Digital Transformation: Intelligent Automation, Robotics and RPA for the Non-Technologist, Part 3
Article 33: Understanding what Technologies Do and How They Can Be Used
Not using robots in your business is currently a perfectly fine strategy. Their value depends on your business. But if you’re not using bots, you’re probably not optimizing. As you think about Digital Transformation, remember that the whole process is about finding ways to better reach your goal. It’s about better satisfying your customers’ needs. Bots are the software version of a robot. They do boring repetitive tasks (like data entry or order processing.) And they also do intelligent automation (like automated health diagnoses or personalized shopping recommendations). If you are building a culture of transformation, you will continually find processes in your business that can be automated. If you automate what the process should be, not necessarily what it is, you will see a Return on Investment (ROI).
What are the benefits of Intelligent Automation (IA), robotics and Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?
Automating processes creates efficiencies which is good for business, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that the primary benefit is just making your process digital. You’re not really accomplishing much if you build a robot that can use the official seal to rubber stamp the document. Instead, you want to change the process such that you can accomplish your goals in a more streamlined way. Done well, this results in a process that’s not just faster, but actually better. For example, a digital signature is actually more verifiable than a pen scribble on paper—or an official seal stamp by a robot.
Many times, a process is introduced because of technology limitations. At the time, there simply wasn’t a way to do it directly. Once it becomes possible to do something in a digital, automated way, the change is inevitable—in the same way that digital currency will probably replace cash at some point. Or that no one actually gets a stock certificate anymore. Or that you can “sign” your IRS tax return with identity data. Everything that is information based should eventually be digital. An enormous number of physical processes were introduced purely because there was no other way to meet the goal of the process. If you can now remove the cost and drag of the physical in your automation, you will probably save both time and money.
So, we agree that automation is not about making your process digital, instead it’s about accelerating how you get to your goal. What does this mean for the key benefits that automation and robots have to offer?
Predictability, consistency, and quality: In factories or other jobs where you need the same task done over and over and in exactly the same way, robots and automation can be significantly more exact than humans. You will get higher accuracy in the results.
Speed and efficiency: Robots and automation can perform tasks more quickly and more times with no break than human beings. They can work 24 hours a day and seven days a week, without violating regulations.
Cost: While the upfront investment in robots and automation can be significant, they can often be cheaper in the long run.
Availability and safety:
There are many jobs that humans are not able, or not easily able, to perform. Some examples include diving miles deep in the ocean to analyze fish, fixing satellite parts in the vacuum of space, and working with incredibly high-temperature materials. Robots and/or automation can do these without risking human safety.
There are also tasks that humans do not want to do. Increasingly, we automate harvesting food and garbage collection. It can be difficult to find willing workers for many low wage, dirty, or dangerous jobs. Robots never complain about having to work all day with trash.
Scalability: If you automate with software, you can scale up or down in real time with no additional cost (depending on your usage agreement). You do not need to wait for someone to be available to do the work. It is done as soon as the inputs are available.
Why might I not want to use Intelligent Automation, robotics and RPA?
The biggest issue with automation and robotics these days is cost. It can be difficult to build a business case to justify the investment. Sometimes you can only automate a portion of a process and it’s not cost effective unless you can do it end-to-end. Some of these gaps are due to factors out of your control (e.g., regulatory requirements, technical capabilities, etc.) Depending on the value these technologies provide for you, you can push to change that in your current state or wait for others to solve for it and then continue your automation process. If the problem is significant for others, it could even be an opportunity for you to step in and change the way business is done.
A second major drawback to automation and robotics is that, depending on the repeatability of the task, robots may not be very useful. If a task changes slightly each time, robots are still often not “smart” enough to adapt as well as a human being. Here, you just need to wait a little while for AI/ML to catch up to what you need.
Whatever the issue, don’t undertake automation unless you can close your business case. Bragging rights won’t buy you anything.
From a business perspective, why might I choose one Intelligent Automation, robotics or RPA provider over another?
There are almost as many robotic or automation options as there are tasks to be automated. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that you have an endless number of options for your particular situation. You will find that you likely have a smaller list of companies when it comes to your specialized needs. These will be the ones that provide automation or robots that are focused on your market segment.
From a purely business perspective, you want to ensure that you are choosing a vendor that lets you do what you need with the tool. Do you know specifically what you need and it can be a black box? Or is it something where your business team will need to adapt and change for current and future scenarios? Business flexibility is one of the key decision factors that business leaders need to address.
Given this dynamic space, your options will probably include both start-ups and established companies. You will need to do a normal risk analysis on the viability of that company as part of your assessment. Like so often with Digital Transformation, standards can be invaluable in reducing the risk of using a particular technology. Your technology leaders should perform a risk assessment given the technical needs and the business risk of using a particular vendor.
Summary
Robotics, RPA and Intelligent Automation make our lives easier and better. They are a key tool in Digital Transformation. But they are easy to misuse if we aren’t staying true to our Digital Transformation fundamentals. Bad Digital Transformation and bad automation give you similar results. You will replicate what you’ve done before, just digital instead of analog or manual. You will not save time, money or effort. You will not get the growth and improved customer satisfaction that you could if you just do with technology what you used to do without technology. Because Digital Transformation is not about shifting processes over to digital. It’s about re-imagining how to achieve your goals with technology.
One of the best examples of Digital Transformation is also a great example of automation. In the late 1970s, Fedex introduced the tracking number. They then continued to evolve the different technologies that allowed them to automate different parts of their system. Then in 1994, Fedex launched Fedex.com where they offered customers access to this automated tracking system. Because of the simplicity of using the automated process, they eliminated the need for a call center to bridge the gap between the system and the customer. Customers actually preferred self-service (because the automation made it so fast and easy to use.) Fedex provided a better result to its customers at a lower cost to themselves (no call center). This is exactly what good automation in the service of Digital Transformation looks like.
Automation and robotics can cost a fortune. But they don’t have to be exorbitantly expensive. Approach automation as a way to drive Digital Transformation. First, rethink which processes are important. Then look at how they can function optimally, given that technology is getting faster, easier to use, and smarter. As long as you can close your business case, automating your business is the right thing to do.
If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 in this series on automation for the non-technologist, check them out here.