Roadblocks to Automation and How to Get Over Them

Without doubt, automation of processes is revolutionizing the way businesses operate today. Most businesses gravitate towards digital transformation in an effort to improve current processes. You can automate repetitive, rule-based tasks, and save time and money!
And yet, it is not so simple. Despite its popularity and widespread adoption, there are barriers that business owners need to overcome. It is essential to understand these roadblocks and tackle them in order to ensure a smooth entry for automation.

While these are not the only barriers to automation adoption at an organization, we’ve seen they are some of the most common ones:

1. Lack of Overall Focus
2. Lack of Documentation of Existing Processes
3. Fear and Mistrust
4. Scepticism about Returnsr
Read on to know more.

Barrier 1: Lack of Overall Focus

While businesses focus on what processes to automate and what not to, sometimes certain aspects are missed out. While one process is automated, every related component needs to be examined and tied in. If not, it can affect the kind of overall results that automation can give.
Let’s try to understand this with an example. While software bots are utilised to improve customer experience at companies that provide inbound call centre services or call centre outsourcing services, other critical areas also need to be included. Automation can ensure greater efficiencies at the call centre by eliminating routine tasks and speeding up processes. However, other areas of development such as agent engagement, performance and training must also be considered to ensure a truly automated process. Such a comprehensive approach will increase overall productivity and efficiency, while delivering good customer service.

Barrier 2: Lack of Documentation of Existing Processes

In general, businesses use some repeatable processes to get certain work done. It is important to document these processes to prevent workflow breakdown, chaos and related inconveniences to customers. An impact on customers would mean an impact on revenue, which is something you want to avoid as a business. Thorough documentation makes processes efficient. You can determine whether to add or eliminate steps to make it perform better. Extensive and continuous documentation is necessary if you are considering automation.
First, involve the right people in the documentation activity. This way you know what steps are involved and what needs to be done to get the process to completion. Note down the start and end process. What are the triggers? Then, understand what’s being accomplished by the process. What does the desired result look like? Next, you need to know who and what are required to get these results. What do you need to perform the process? Now, sequence the steps to identify the correct flow and mark key decision points. What role do the participants perform, and who performs these roles? Once the new chain is reviewed and approved by the key people involved you can test the process for automation.

Barrier 3: Fear and Mistrust

It is natural for those involved to feel uncertain about training bots, fearing they might lose their jobs to these efficient bots. Additionally, there is the hesitation to trust an entirely new kind of technology that will change familiar legacy processes. Natural human resistance to change can stand in the way of automation adoption and implementation.
It is important to initiate employees into the idea of automation by showing them what benefits it can bring to the business and therefore, to them. Free your employees of the erroneous belief that the bots will replace them. Educate them about what they will gain from automation — how they can be freed from mundane, repetitive tasks; how the time these bots save can be used for more value-based work; and how these bots will allow them to work better and more efficiently. Employees need to know they will be re-trained to handle other tasks that require their creative, decision-making skills.

Barrier 4: Scepticism about Returns

ROI and efficiency benefits sound great, but are they realistic? This thought is yet another barrier to automation adoption. Not setting definitive expectations is a pitfall.

It is important to set your expectations upfront. What do you want to achieve, how can it be made possible and how can you determine the success of the project? Speak to your automation provider to understand what you can expect when automating processes in your organization. Every business is different. And so are the processes involved. Evaluating processes to know if they can be automated and to what extent and how they would perform when automated, can give you a better understanding of the benefits you will reap. For example, poor processes will not perform better with automation. A qualitative and quantitative assessment before and after automation implementation will help you see clearly.

Businesses can realize a significant return on investment by implementing digital transformation through automation. The significant benefits in productivity and savings in operational costs are compelling enough to adopt automation. However, the shift should be gradual and well-planned. This way, automation adoption at your organization will be less likely to be derailed.
Obliterate obstacles to automation and leverage its immense potential to cut costs, provide excellent customer service and increase efficiency.
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