IT Process Automation Blog

How to Mitigate Risk with Compliance Automation

August 15, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, IT Process Automation /by Gabby Nizri

With laws and regulatory requirements evolving on a continuous basis and the stakes incredibly high in most industries, compliance professionals face the challenge of eliminating whatever might be standing in the way of conformity. Despite the fact that many organizations have already invested significantly in maintaining compliance, their efforts are often undermined by something as basic as improper or inadequate reporting. That’s where compliance automation comes into play.

The outcome of companies that fail to prioritize compliance can be seen all around us. Almost daily, another headline appears highlighting the downfall of yet another promising startup. Not only do failures in this area impact the company itself and its customers and investors, but these incidents also tend to result in a tightening of compliance regulations. So, in essence, when one organization messes up, everyone in that industry (and sometimes beyond) must pay to some degree.

When it comes to compliance, there are a number of ways a company can head down the wrong path. Businesses are tasked with staying on top of complex regulations and deal with the time, money and other resources that are consumed by ongoing data gathering and compliance monitoring. Streamlining reporting through compliance automation can alleviate much of this burden. But how? What’s the best way to transition from manual to automated (and therefore more auditable) processes?

The simplest solution is to eliminate as much human interaction from your workflows as possible. Compliance automation delivers much more than enhanced efficiency. It also provides a number of benefits as they relate to risk management. With an automation and orchestration platform in place, compliance teams can rest easy knowing that they are in good standing with all regulatory requirements.

Furthermore, come audit time, all the relevant data will be available at the click of a button. With automated workflows, there’s no laborious data gathering or risk of erroneous reporting. Most critically, because the business will remain compliant, it will also remain safe from potential penalties and other costly consequences. The less the compliance team relies on manual processes, the less exposure there will be for the company as a whole.

Remember – compliance problems don’t only result in costly fines and penalties. They can also wreak havoc on a company’s reputation, market value and more. By integrating automated technology into the compliance process, businesses can effectively eliminate additional risk of human error that could threaten to derail an otherwise sound operation. Compliance automation facilitates a repetitive, easily monitored and managed set of workflows, gathering data in one single platform and exposing potential issues so they can be addressed before they become a serious problem.

***To see for yourself how Ayehu’s automation and orchestration platform can help streamline compliance and just about every other area of your business operations,* *click here***.

Ayehu Wins Stevie® Award in 2018 International Business Awards®

August 14, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, News & Events /by Gabby Nizri

Ayehu, provider of the leading AI-powered IT and Security Automation and Orchestration platform, today announced that its latest platform release was named the winner of a bronze Stevie® Award for Best New Product of the Year in the software, artificial intelligence/machine learning category in The 15^th Annual International Business Awards®.

Ayehu’s next generation IT Automation and Orchestration platform powered by artificial intelligence is the first of its kind, no code automation solution, designed to help IT and security operations teams manage the overwhelming and increasing influx of alerts, incidents and requests. The multi-purpose, AI-powered software automation platform fully mimics repetitive manual IT work processes of humans including complex tasks across multiple, disparate systems. With data-driven intelligent recommendations teams and leaders become more agile in their decision making and more efficient in their operations, resulting in greater achievements for their businesses.

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – are eligible to submit nominations. The 2018 IBAs received entries from 74 nations and territories.

More than 3,900 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 270 executives worldwide who participated on 12 juries.

“Ayehu is honored to have been recognized by the Stevie Award judges for its innovation and use of new technology,” said Gabby Nizri, CEO and Co-Founder, Ayehu. “Artificial Intelligence technology is essential to corporations as they cross the digital divide and move towards self-driving enterprises. We are dedicated to applying AI to enterprise automation, to make it as easy and productive as possible for IT and Security teams to handle their increasing workloads.”

Details about The International Business Awards and the lists of Stevie Award winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA.

About Ayehu
Ayehu’s AI-powered automation and orchestration platform is a force multiplier for IT and security operations, helping enterprises save time on manual and repetitive tasks, accelerate mean time to resolution, and maintain greater control over IT infrastructure. Trusted by hundreds of major enterprises and leading technology solution and service partners, Ayehu supports thousands of automated processes across the globe. For more information, please visit www.ayehu.com and the company blog. Follow Ayehu on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the Stevie® Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Robert H. Brown

August 14, 2018/0 Comments/in Podcast /by Roy Eyal

Guest

Robert H. Brown – AVP, Center for the Future of Work at Cognizant Technology Solutions

