Automation and its business value proposition

S.Business leaders in Africa are well aware of the challenges posed by rising operating costs, declining revenues in tough economic times, and rising inflation with rising interest rates. Everything.

The economic downturn is not unique to South Africa, it has been a global trend for some time. Overall, SA has a lot of potential, but it faces unique challenges that can make it more difficult for businesses to operate. However, with proper planning and IT strategy, companies can achieve great success in this market.

Gartner’s 2023 Technology Forecast highlights collaboration, automation, and orchestration as key trends to optimize value during the economic crisis.

Delivering value while optimizing costs is a constant challenge for managing infrastructure and operations, and it becomes even more difficult in tough economic times.

Globally, strong factors such as inflationary pressures are likely to continue to drive automation across industries in 2023. Deploying automation can help businesses overcome today’s daunting challenges, automate human workflows, and make the most of their existing workforce, but perhaps most importantly, it helps businesses reduce their operating costs permanently. helps reduce to

At SA, the case for embracing automation as a means to improve the customer experience (before even discussing operational improvements to the business) is very strong.

Consider the simple thing of reserving a car for annual service. Matters such as mileage, owner details, etc. are still typically all captured manually. Automating this process greatly improves service for both customers and garage owners.

SA has a strong tendency to adopt automation as a means of improving the customer experience.

Public sector data collection is another example. At SA, we have never been frustrated by the cumbersome experience of paper data collection at local police stations and municipalities.

These are just some of the issues driving the adoption of automation.

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML): AI and ML technologies continue to evolve, and businesses are leveraging them to automate complex tasks and processes. Through 2023, we expect more companies to adopt AI and ML technologies to improve efficiency, productivity and accuracy in their operations.

Internet of Things (IOT): IoT devices are becoming more prevalent and more companies are using them for data collection and process automation. IoT devices provide real-time data that can be used to optimize operations, reduce downtime, and increase productivity.

Cloud computing: Cloud computing has given businesses access to computing resources on demand and at scale, making it easier and more cost-effective to automate processes that were previously too expensive or complex to automate. .

Robotic process automation (RPA): RPA technology has gained a lot of attention in recent years and may become even more prevalent in 2023. With RPA, repetitive tasks can be automated, freeing up employees to focus on higher-value tasks that require human expertise.

WORKFORCE CHANGES: The workforce is evolving and the demand for digital skills is increasing. As companies continue to automate processes, they need employees with the ability to manage and maintain these systems.

Business owners are often apprehensive when introducing IT solutions, especially automation, into their operations because they may lack the expertise required for successful integration.

Additionally, there are concerns among employees about potential job losses due to automation and digitization.

However, it is important to note that such changes do not necessarily lead to headcount reductions. Instead, we may require employees to improve their skills or learn new skills related to new technologies being implemented. Overall, however, the aforementioned drivers may continue to drive automation in 2023.

The trick is to simplify the task and automate it as much as possible. One example of this is service desk and patching chores. This can be automated so even less skilled resources can handle it. This improves service levels and generally provides greater business benefits.

Another example is the finance department. Automate payment and invoice number matching.

A new trend in the fast food industry in the United States is automating tasks such as deep frying. Automation is the answer, because no one wants these simple tasks anymore.

It is very important to eradicate the silo mentality in the enterprise. Many companies have employees in different departments using a myriad of software, and a beleaguered CIO is trying to bring them all together. A company may run projects in one silo and sell in another. However, in an ideal world, all this information should be brought into place with the data already captured on the system.

However, it’s important to understand that there are a few things to consider before embarking on your automation journey. Especially the potential return on investment (ROI).

Businesses should prioritize automating tasks that provide the greatest ROI and benefits. Also consider the cost of implementing and maintaining an automation solution, as well as the potential impact on staff.

Without question, where is the best place to start depends on each organization’s unique needs and processes. My advice is to start by identifying repetitive, time-consuming tasks that are important but don’t require significant human input. These tasks are prime candidates for automation.

For example, automating manual data entry into billing systems can be prone to errors, leading to costly remedial actions and reputational damage. Automation frees up valuable staff time and improves accuracy. Also, labor-intensive jobs such as software patch management can waste valuable technical staff time that is better spent on higher-value tasks.

While the initial cost to get your organization started with automation may be relatively small, the long-term benefits include organizational growth. Overall, the best approach is to start small and scale up your automation efforts over time. This allows companies to test and refine their automated processes before making large investments.

Additionally, engaging employees in automated processes and providing training and upskilling opportunities can help ensure a successful transition to automated workflows.

However, it is important to note that you may face challenges when implementing your automation project. Nevertheless, businesses must keep an open mind and embrace the potential of automation to transform their operations and achieve greater success.

In the next few years, automation will become a key driver for businesses around the world. Companies that fail to adopt automation will struggle to keep up with more innovative competitors and may even be in danger of going out of business by 2024. To remain competitive, companies must prioritize the adoption of automation technology in their operations.

All this sounds great, but a related question is: are there caveats in automation? The answer is yes. I’ll give you an overview in the next article, including how the benefits far outweigh the downsides.