The key success factors in your automation journey

Get in touch

The key success factors in your automation journey

In such a volatile era, there is no choice but to re-invent at every opportunity and agility becomes a sustainable advantage. Adoption of intelligent automation (IA) is one of the most cost-effective routes to expansion for a modern business and it can mean growth at all levels and all areas.

24% of businesses cite revenue growth as a top strategic objective when it comes to IA and 30% claiming that improving customer service is their primary concern. This proves that, whether you’re looking to develop your business brand, your bottom line or both, it’s a strategy and a tool that no business should overlook.

The key attributes of an agile operating model

There are seven key attributes to focus on if you wish to develop an agile and more adaptive operating model for the future that involves both human and digital workers:

Adaptive purpose-led strategy - A strategy that focuses on responding quickly to changes in the market and seeing these changes not as challenges but as opportunities.
Customer-centric design - A system design built to benefit the customer first and prioritises the customer experience above all else. This means optimising the customer journey from end-to-end and connecting front ends with back end legacy systems to deliver an experience that’s seamless, simple and user-friendly.
Organisations configured as networks - The traditional ‘front, middle and back’ office paradigm that has existed for generations needs to be seriously rethought. The teams of the future need to be more fluid and able to be assembled and disassembled as the market dictates without missing a beat. The distinction shouldn’t be between front, middle or back anymore, but instead operate around different resource pools so that the business needs dictate the teams (or networks); not vice-versa.
Platform marketplaces for distributed work - Marketplaces that are able to orchestrate digital and human capacity within and outside the enterprise are crucial for businesses operating with a combination of remote and in-house workers.
Automation and modularisation - In order for a digital workforce to operate functionally as a strategic enterprise asset, it requires a Robotics Operations Centre - a unified approach to achieving strategic outcomes with automation at scale.
Evolving technological architectures - Technology is constantly evolving and that evolution is getting faster by the year. Businesses need to be able to take advantage of this maturing landscape and bring these evolutions to all of their innovative projects.
Human and machine decision-making - Decision-making is perhaps the most important component of any business and in the future, those decisions need to be made by humans and robots working together and utilising the best that each has to offer. The analytical power of a machine bolstered by the critical, creative and empathetic nature of a human workforce can lead to faster and better decision making.

The success factors of an agile operating model

Of course, every business is unique and not all are going to adapt to automation in the same way. Businesses will be investing in IA for several reasons. We’ve already established that 24% do so to drive revenue growth, but 12% wish to use it as a springboard to a new operating model and 18% wish to use it to improve how they are utilising their data analytics. As far as results, meanwhile, 23% wish to streamline their customer services and less than 1% are doing so to eliminate headcount. So, generally speaking, businesses are well aware that the goal of IA is not to get rid of employees.

There are also many factors at play when it comes to determining how an organisation chooses to tackle automation. Of course, any automation strategy needs to align with the overall business strategy to ensure that different steps are prioritised, but there are four critical areas for organisations to consider when extending scale and reach of automation by adopting

Intelligent Automation:

Opportunity assessment - Understanding from day one where the opportunity lies. Do everything within your power to ensure your methods are engineered and standardised across every level of the organisation and are based around achieving and capitalising on these opportunities.

Operating model - Setting up and utilising a reliable, competent and capable operating model for your digital workforce. The Robotics Operating Model (ROM) can be enhanced to help drive scaling using a rapid delivery and operations method drawn from a leading automation partner.

The IT environment - Getting the infrastructure in place and ensuring it’s scalable and secure. This might require a lot of investment and will also mean ensuring everything is structured alongside cloud computing policies.

Operational readiness - Are your operating units prepared and ready to operate in a completely new way? If everything is not planned and everyone is not prepared, then you could be looking at a potential disaster. Remember, your digital workforce is a major strategic asset, not just a ‘cool new toy’.

Managing change

Whilst workers should be aware of the significant changes lurking on the horizon, it is the job of business leaders to protect and prepare their people for the fundamental changes coming their way.

