For years, I?ve advocated automation practices in businesses. I?ve worked with many companies worldwide, introducing technology that can deliver unparalleled efficiencies. I know that automation builds resilience and boosts productivity.
And yet, again and again, I see companies make the same mistakes. They invest heavily in automation, follow the procedures to introduce it and then it fails. Why? What?s going wrong?
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1. Automation is a social change
Buying the tools and turning it on isn?t enough. Automation changes the way we work and interact with technology. People can struggle to adapt to a new system. That?s why this change has to be socially engineered into an organisation from the top down. Management have to lead as early promoters.
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2. Success is not a one size fits all
For automation to work, a business model that incorporates working with technology, culture and people needs to be introduced. Historically culture is the critical ingredient that glues technology and people in the workplace. Quinns Competing Values Model, falls neatly into play here as it suggests that innovation in organisations requires flexibility with an external focus. This makes a business more willing to innovate and adapt ? essential ingredients for automation.
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3. Leadership is key
Embracing automation means promoting change. An effective leader must be able to move fluidly depending on what the situation needs. The culture shift needed for automation to be successful can only be done through strong leadership. I always recommend before automation (and to avoid large sums of money being spent on licensing) leaders must evaluate their organisation?s culture honestly. If your organisation is currently internally focussed and overly rigid, automation will be a difficult battle to win. You can still derive its benefits, however, you will most certainly need a different approach.
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4. It?s a journey
I can guarantee that every organisation is going to travel a different route. Some organisations will be better positioned to get onboard faster than others. Some, take longer. That?s just the way it is.
At Xpertly we work with clients at all stages of their automation journey. We help assist with everything from culture setting and strategy, through to build, operate and transfer (BOT) models. We work hard to make automation work for your business.
Reach out if you have any questions, we would be more than happy to help.
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