Change Management Through Automation

While automation has been in effect for ages, recent advances in technology are making automation increasingly viable to businesses. From kiosk touchscreens to helpful chatbots, automation has become commonplace in many sectors. Advances in technology have hastened the rise of automation with many jobs being eliminated as cheaper and more effective tools or solutions replace them. Automation is now taking the place of service workers, financial services and talent management. Change management is the process or methodology of managing that change, whether it be a new process or a system configuration. 

Planning for Change

Advanced analytics and artificial intelligence are making automation increasingly viable for businesses to adopt. Automated solutions have the power to dramatically improve productivity, profitability and innovation. Change management plays a pivotal role in implementing these new solutions. For effective change management to take place, the change will need to be defined and managed properly.

Proper change management practices should be laid out and tailored to meet the demands of the automation solution. As these technologies become more commonplace, leaders have to prepare their organisation and employees to adapt to these tools. Automation can lead to changes in staffing requirements, workflow and day-to-day operations. The leader will have to revamp the systems, processes and the role of employees to realign processes and grow the business. 

Encourage Adoption

Often, employees have been working in a particular way for many years and do not want to change. The initial challenge lies in managing the workforce, considering they currently might not have the required skills. Disruptive change can have a major impact on employees and their view of the future and fears of downsizing. Instead of ignoring these feelings, address them and focus on the positives.

For effective change management, every key stakeholder needs to be a part of it and encourage adoption. Outline the necessary steps to make the change transparent and efficient. Employees might be under the impression that automation will affect productivity since it might take time to learn the new system. However, everyone in the organisation should be focused on the benefits it will provide.

Managing and Monitoring

With automation, there will be a reduced need to manage and monitor work. Focus on making the transition smoother for employees and customers. The workflow will change to provide free time to focus on work that matters as jobs become quicker, easier and less stressful. 

Even with tools to automate tasks, you will still have to monitor the technology and look for and correct errors. A new system might be integrated into the current workflow or replace it. Either way, employees need to adapt and learn to use those features or system. Ensure proper support for the system with a dedicated team to help with the implementation and training to make the transition easier. Train and educate employees on the benefits and educate them on the effective use of the new technology.

Technology affects business strategy. Applying automation is key to business success and growth. However, changing organisational culture towards change management requires considerable work. It is very rare for a solution to work out perfectly and obstacles, especially in the initial period, will have to be addressed to make sure that the future is secure. With continuous work, positive adoption rates and problem addressal, effective automation will lead to success.