What are the common mistakes that can derail your business process automation?

Before even considering automation, it is vital to understand what the current processes are. Moreover it is critical to understand where you might have a system constraint, and aptly apply constraints management. Make sure that the instrumentation you put in place to support the automation also supports constraints management.

In my experience, any Business Process automation projects need to be first and foremost supported by the senior leadership team all the way up to the CEO. If the most senior leaders do not believe in automation, the execution will be flawed and ultimately die.

It helps to have a working prototype in place. It's fine for the prototype to have manual components. But a mature prototype can supplement recommendations to ensure the design team understands clearly what it is working towards.

One primary reason for these risks is the complexity of merging sophisticated technology with human-operated systems. As automation becomes more intricate and intertwined with critical processes, the potential for technical failures and glitches increases. This leads to operational disruptions & costly downtimes. Risks Associated with The Implementation of Intelligent Automation:- 1. Selecting automation vendor and tools 2. Business Failure 3. Automation misfits for certain process 4. Poor process, poor automation 5. Failure in mapping a comprehensive dependency during automation design Before embarking on the journey of automation, organisation must thoroughly assess their objectives, processes, workforce dynamics, and technology choices.

Avoid common mistakes in business automation for sustainable success. Plan carefully, align with sustainability goals, and value user feedback. Simplify processes, adapt to change, and invest in team training. Prioritize data security, especially in recycling and waste management. Ensure scalability for expanding operations. These steps will keep your automation on the right track, supporting your mission for a sustainable future. ???? #Automation #Sustainability #Cleantech

Poor process analysis is a common mistake in business process automation that leads to automating processes that aren't well thought out, aren't efficient, or are out of date. Instead, work on making the process better by finding holes, slowdowns, extra work, and dangers. To write down and see the process, use tools like flowcharts, graphs, or BPMN.

Set your goal, analyze your options, review and redefine processes, and then implement. Digital transformation is a mindset shift that requires rethinking and revising current processes before moving towards a BPA strategy. Sometimes, we fail to do this due to lack of knowledge, and more often, due to time constraints. This leads us to the need to adapt technology, correct errors, and invest more time and money than initially planned.

Before you can automate a process, you need to have a deep understanding of how it currently works. This involves identifying the steps in the process, the people involved, and the inputs and outputs. Once you have a good understanding of the current state of the process, you can start to identify areas for improvement. One way to improve your process analysis is to involve employees who are directly involved in the process. They can provide valuable insights into the challenges they face and the areas where automation could make a difference.

Poor process analysis happens in the absence of clarity; fair and unbaised brain storming. One has to understand that process analysis is purly based on the proper brain storming based on tools which are applied in brain storming depends on the process and outcome we require. Process modeling is the another step once healthy brainstorming is done.

Establish performance metrics and benchmarks to measure the effectiveness of the existing process. Compare these metrics with industry standards and best practices to identify performance gaps. Consider creating prototypes or conducting pilot tests of process changes before full-scale automation. Prototyping allows for rapid experimentation and feedback gathering to refine the process design.

The people who know the process are the ideal ones to optimize the process if they are open to do so and if they know about serious automation. The people who know about serious automation are the ideal ones to optimize the process as long as they know the business. Both combinations are hard to find, foster stakeholder collaboration and accountability, look for people that have knowledge, other ones that are internal influencers, others that are creative, experienced. Look for the problematic, for the one that is resisting to the change, but also look for the easy going, and for the one that pretend to throw all the legacy to the trash. Stakeholder involvement means diversity.

Business Process Automation (BPA) is not limited to the responsibility of a single individual or department within an organization. It has a broad impact, involving multiple roles, functions, and customers throughout the entire organization. BPA typically necessitates a collaborative approach, as it can transform and streamline various processes and workflows, affecting the way people work and interact with the organization's services. Therefore, successful BPA initiatives often require cross-functional teams and a holistic perspective to ensure that the automation aligns with the overall goals and serves the needs of all stakeholders involved.

In successful Business Process Automation (BPA), teamwork prevails. Ignoring early involvement from stakeholders can lead to issues like resistance and confusion. To address this, clear communication about BPA's purpose, scope, and benefits is key. Actively seeking and incorporating stakeholder input ensures the BPA solution fits their needs. Providing thorough training and support is crucial for a smooth transition. This way, BPA becomes a collective effort, adapting to the diverse dynamics of the organization.

