A Cycle of Continuous Improvement
Process Automation can become a virtuous circle driving business process improvements, using the learnings from Big Data and Cognitive Insight applications to generate process efficiencies in business operations. This is typically seen across the organisation, with good returns on investment generated in Operations, E-Commerce, Marketing and Customer Service.
Benefits can be seen as a result of greater ‘disintermediation’ of the value chain, pushing the organisation closer to the customer with greater intimacy, understanding of their requirements and their use of your product or service.
Do You Have the Technical Architecture to Integrate Process Automation?
Integrating new capabilities through Process Automation in itself can present challenges, as the capability of legacy systems to receive and act on automated inputs may not be as flexible as may be required. It is conceivable that organisations may need to build an entire integration layer between their IoT applications, databases and AI capability to allow process automation to be acted on. At the extreme, some legacy applications may require replacement.
The Change Management Challenge Can Be Significant
When organisations begin to grasp the capability that the Connected Business Model brings, the cycle of continuous improvement takes on a new life. Because the organisation moves into ‘Learning’ mode the impacts this brings may be unknown at the outset, which in its turn creates challenges to people, skills and job roles that are impacted.
This is not a simplistic discussion of ‘robots replacing humans’. Rather it is about organisational dynamics shifting to create an atmosphere where people embrace technology for what it can bring to assist their job roles, which may result in some organisational discomfort as it ripples through the business. The Change Management challenge is not to be under-estimated to grasp the necessary level of organisational emotional intelligence.
In Summary
AI and Cognitive apps are more than ‘stand-alone’ entities. When embedded into your operation, the learnings they provide deliver greater efficiency in business processes through process automation. However, it may be no trivial exercise. To get started with your project, or simply discuss your ideas, contact us on +44 113 242 3795.