Why is IT automation essential for digital transformation?

Research shows that organizations of all sizes and scopes iterate the importance of digital transformation for business growth. But do we understand what the term “digital transformation” really means?

Digital: Pertaining to or being a device that can produce, record, process, receive, send, or display data in a discrete numerical form via a network of devices connected through the internet.

Digital transformation, by nature, is fast, creative and requires focus from leaders, staff, and vendors/partners who strive to keep the wheels turning through a collaborative effort. This transformation impacts your functioning, collaboration, and production by improving them continuously. Integrated technology tools like the cloud, data storage, recording, engagement, mining, measuring, reporting, governance, and problem-solving can help you change how you work because the results are better than before.
You can say you’ve adopted this already by, for instance, moving your staff to Zoom or having apps on the cloud. But none of these are digital transformations. Unless, of course, you can prove it’s resulted in a safer way of working while also keeping your customers happy.

How to Engage Automation:

To start off, the leadership team needs to stand back and visualize their goal, why they want to achieve it, and how they can make it happen. All processes within an organization are charted out as a neat string of tasks, with every move tracked for effort, time, quality, and value outcome.

Data of this volume and structure needs IT automation tools that can present all the viable options and facilitate a new method of operating efficiently. With the cloud as your playground, you can try out various tools and process revisions to deliver the desired results.

What are some IT automation opportunities?

• Get rid of manual, repetitive tasks
• Collecting data through customer issues and interactions
• Track the value outcome of the time and quality of work
• Get alerts on issues for teams to brainstorm for solutions
• Encourage teams to support product and service choices based on gathered feedback.
• Raise escalations to the leadership for guidance and support

IT process automation only within IT offers little value. When company processes are enhanced by technology, the necessary transformation can be triggered to perform at a digital level.

Consider this: the reactive nature of ‘service desks’ tends to annoy customers who can instantly switch to a different service provider. But what if the service desk could send a message informing customers of potential weather-related delays or even include them in decisions that would improve the service? The face of an organization is its service desk, and failure to automate and link its processes can impact the attraction and retention of customers.

Here’s how you can begin automating IT processes:

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• What are we doing today, and how are we doing it?
• Are there any problems or areas that still need to be addressed?
• If we need data, where is it generated, what resources do we need, the time of action, continuity requirements, security, and compliance?
• How long is each action taking, and how can we ensure the quality?
• And most importantly: What if? What if we could use AI to sort the data based on a predetermined set of instructions that enabled the process to take place without human interference?

What are the Outcomes of Automation:

Digital transformation has helped you better engage with your employees by changing their practices to ensure the smooth flow of regular and routine operations. But in terms of future growth, can your existing process gather feedback from IT automation and quickly adapt your business model accordingly? For instance, what if customers want to order pizza based on a list of ingredients rather than a menu? Or what data do you leverage to keep track of your warehouse inventory and maintain inventory cost levels?

Look at how post offices have digitized stamps and how contract handling time is reduced with the legalization of digital signatures. Every organization’s dream is to provide services that can bring in customers globally or help their communities daily through automation, elevating them to a digital economy.

When processes throughout the business align and data-driven choices can be scaled, you know you’re on your path to digital transformation.

Here’s another example:
United Overseas Bank (UOB), one of Asia’s leading banks, already implemented automation practices back in 2020. It followed an operating model that helped them scale up their delivery, service, governance, and demand pipeline operations by automating nearly 30 new processes, thereby providing consistent service even during the pandemic. These are current examples of forward-thinking with barely any human interaction through effective automation practices. (*IT News Online)

IT process automation helps humans adapt for efficiency. Meaning: people who used to perform manual tasks before can now upskill themselves to create and support digital services. It also aids in the reduction of staff costs. However, some companies may find that the knowledge lost is not always worth the financial gain. Leaders could enable their employees, who are aware of what’s going on, to profit from process automation methods.

7 Tips for IT Process Automation

• Create a value stream map to better visualize your workflow
• Automate the repetitive and manual tasks
• Use automation to break the silos in different departments by forming new engagement practices
• Leverage on your vendor’s know-how
• Use the cloud as your playground for technology
• Ensure that the continuity, compliance, security, and safety are not compromised while automating your processes
• Get everyone upskilled with a hands-on experience of technical, cognitive, and problem-solving tools

Closing thoughts on IT service automation

According to the World Economic Forum, 60% of global GDP will be digitized by 2022, with new value produced only when digital platforms are enabled.

Senior IT stakeholders must shift their mindset from “We want technology, go make it happen” to “We understand how technology can help us, and we need your help to realize our goal.”

IT process automation can enable value chains, but it can also shut down a business in a flash if not implemented properly. Notice the stories of data leaks or service breakdowns that have left customers outraged? You don’t want to be there. Work with your vendors to bring your business up to speed with the know-how needed to be a digital business.