Bio

Robert Hoyle Brown is an Associate Vice-President in Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work. Since joining Cognizant in 2014, he has specialized on the topics of robotics, automation and augmented reality and their impact on business processes. He has worked extensively with the Cognizant Digital Operations practice as head of market strategy, and also with Cognizant’s Accelerator leadership to drive the development of its intelligent automation strategy, messaging and go-to-market outreach. Prior to joining Cognizant, he was Managing Vice-President of the Business and Applications Services team at Gartner, and as a research analyst, he was a recognized subject matter expert in BPO. He also held roles at Hewlett-Packard and G2 Research, a boutique outsourcing research firm in Silicon Valley. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and, prior to his graduation, attended the London School of Economics as a Hansard Scholar. Robert can be reached at:

Robert.H.Brown@cognizant.com

Twitter: @robthbrown

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robthbrown/

Narrative

Throughout the world, in just about every industry imaginable, automation is eliminating more and more manual labor from processes that traditionally required human activity. Some sociologists & economists believe this changing reality will ultimately mean far-reaching changes for us as a society (basic income, redefining “full-time” employment, etc.). Robert H. Brown however, believes this digital transformation will create unprecedented new opportunities for those prepared to adapt.

The Center for the Future of Work is a think tank where Robert & his team study the impact that AI, automation, and other advances will have on the nature of work. Among the Center’s many videos & publications (see below) is a book entitled “What To Do When Machines Do Everything: How To Get Ahead In A World of AI, Algorithms, Bots, and Big Data”. Robert shares intriguing insights from this book about the digital transformation now taking place in the corporate environment, and how the future of work will not only be different, but far better.

Quotes

How do you take away the rote and repetitive drudgery of some of the other things that people do in their jobs and help them double down on what it means to be a better human?

There is a whole raft of things that is going to allow people to do better at being better humans as opposed to lock into this mindset of, “I’m going to do this the way that I’ve always done it, including the rote and repetitive stuff.”

If you’re paying attention to the headlines, you are certainly seeing a world of many, many possibilities when it comes to automation. All of the buzzwords that are out there, whether it’s RPA, or speech to text conversion, or NLP, AI, machine learning, right? All of them point to a similar conclusion, that processes as we know them are increasingly being executed by code in complementary roles to people, and not necessarily replacing people, but in complement to people.

Again, if we think about processes that are melting, how do you use AI and automation as a Bunsen burner to turn up the flame and realize there may be things that we are doing simply because since the merger and acquisition five, seven years ago, we just haven’t had time to think of a better way. There’s opportunities all over the organization. Another way to think about this is like Pac-Man, chewing through all the dots on a Pac-Man screen. You can use the low-hanging fruit of RPA systems to cut through all that fat in the back end of the business, and then use those cost savings which are pretty substantial to double down on true digital transformation within the enterprise.

If you rethink the work, you rethink the work process, you rethink the business process. If you rethink the business process, you can rethink the strategy for the firm.

Funny thing about the future of work is it’s always in the future. Starting tomorrow, next year, three years, five years, ten years.

They said, “Look, you guys say there’s going to be all these jobs in the future. What exactly are they?” 21 Jobs of the Future attempts to break that down and give a peek into what we may be seeing.

5 Ways Intelligent Automation Can Help You Dominate Your Industry

August 13, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, IT Process Automation /by Gabby Nizri

According to a recent report from Forrester Research, organizations that embrace automation won’t just succeed. They will absolutely dominate their respective industries. Once a relatively futuristic concept, these days just about every business benefits from automation in some way. Ever set or receive an out-of-office reply? That’s automation – albeit in its simplest form.

Many companies, however, have taken automation several steps further by offering self-service options, adopting chatbot technology and using other forms of next generation artificial intelligence (AI). The exciting news is that the true potential of intelligent automation has yet to be realized. And those businesses that jump onboard today will inevitably be at the forefront on innovation tomorrow.

Here are five ways intelligent automation can help develop a savvy, innovative and more agile organization.

Boost productivity, employee morale and retention.

Intelligent automation isn’t designed to eliminate humans from the workplace. Rather, its purpose is to augment their capabilities. When the tedious, repetitive and mundane components of day-to-day work are shifted from human to machine, productivity naturally rises. Meanwhile, employees are freed up to perform more creative and meaningful work. And when people can spend their time on the aspects of their jobs that are interesting and rewarding, satisfaction and retention levels also go up.

Streamline inefficient business processes.

Nothing kills a company’s chance of growth quite like inefficiency. Wasted time equates to wasted money and – more importantly – missed opportunities. Businesses that are overwhelmed by chaotic, disorganized processes and workflows can turn things around with intelligent automation. Instead of spending hours manually keeping track of work that needs to be done (and backtracking to fix things that inevitably go wrong), employees can apply their critical thinking skills to more important key initiatives, such as utilizing data to develop more advanced business strategies.

