The benefits of automation are undeniable: it not only frees the staff from tasks that can be tedious or repetitive, but also frees the organization from delays and errors associated with having those chores performed manually. On top of that, the pandemic taught us that a company continues to function regardless of the context and technology is an essential ally to guarantee business continuity.

How to start an automation strategy? The first step is to find a particular case. Contrary to what many believe, “automating” is not like a big bang explosion where one day the company works according to the traditional model and the next it is completely digitized. Rather, the recommendation is to establish a step-by-step project. Detecting a process that guarantees quick results -because it is highly inefficient or represents a specific pain point for the company- can be the key to breaking down all barriers.

It is convenient to start with a process that represents a minimum risk in case things do not go as expected.

Towards Industry 4.0

If the project generates a quick return, this will stimulate the company to expand its automated base, now with a more integrated vision towards an Industry 4.0 model: once the first project is completed and operational, it is important not to leave it isolated, since automation at scale is what allows to obtain the maximum benefits.

In addition, it allows visualizing how the human capital involved must be reinvented to deploy functions of greater added value, which in turn reduces the resistance for the following projects. This is not a minor issue: automation is frequently associated with a threat to jobs, so the task of change management and a frequent and fluid communication from the beginning of the project, are essential. According to this, an exhaustive analysis must be done. 

How does the automation of this particular process allow the optimization of costs, the generation of value or the reduction of risks? Basically, it is about the three lines of benefits offered by this technology. In the first case, it is related to higher productivity and fewer errors. In the second, with the possibility of providing a faster business response and thus increasing customer satisfaction. In the third, with the fact that the redesign of inefficient and obsolete processes can collaborate, for example, in greater regulatory compliance.

Processes optimization

Before moving on to automation itself, it is advisable to work on optimizing the process: restructuring it, understanding its components and limits, and considering all exceptions. Automating a poor quality process will only make it worse.

What processes are eligible to start this path? There are practically no limits. It is a mature and validated technology used both by banking and financial services companies to verify the validity of documentation, as well as by manufacturing companies to validate prices and compare suppliers. In both cases -and these are just two examples among thousands- these are activities that require hours of human resources.

Although initially there is a tendency to automate the most routine and simple processes, the truth is that the view must be broadened as more experience is gained, in order to later incorporate a combination of artificial intelligence.

Once the processes have been selected and prepared, the last big step is to start this journey towards automation: in other words, to complete the actual implementation. What lies ahead is a long paved road of huge business profits.