Everyone needs to be taken on the journey together and some will undoubtedly require more support than others when it comes to re-skilling. Change is not going to happen overnight either - it will come in waves. It will, however, be a challenge; a worthwhile challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.

The important thing is to make sure you are accurately communicating your vision for how automation will change the lives of workers for the better and what critical steps are necessary to help you all get there, as well as what steps each individual needs to take. It’s a big ask, but as long as your communications are relevant, human and real, you should encounter little residence and you could soon be well on your way to creating your own successful digital workforce.

Need some support? Discover more about how Hydrogen can help your business implement a digital workforce >>

< Older Post

Newer Post >

"2025 and Beyond" Question and Answer session

26 Feb, 2024

Our webinar 2025 and Beyond: Why Your Hiring, Learning, and Culture Need to Evolve brought together thought leaders Enrique Rubio (Hacking HR), Lisa Skinner Källström (Teamtailor), and Hydrogen Group’s Dean Jennings and Michelle Miller. The conversation explored strategies used to tackle the challenges of the future workforce, shift organisational cultures towards lasting partnerships, and ensure teams are equipped for the age of artificial intelligence. _ The Q&A box was brimming! Our webinar offered participants the chance to consult our HR experts on addressing shifts in the people and culture realm as we approach 2024 and beyond. Interesting questions were raised, and we compiled them all to seek and reached out to our experts to get some definitive answers. For a recap on the webinar, check out our blog Navigating the Future: Insights from our Webinar "2025 and Beyond" So, here we are. Your questions - answered! - How can companies make people feel more secure in their jobs? Is it just a matter of increasing communication? Lisa suggested a shift towards a more sustainable approach. 'In recent years, we have seen many companies experience massive growth, and the need to get great talent onboard - hence offering extremely generous compensation packages. Unfortunately, many have now faced layoffs, and while the compensation and benefit strategies are not the sole reasons, I would like to propose a more sustainable approach for the future. [Increase benefits as the company grows, and as business results allow, we can increase pension levels or similar benefits – and discuss it internally! Open dialogue about results, investment choices, and their rationale fosters a sense of involvement among team members and signals the company's commitment to a sustainable direction.]' Dean echoed concerns about job security in today's volatile economy and advises, 'In today's uncertain economic climate, job security is a concern. However, by becoming indispensable and embracing tools like AI, individuals can enhance their value to employers, securing their positions for the future. Apart from using Chat GPT, what other tasks can be automated with AI? Lisa commented, ‘We’ve mentioned a few examples already, but I would look at all the systems your company allows you to use and question your suppliers on what features are or will be based on AI. For example, many applicant tracking systems allow the opportunity for AI to summarise CVs for an easy overview, generate interview questions and suggest more personalised replies to rejected candidates based on their CVs. Also, the opportunity for AI to transcribe an interview is an amazing tool which allows the interviewer to solely focus on listening and talking to a candidate as opposed to taking notes. As always, AI in these types of systems is not designed to make the decisions for a recruiter or business - but serve as an assistant to save time and work more efficiently.’ Dean added, ‘There are far too many to list. The AI directory https://aitoolsdirectory.com/ does a really good job of showcasing what does what and where you can find it.’ What is the impact of AI on employee engagement and how can HR teams use AI to promote engagement? Also, what precautions should professionals take when using AI? Dean offered his perspective by stating that ‘engagement and AI may seem contradictory, but there's a clear benefit when HR uses AI to streamline admin tasks, freeing up time for vital human interaction. Tools like Koios, for instance, offer Acoustic AI, helping HR understand team and individual personalities better, for more tailored approaches. Professionals must approach AI implementation carefully, ensuring ethical use to maintain trust and transparency in the workplace.’ How can we make sure our services stay personalised while using AI? Dean responded, ‘By leveraging AI to handle time-consuming tasks. The best thing about AI is that you get to choose what it does and what it doesn’t. If you feel strongly about human interaction to enable personalisation, you don’t have to let go of that – just embrace AI to make those interactions better. Get it to strip data in the background for you, or to type up your notes and actions as you have the conversations. The possibilities are endless, and they can be tailored to your needs.’ Within your businesses, have you experienced any resistance to the adoption of AI? How have you handled these objections? Dean responded, ‘A lot of the resistance I have seen has either been a fear of trying or a fear of being caught. There seems to be a negative connotation with AI, that if you get it to do something for you, are you cheating? The answer is a resounding no, you are working with the tools available to make yourself more productive for your organisation. Robot proof recruiter, if you haven’t read it, you should. Especially if you are a recruiter or if recruitment is part of your job role. I’ll spare you the details, but it is an amazing read that showcases the fact you can never take the people part out of recruitment - you’ll always be able to provide a better level of service than a robot (at least for now) and you need to focus on the parts of the process where human interaction is at its most vital and automate/utilise AI to get back time in your day to improve that social element of the process.’ Do you feel Employee Resource Groups will be on the rise with the future generation of workers? Dean replied, ‘A truly hybrid workplace cannot function effectively without the right technology in place. That doesn’t even need to be AI. For employees to feel a sense of belonging in a workplace, there should be a seamless experience that goes beyond just having teams up on 1 laptop in a room full of 30 people. Again, this will only advance with time ... my eutopia is to have my whole team (who are based in the UK + Thailand) sat around a virtual desk, on a beach with an interactive whiteboard we can utilise in real time via virtual and augmented reality. You may laugh now, but in the next couple of years, VR and AR tech will be the staple of hybrid working and teams coming together around the globe. This doesn’t take away from the in-person experience and nor do I think it should. It should be a tool that compliments real-time working solutions.’ How can we support older generation employees in the changing landscape? Dean offered his perspective, ‘AI is truly remarkable. It embodies the futuristic vision many of us had as children—computers and programs taking on tasks for us. For those uneasy about it, I believe it's a matter of not fully comprehending it or lacking the skills to use it effectively. AI has quietly become a part of the workplace, and many are still navigating its intricacies. The focus should be on empowering employees to leverage AI to enhance productivity and value to the organisation. Those who resist or fail to adapt won't be replaced by AI but by individuals who embrace change and view AI as a tool for greater contribution.’ How can we safeguard against the risk of AI stifling creativity in the workplace? Lisa said, ‘I would say the opposite, if we use AI for the more regular and routine tasks then we will have more time to use to be creative! For example, instead of spending hours on creating a presentation for an important project - let AI do this creating for you and spend the time on how you want to engage with your audience instead. Using ChatGPT to find easy tasks that I would previously have spent a lot of time on has been a big change in how I work and allows me find space in the day.’ Is there a regional divide across different parts of the world? Are Europeans more prone to appreciate safety/job security than Americans? Lisa commented, ‘My thoughts are that globally we have been through a lot in recent years, covid affected everyone regardless of location. After that, we had war in Europe for the first time in many years which had major effects on the economy, which I believe has made people appreciate job safety even more and value this in choosing their next employer. However, in some parts of Europe employees are still very protected by labour laws etc so I believe it is different from America where it is more common to have short notice period and less resistance from employers to terminate an employment.’ Expanding on the key themes discussed in our webinar, we're thrilled to introduce our Thrive Guide – a practical roadmap for building a thriving workplace. Within the Thrive Guide, discover actionable strategies to enhance employee engagement, foster diversity and inclusion, and implement flexible working models. Discover practical solutions to enhance workplace productivity and satisfaction. As our expert Dean Jennings emphasises, 'adapting to evolving workplace dynamics requires strategic initiatives.' This sentiment is echoed by other industry leaders in our webinar. In the Thrive Guide, these insights converge to offer practical solutions, providing a roadmap for organisations navigating change. Revolutionise your workplace. Download the Thrive Guide now!