tools and systems, ensuring effective collaboration and communication | Scrum Master, Product Manager |
| AI System Administrator | Manages and maintains AI systems, networks, and infrastructure | IT Support Specialist, System Administrator |
Here is how AI specialist will generate reports in the future
AI-Driven Report Generation Process
- Initial Interaction: Describe the task and show the template
- AI-Assisted Generation: Interactive Q&A and real-time learning
- Saving the Workflow: Memorize the process for future use
- Automating Future Reports: Command-based execution and scheduled tasks
Tools to Implement This
Microsoft Copilot:
- Integration with Office Tools:
- Use Microsoft Copilot integrated into Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) to perform these tasks. Copilot can understand natural language commands and automate tasks based on user interactions.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT with Plugins:
- Custom Plugins:
- Use ChatGPT with custom plugins that can interact with your file system, understand templates, and automate report generation based on your inputs.
Example Interaction with ChatGPT
- Initial Training:
- You: “Hey ChatGPT, I need to generate a monthly sales report. Here’s the template.”
- You upload or display a PowerPoint template with 3 slides.
- ChatGPT: “Okay, let me gather the necessary information from our team’s resources.
- For the summary of events on the first slide, I’ll review the team chat history and our previous conversations to identify any key highlights or notable occurrences from the past month.”
- ChatGPT reviews the team chats and past conversations, compiling a summary.
- ChatGPT: “For the sales numbers on the second slide, I’ll check last week’s Jira ticket activity to extract the total sales, breakdowns by product/region/team, and any other relevant sales data.”
- ChatGPT accesses Jira and pulls the required sales figures.
- ChatGPT: “And for the list of open incident tickets on the third slide, I’ll query Jira again to get the latest open tickets.”
- ChatGPT retrieves the open incident ticket list from Jira.
- ChatGPT: “I’ve gathered information from the team chats, our past conversations, and Jira. However, if there are any conflicting details or if I’m missing any crucial information, I’ll reach out to the team for clarification.”
- You: Please send us an email to the group email address ai-team@abc.com
- ChatGPT: “Thank you, I now have all the necessary information to generate the complete monthly sales report. Please let me know if you need anything else.”
- Interactive Q&A:
- You: “To get the sales figures, you can either visit https://www.abc.com and extract the data from an HTML table, or access the //networkDrive/myReports and pull the sales figures from the latest .pptx file.”
- ChatGPT: “Okay, let me access that network drive and find the latest PowerPoint file.”
- ChatGPT opens the file “SalesReport_2024_04.pptx”
- ChatGPT: “I’ve opened the file ‘SalesReport_2024_04.pptx’. On slide 3, I can see a table with the sales figures. Here’s a screenshot:
- Screenshot of slide 3 with a table showing $85,000 in sales
- Based on this, the sales figures for the month are $85,000. Does this look correct?”
- You: “No, that’s not the right file. You need to check the file name and the first slide to make sure it’s the most recent report.”
- ChatGPT: “Got it, my apologies. Let me double-check the file names and the first slide to find the most recent report.”
- ChatGPT checks the file names and opens the file “SalesReport_2024_05.pptx”
- ChatGPT: “Okay, I’ve opened the file ‘SalesReport_2024_05.pptx’. The first slide confirms this is the report for May 2024. On slide 4, I can see the sales figures table. Here’s a screenshot:
- Screenshot of slide 4 with a table showing $102,500 in sales
- Based on this, the sales figures for May 2024 are $102,500. Please confirm if this is the correct information.”
- You: “Yes, that’s the right file and the correct sales figures. Thank you!”
- ChatGPT: “Great, I’m glad I got the right file and sales figures this time. Now, can you give me the dates for this report?”
- You: “Just use Today’s date.”
- Saving the Workflow:
- You: “ChatGPT, save this workflow for future reports. Name it ‘Sales Report’”
- ChatGPT: “Workflow saved. Next time, you can ask me to generate the report using the saved template and process.”
- Automate Future Reports:
- You: “ChatGPT, every Monday, generate the sales report. Email the team if there are any issues.”
- ChatGPT: “Scheduled. I will generate the report every Monday and notify you if there are any issues.”