Author: Cameron Brinn
Why is automation such a buzzword these days? It all comes down to the fact that the way we work is changing. In fact, the nature of work itself is changing. Old jobs are disappearing, and new ones are constantly being created. Two major drivers of this seismic shift in the employment landscape are unavoidable demographic changes and our ever-increasing ability to automate tasks.
In the U.S. alone, the retirement of the baby boomer generation will have a huge impact. Despite their tendency to continue working longer than previous generations, boomers are projected to leave the workforce faster than they can be replaced for at least the next decade. The resulting gap in the labor force (in terms of warm bodies and more importantly in irreplaceable institutional knowledge and experience) is driving employers to find new ways to maintain productivity.
Serendipitously, technological advances have been opening up possibilities that were unimaginable a few short years ago. It is estimated that 45% of all activities performed in the workplace can theoretically be automated using technologies available today. As technical advances continue, this number will increase, and the barriers separating technical feasibility and practical opportunity will become ever-more surmountable.
Considering these two factors together, we should expect automation to expand rapidly outward from its well-established strongholds (e.g. manufacturing) and into the digital arena. Though the potential benefits of digital automation are enormous, it is not a magic bullet; it cannot solve every problem faced by businesses, and it is far from foolproof.
What Digital Automation is NOT
Digital automation is not a simple plug-and-play proposition. A successful implementation is dependent on the careful consideration of many factors. The development of a deployment strategy is one very important aspect that is frequently overlooked or given short-shrift. This strategy can be thought of as the overarching approach to an automation initiative within an organization. The old adage ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’ is appropriate here. Having a defined strategy will help align on the role of automation in the organization moving forward. A strategy will help you leverage synergies and integrations and minimize redundant work.
3 Prerequisites for Digital Automation
Regardless of the specifics of your selected strategy, a successful digital automation initiative has three organizational prerequisites:
- Leadership must foster a culture of innovation. Leaders must actively promote innovation and continuous improvement to counteract institutional inertia and complacency.
- There must be a baseline of digital competency and process understanding. Personnel must have some basic understanding of the capabilities of technology and the current state processes within the business to be able to support an automation initiative.
- There must be consistent and effective communication throughout the organization. This will help to ensure alignment, to prevent working at cross-purposes, and to avoid silos within the organization.
