The Simple Formula for Success in Automation

So you want to automate your operations like istar software review? Good news: automation is poised to become a $1.3 trillion industry by 2025 and there are so many ways to make your processes more efficient. But before you start digging through all of the technologies, frameworks, and packages that are currently on the market, it’s important to understand what will work best for you.

To ensure success in automation, follow these three simple steps: 

1. Select the right automation technology

There are a variety of options to choose from. In this article, I’ll cover four of the most popular technologies, which include: logic based automation, IT service management (ITSM), enterprise architecture management (EAM), and custom application software development lifecycle (ADL) frameworks. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. 

2. Choose the right framework

Analyzing all your processes is a great way to start. But this method will help you identify some areas that need more focus. At this point, you’ll want to hone in on the processes that are most likely to benefit from automation and decide whether a framework is right for your business. To be clear: frameworks are not a one-size-fits-all solution, but they can allow you to understand how and when certain processes would benefit from automation.

3. Build and test your system

Once you’ve identified the appropriate automation framework, it’s time to build out your application and begin testing. If there are any areas of your business that aren’t automated, these areas should be addressed first so that you don’t waste time developing something that isn’t going to help reduce costs or increase productivity.

4. Expand and repeat

If you choose to automate a process, don’t do it halfway. Otherwise, what was the point in automating it in the first place? So remember, if you’re going to automate, do it right.

5. Don’t neglect your people

Building any application can take time and resources. If this sounds like a lot of work for you to handle on your own, consider leveraging an off-the-shelf solution or consulting with an automation specialist to help you develop your application. Whatever path you choose, don’t forget that automation shouldn’t be viewed as a cost center: it’s much more than that. Automation should be viewed as an important part of your overall business strategy.

6. Automate the right things

In addition to the technology and framework options, you’ll want to automate processes that have a measurable impact on your bottom line and that are highly critical to business operations. This will help you make sure your resources are being allocated in the most effective way possible.

7. Make sure you’re scalable

Automation is meant to free up people so that they can do things at a higher level, so it only stands to reason that automation needs to be scalable — meaning it can grow as your business grows and adapt as new processes arise. Because of this, you’ll want all of your automated systems tied together in a central location that everyone can access at any time without worrying about IT being tangled up in the middle. 

8. Automate your communication channels

If you’re automating processes, you definitely need to think about how those processes will be communicated to the end user. So, consider which communication channels make the most sense for your business, whether that’s email, Slack, SMS text messages or something more advanced like a sophisticated chatbot. While most people still communicate via email, it’s no longer always the best solution when you think about how easy it is to lose an email in a busy inbox — so if you don’t want to risk causing a lot of confusion or frustration for your users, it may be time to take advantage of newer technologies that can handle just about any situation.

9. Build automation into your strategy

Automation should be a critical component of your overall business strategy — not just because without it you’re going to be missing out on the incredible growth that automation has to offer, but also because it’s going to make things so much easier. You’ll want to make sure that your automation efforts are built into the strategy you already have in place so that you can take advantage of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics that can help you identify processes that may not be automated today but will likely benefit from automation in the future. Remember: when implementing automation and technology, as long as it’s something helpful to your business, do whatever makes the most sense for you.

10. Automate, automate, automate!

And finally, the most important step of all: automate whatever you can. There are so many ways that you can improve your business through automation, and the earlier you get started, the better.

Summary:

By following these steps you’ll ensure that your automation efforts are successful. Remember, though all of these frameworks, technologies, and strategies have their own strengths and weaknesses — so it’s important to do extensive research in order to make the best choice for your business. If you have any questions or would like some advice on which solution is right for your business, feel free to reach out to us at Accenture Innovation Services . We’re always happy to talk with you!