Driving Automation and Change in Enterprises

The mounting pressure of digitalization and innovation has required many corporations to put the cart before the horse to satisfy external stakeholders or maintain a competitive advantage. Unfortunately, it is frequent that these rapid build-outs of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) programs have provided diminished returns from a lack of understanding of underlying processes and inefficient program management and governance. By utilizing the fundamental steps of the automation journey, these hurdles can be overcome by creating standardized processes to be used across enterprise business units.

 

Initially, enterprises must identify how they will intake and approve automation processes. How can one ensure that potential automation tools are assessed equally and that all potential gaps have been identified? Creating a standard IPA process document for kicking off an IPA project is an easy and measurable way to assess organizational impact and prioritize project pipelines. This document should include, at minimum, the key business drivers/benefits, areas of the organization impacted, an overview of the scope to be addressed under the IPA project, and any other relevant business case elements supporting project needs. This document should be reviewed and approved by an automation review board, ensuring IT involvement from the start to pipeline projects appropriately based on business impact, speed to market, or other provided benefits.  

 

When completing this standardized document, the responsible business unit must identify the groups and functions affected by the potential automation process - whether impacted from the start or downstream as a program continues to scale. Understanding the current operational landscape is imperative to a successful IPA implementation. Developing an opportunity assessment and business case that incorporates feedback from external business units will be more impactful and effective when determining tool selection and long-term program growth.

 

For example, when implementing a P2P solution, the leading department should incorporate feedback from external business units on their current contracting/invoicing process and how that will reflect in the tool is selected, i.e., does the tool need to be capable of supporting tiered pricing or basis points, will the tool potentially eliminate jobs, or impact the current flow of work? Ensuring that the program's scope encapsulates external department concerns will ease potential heartburn when change management begins and support long-term buy-in from stakeholders.

 

While identifying the initiative's goals, a project Center of Excellence (COE) will provide the program management needed for long-term success. The COE is critical to continuous project governance and addressing gaps within the automation process, both during build phases and after launch. The roles and responsibilities assigned to the individuals within your COE should be well understood and engaged at the appropriate stages during the automation journey. Gaps in role clarity or timing of participation can, and most likely will, cause operational issues downstream.  

 

From the onset of automation implementation, it is important that all members of your COE and potential ad hoc resources understand their role and timing in the automation journey. Well-organized journeys ensure that approved development standards are being followed, naming conventions are consistent, and standard documentation is being utilized. Utilizing process documents that define the program design, business impacts, resource scheduling, and exception management can help reduce scope creep and delays during implementation.   

 

During implementation, a member of the COE should be responsible for ensuring documentation of the new processes to provide change management to end users. This will help reduce operational risk business disruptions and encourage teams to accommodate the new working method. Business users should be prepared for the launch of the automation process through consistent communications, end-user testing (if applicable), training provided, and updated Standard Operating Procedures. Lack of these resources will impact program acceptance and adoption upon program launch and can lead to a disrupted daily course of business.

 

While an automation journey can seem daunting, consistent communication, organization, and planning will help subside the pain points typically experienced in the automation process. Utilizing the same documents and tools through the enterprise that are easily modified to new and emerging automation projects, regardless of business unit, will encourage greater collaboration, acceptance, and overall adoption. This will allow organizations to become more agile, provide employees with more efficient ways of managing workload, and encourage additional innovation as companies grow.