Where to get started with process automation in 2024

Look beyond the headlines and it’s easy to understand why digital transformation is so important right now. Even if you don’t pursue it across your business, you can be sure that your competitors will be - which means you risk falling behind very quickly in several key areas. These include (and are by no means limited to):

• Digital strategy: the firms that are achieving the best results with transformation are those that are thinking carefully about what they want to achieve, planning with those objectives in mind, and then executing with the right technological deployments. Failing to plan and simply adopting whichever product is flavour of the month or has the most eye-catching marketing risks wasting time, money and resources
  
  
• Labour and efficiency: automation and AI is already taking care of repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up human resource to add value in other areas of an organisation. Businesses that aren’t taking advantage will lose out in the productivity and agility stakes, especially as advances in AI mean it’s able to take in work of increasing complexity
  
  
• Innovation: breaking out of the ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ mentality is a vital part of pursuing digital transformation. Those still stuck in the old ways and that are avoiding investment in technology will be resigned to manual, paper-based processes and workflows that are inefficient, slow, expensive and prone to human error
  
  
• Client and customer expectations: businesses and consumers alike are constantly expecting better and better experiences, particularly ones that are fast, smooth, hassle-free and personalised. Organisations using automation and AI are far better-placed to deliver on these demands than those that aren’t

So what’s the best way forward with automation and digital transformation? Firstly, as alluded to above, it’s vital to plan ahead and assess potential solutions for a clear and tangible business benefit. More often than not, technology investments are badly scoped out, don’t serve business needs, and are more time-consuming and disruptive to implement than expected.

Another pitfall to avoid is to devotedly stick to an existing solution because of considerable investment that has already gone into it. If a solution isn’t serving the business well enough, then continuing with it is just a waste of time and money: it’s far more pragmatic in the long-term to move to a new system with the latest technologies, and future-proof the organisation.

To get digital transformation right, it’s vital to have a clearly-defined brief, supported by the right expertise to determine what to automate, where and how. This means mapping out existing processes, engaging with key stakeholders to identify the right opportunities, and demonstrating a clear and fast return on investment thanks to a straightforward implementation and measurable performance improvements.

In the longer term, this strategy should continually assess the ongoing needs of the business, and adopt new solutions and technologies as requirements evolve. Using advanced technology such as AI, machine learning and low-code applications can help close any capability gaps quickly and effectively.

If you feel that you don’t have the expertise to achieve all this in-house, then the ideal way to proceed is to partner with an established leader in process automation. At Autaro, our managed service for process automation takes care of everything, from discovery and design to implementation and management. Our expert team can deliver the efficiencies and innovations that are so critical to modern business success, without causing any substantial disruption to your day-to-day operations.

To find out more, read our previous blog on practical business use cases for process automation, then discover our approach to automation in more detail.