Any development in any organisation is a team activity because it is done for the organisation, and organisation is a group of people. So everyone who plays an important role should proactively and positively participate in any change management activity in organisation.

Develop a comprehensive stakeholder map that identifies all individuals and groups impacted by the BPA initiative. This map should include both internal and external stakeholders, such as employees, customers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies. Organize early engagement workshops or focus groups with key stakeholders. These sessions allow stakeholders to voice their concerns, expectations, and suggestions directly, fostering a sense of ownership in the automation process.

Such Ready to grow and richly Corps can enhance their business automation by utilizing robotic process automation (RPA). RPA is a technology that enables businesses to automate tedious, repetitive tasks such as data entry, reporting, and customer service. This technology can help Louis Vuitton streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve customer service. DAaBROWN23-2

Inadequate testing and monitoring are common pitfalls that can hamper the success of business process automation. Rigorous testing is essential to identify and rectify any glitches, errors, or inefficiencies in the automated process. It's equally crucial to establish a robust monitoring system to track performance, ensure the process continues to align with objectives, and make necessary adjustments as business requirements evolve. Effective testing and ongoing monitoring are the pillars of a successful BPA implementation, ensuring efficiency and responsiveness to changing business needs. #BPA #TestingAndMonitoring

Develop detailed test plans that cover various aspects of BPA, including functionality, security, scalability, and usability. Test cases should be designed to simulate real-world scenarios and edge cases. Conduct post-implementation audits to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and ROI of BPA initiatives. Use audit findings to drive ongoing improvements and refinements.

Business Process Automation (BPA) is not a one-time solution; it requires continuous testing and monitoring. This ongoing process is necessary to adapt to changing circumstances, address errors, optimize performance, ensure compliance, incorporate user feedback, and enhance security. BPA should be viewed as an ongoing effort to maintain its effectiveness and align with the organization's evolving needs.

Métricas, métricas, métricas. Recuerden que uno de los factores más importantes de tener un objetivo bien especificado es de poder tener correctamente medible y medido.

Over-automation is also a risk. Automating everything without discernment can lead to inefficiencies and overcomplexity. Moreover, you cannot brush aside data security, thinking that this is not a problem for BPA folks.

Needs change in projects, automation is static for that moment of time so when considering which automation to go with, it is important to consider what will be readily available for your operations for data generation. I chose an open based system so I was not tied to one particular vendor. Vendor strategic sourcing is critical when shopping for what your business needs for now and in the future.

It is important to consider that automation is an evolving process that does not end with implementation. The operation of the business changes all the time so the strategy must consider some type of improvement by internal or external people

Business Process Automation (BPA) is not static but needs to be adaptable and scalable. It must be designed to evolve with changing business needs, technological advancements, scaling requirements, regulatory changes, and user feedback. This flexibility ensures that BPA remains valuable and relevant over time.

Leverage low-code or no-code platforms to empower business users to create and modify automation workflows. These platforms facilitate rapid development and customization without extensive coding. Schedule regular performance audits to identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization within your BPA system. Proactively address performance issues to maintain scalability.

Having a good workflow will help you manage projects more efficiently, as well as: Increase productivity and efficiency using automated workflows: Automating workflows will not only speed up your processes but will also reduce risk and increase productivity. Working with workflows will help you identify redundant tasks and simplify your processes at every stage of the project process - from pre-construction to close-out. A good workflow process can significantly improve the success of a project, from tracking daily tasks to managing documents and resources. You can reduce risk, increase productivity, and save time and money by enforcing checklists, processes, and accountability across your organization.

Enable Fail Fast Culture Go from idea to prototype as fast as possible to gather feedbacks and readjust the direction. Avoid over analysis and treat failure as learning experience rather than reason to penalize or fault find.

Establish dreams, understand the value, and share, not only the challenges, make sure everyone knows their path and way to success.

The biggest mistake I've found companies and clients make with automation is, trying to remove the human element completely. There is no substitute for the human element. Business processes should be supplemented with automation rather than replaced by automation. Find inefficiencies in the current process and work to improve the process with automation. Automation will not fix a broken process, but it will improve and super charge existing working processes.

SUSTAINABILITY BPA's that are setup without considering long term outcomes run the high risk of a failed outcome. A BPA with the short term benefits ergo the immediate benefit will most likely result in immediate results positive or negative, with long term losses. It is almost always beneficial to suffer short term losses with long term surpluses as this does not just indicate profitablity, but fiscal growth, and progress as should be the goal of any profit making entity.