Has your organization been contemplating automation for some time, but hasn't taken the leap yet or you are an individual who is trying to bring automation into the organization but not having much success?
Rest assured, you're not alone. Many companies express initial interest in automating their processes but often find themselves overthinking the implementation process, leading to unnecessary delays and missed opportunities.
In this post, we will delve into the reasons behind organizations' tendency to overthink automation and provide insights on how to address some common misconceptions.
- "It is not on the technology roadmap, so we can't look at it." - ?This statement often reflects a common challenge where new capabilities are overlooked due to outdated technology roadmaps or limited understanding among technology decision-makers.
- “Our processes aren’t ready”, “We have not mapped any processes”, “Our processes need standardisation otherwise it will be rubbish in – rubbish out” – It is not uncommon organisations to think they are not automation ready because the processes aren’t documented
- “We tried automation few years back, but it didn’t work” – Organisation can sometimes put a blanket rule on all automation capabilities due to one failed project
- “This might be complex and costly” – Often organisations start treating automation as a huge program of work where they might over resource the project resulting in complexity and high cost.
- “Business are driving this and this will result in shadow IT”, “Who owns this” – The great IT vs Business divide can often lead to people intentionally blocking new capabilities due to indifferences in opinion.
- “Not sure why we need it?” Some organizations may not have a complete grasp of the benefits that automation can bring and how it can significantly improve their business processes.
The key to avoiding overthinking automation lies in fostering understanding and knowledge. By addressing the underlying misconceptions and providing education and guidance, organizations can overcome these challenges and embrace the transformative power of automation. So how do you overcome these challenges?
- "It is not on the technology roadmap, so we can't look at it," often reflects a common challenge where organizations overlook new automation capabilities due to outdated roadmaps or limited understanding among decision-makers. Outdated roadmaps may not account for emerging technologies, causing automation opportunities to be dismissed. Limited understanding of automation's benefits and applications can also lead to scepticism. To address this, organizations should regularly update roadmaps, foster continuous learning, conduct pilot projects, and seek external expertise to make informed decisions about automation.
- “Our processes aren’t ready”, “We have not mapped any processes”, “Our processes need standardisation otherwise it will be rubbish in – rubbish out” - Process readiness is a common concern for organizations considering automation. Some may believe that their processes must be fully documented and standardized before implementing automation. However, it's important to note that automation can actually assist in documenting and streamlining processes, making them more efficient and effective. In most automation initiatives, processes are re-engineered as part of the project itself. From my experience process improvement became part of the automation initiative but not a separate event. This means that organizations don't necessarily need to have all processes mapped or standardized beforehand. While understanding the existing processes is important, it can be done as part of the automation initiative itself. In my previous article (https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/dispelling-myth-how-rpa-defies-rubbish-out-data-shiv-chandra/), I addressed how rubbish-in does not necessarily mean rubbish-out with Automation. It's worth noting that automation technologies, including generative AI, have advanced significantly over the years. They are now capable of handling and correcting data inconsistencies, even when the input may not be perfect. This means that organizations can still achieve valuable outcomes through automation, even with imperfect or incomplete data.
- “We tried automation before but didn’t work” - The belief that all automation capabilities are ineffective based on one failed project is a common occurrence. However, it's crucial to recognize that each automation initiative is unique, and the reasons for past failures may not apply universally. Instead of adopting a blanket rule against automation, organizations should analyse the factors that led to the failure and learn from them. By conducting a post-mortem analysis, organizations can gain valuable insights to improve their approach for future automation projects. It's important to view automation as an ongoing journey of continuous improvement rather than a one-time endeavor. With a learning mindset and an iterative approach, organizations can overcome the setbacks of the past and achieve successful automation implementation.
- “This might be complex and costly” - The perception that automation might be complex and costly is common, as organizations often treat it as a large-scale transformation project, leading to increased complexity and expenses. However, a more strategic and focused approach can mitigate these concerns. By starting with smaller automation initiatives and gradually scaling up, organizations can better control complexity and allocate resources efficiently while enabling and uplifting internal knowledge. Leveraging scalable automation tools and partnering with experienced providers streamlines implementation and reduce complexity. With careful planning and a targeted approach, organizations can navigate the complexity and cost challenges associated with automation.
- “Business are driving this, and this will result in shadow IT”, “Who owns this” - The division between IT and business teams can lead to resistance or intentional obstacles in automation adoption, driven by concerns about shadow IT and ownership. To overcome this, fostering collaboration and open dialogue between IT and business stakeholders is crucial. Both parties bring specific skills to ensure the success of automation initiatives. IT plays a vital role in establishing a governance framework to mitigate risks and ensure organizational security. Business teams, being closest to end-users and customers, offer valuable process insights that uplift performance. Bringing IT and business closer together benefits the organization as a whole. By promoting and rewarding collaboration, organizations can bridge the IT-business divide and achieve successful automation implementation. Initiatives like Hackathons and common strategic goals can be utilized to enhance collaboration between IT and business stakeholders. Regarding ownership, there is ongoing debate, but a balanced approach where IT leads and business drives the initiative can be a suitable solution.
- "Not sure why we need it" - Automation offers numerous benefits to organizations. It improves efficiency and productivity by streamlining tasks and freeing up employees for more strategic work. It leads to cost savings by reducing manual efforts and optimizing resource allocation. Automation ensures accuracy and consistency in execution, minimizing errors and compliance risks. It enables scalability and flexibility to handle increased workloads and adapt to changing business needs. Additionally, automation enhances the customer experience through faster response times and personalized services. Embracing automation provides a competitive advantage by staying ahead of the curve and responding effectively to market demands. It also future-proofs organizations by embracing emerging technologies and trends for long-term success. The significance of having automation capability within organizations was emphasized during the pandemic. Many organizations leveraged automation to swiftly respond to pandemic initiatives and adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances.
In conclusion, organizations often face challenges when contemplating automation, which can lead to overthinking and missed opportunities. Outdated technology roadmaps, concerns about process readiness, past failures, complexity and cost perceptions, divisions between IT and business teams, and a lack of understanding about the benefits of automation are common hurdles.
However, by fostering understanding, education, and collaboration, organizations can overcome these challenges and embrace automation's transformative power. Updating technology roadmaps, approaching process readiness as part of the automation journey, learning from past failures, adopting a strategic and targeted approach, bridging the IT-business divide, and recognizing the wide range of benefits automation brings are key steps towards successful implementation. The importance of automation has been further highlighted during the pandemic, as organizations leveraged it to respond quickly and adapt to unprecedented circumstances. By embracing automation, organizations can enhance efficiency, productivity, cost savings, accuracy, scalability, customer experience, competitive advantage, and future-proof their operations.
It's time to break free from overthinking and unlock the potential of automation for your organization's success.
