Should every one (Business owners) need process automation?

Recently I met my friend Mr. M G Subramani. A well known person in Banking process automation and core banking project implementation.

We had very deep and meaningful discussion on today’s trend in process automation and it was an eye opener.

He explained with his practical experience with his clients and how he approach the entire project from scratch and how his direction and vision leads to error free and fast implementation.

When our presentation to clients about our services on data management and hyper automation like Robotic process automation, each of them have different view and their question always like “Should I need this?”. Are you selling your product to me? I am almost happy about my organizational operations and I have ERP and people who deliver what I expect from them.

However, they miss on important point. “They don’t have “FULL PICTURE” of their organizational operations.

They react to situations and environment. Be it pricing, transporting, or product specification, or customer experience, or profit making, or compliance to the changing laws, or human resource management, they only fire fight and temporary solutions are arrived. 

They think they are in control, but they only react to the market situations and not creating their brand reach or improve their customer experience.

Let us look into this.

Attitude can not be changed by any process automation. This exclusively depends on the individual. 

There are few points:-

Process automation can be beneficial for many individuals and organizations, but whether everyone needs it depends on their specific circumstances and requirements.

1.      Efficiency and productivity: Process automation can streamline repetitive and time-consuming tasks, allowing individuals to focus on more important and value-added activities. It can help increase efficiency, reduce errors, and improve productivity. If you find yourself spending a significant amount of time on repetitive tasks that could be automated, then process automation could be beneficial for you.

2.      Scale and complexity: If you are dealing with complex processes or managing a large volume of tasks, automation can be extremely useful. It can handle repetitive tasks more quickly and accurately than humans, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring consistency. Automation can also enable scaling operations without adding significant resources.

3.      Cost savings: Process automation can lead to cost savings by reducing the need for manual labor and minimizing errors. By automating certain tasks, you can potentially save on labor costs, increase output, and improve overall operational efficiency.

4.      Error reduction: Automation can significantly reduce the occurrence of human errors, which are often caused by fatigue, distractions, or manual data entry. Automated processes follow predefined rules and operate consistently, minimizing the risk of mistakes. This is particularly important in industries where accuracy is critical, such as finance, healthcare, or manufacturing.

5.      Task complexity and risk: Some tasks might involve a high degree of complexity or risk, where automation can enhance precision and safety. For example, in healthcare, automated systems can assist in diagnosing diseases or monitoring patient vital signs, ensuring timely and accurate interventions.

6.      Repetitive tasks: If you find yourself performing the same tasks repeatedly, process automation can help streamline your workflow and save time. It allows you to automate routine actions, reducing the need for manual intervention.

7.      Focus on high-value work: By automating routine and repetitive tasks, you can free up time to focus on more strategic, creative, or high-value activities. Automation can help shift your attention to tasks that require critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation.

However, it's important to note that not all tasks or processes are suitable for automation. Some processes may be too dynamic, require human judgment, or involve personal interactions that cannot be easily automated. Additionally, implementing automation requires investment in technology, infrastructure, and training, which may not be feasible or cost-effective for everyone.

Ultimately, the decision to adopt process automation should be based on a careful evaluation of the specific needs, goals, and constraints of the individual or organization in question.

If the business owner vision is to make the customer experience multi-fold and wish to withstand the completion process automation is the easiest way to do that.