Increase visibility.

Organizations with business leaders that know precisely where they stand in terms of project status updates and budgets are in a much better position to succeed than those with management that’s constantly feeling around in the dark. That’s another area where intelligent automation can help. When reporting is made easy and incredibly accurate, upper management can enjoy much greater visibility into what’s going on at any given moment. Furthermore, with machine learning capabilities, leaders can get high-level, data-driven decision support to help them guide the organization in the right direction.

Enhance customer experience.

When employees no longer have to spend their time performing manual tasks and workflows, they can devote more of their effort to the needs of customers. And in today’s digital age, service has become the true differentiator. Thanks to intelligent automation, companies can shift their resources from fielding requests to developing creative solutions to address unresolved issues. This enables companies to deliver even better service to their customers, solidifying their position as trusted industry leaders.

Drive faster, more sustainable growth.

When it comes to scaling an enterprise, intelligent automation can be the solution – not only to achieving the set objectives, but doing so faster. As soon as a company determines new ways of working that deliver better results, they can then automate those things. This causes a sort of snowball effect, driving exponential growth that is sustainable for the long-term. While other businesses are simply getting by, those that are leveraging automation will be leaps and bounds ahead.

Curious about how intelligent automation can help your organization? Check out our free eBook below, or take Ayehu for a test drive to experience the power of next generation, AI-powered automation today!

5 Tangible Benefits Intelligent Process Automation Brings to the Table

August 8, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, IT Process Automation /by Gabby Nizri

In terms of disruptive technology, intelligent process automation has gained tremendous ground. In fact, according to Statista, more than half of business leaders today say they expect to implement automation in the coming years. And for good reason. While technologies like traditional workload automation, cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) reduce costs and provide the flexibility to perform routine tasks and workflows, artificial intelligence (AI) brings these benefits to a whole new level with the capability of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence.

Intelligent process automation software enables businesses to perform much more diverse and complex activities without the need for human intervention. Furthermore, thanks to machine learning algorithms, this type of platform is capable of learning and improving entirely on its own based on data from past experience. Artificial intelligence can also provide valuable insight and decision support for management. But how does all of this translate into actual, tangible return on investment? Let’s take a look.

Time and Money Savings

When a good portion of business processes are shifted from human to machine, the operation runs far more efficiently. Work is performed faster and more accurately, which equates to greater productivity and higher service levels. Fewer man hours results in tremendous savings for the organization. (In one recent case study, one global enterprise slashed man hours by 1,500 in less than a year simply by adopting intelligent process automation. That reduction resulted in an overall savings of nearly $500k.)

Competitive Advantage

Staying a step ahead of the competition is the key to success – especially in today’s global marketplace. Every company is chasing digital transformation and hoping to claim their spot at the head of the pack in their respective industry. The use of intelligent process automation can facilitate this transformation, not only be streamlining processes, but by empowering human workers.

When the mundane tasks and workflows no longer require human input, employees are able to apply their skills, time and effort toward more important business initiatives. The freedom to be creative breeds innovation which can provide the competitive advantage companies are striving for.

Agility

The ebb and flow of business has long been a challenge for organizational leaders. Scaling up as needed based on sudden changes in market demand is not only difficult, but it’s also quite costly. Conversely, in situations when finances are lean, such as during economic recessions, the ability to maintain an expected level of production on a limited budget is incredibly problematic.

The deployment of intelligent process automation resolves both of these issues by enabling businesses to scale up or down at a moment’s notice. Seasonal or other business influxes can be met seamlessly thanks to the ability of software robots to take on some of the workload. And when it comes time to tighten the belt, automation can help skeleton crews operate as if they were fully staffed. Every business leader understands the importance of agility like this.

Reduced Downtime

Another way intelligent process automation can deliver tangible benefits to a company is through improved system operability. According to Gartner, the average cost of IT downtime is $5,600 per minute. Due to variations in how businesses operate, Gartner analyst Andrew Lerner estimates that on the low end, downtime can cost as much as $140k per hour, while at the high end, can run upwards of $540k per hour.

Regardless of which end of the spectrum a business happens to fall on, system outages can be, without question, downright disastrous. Enter intelligent process automation and suddenly there’s an army of robots monitoring the infrastructure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Furthermore, artificial intelligence is capable of identifying threats that could take days, weeks or longer for humans to spot. When incidents can be pinpointed quickly and the platform itself is capable of addressing and remediating those issues, downtime can be dramatically reduced and, in many cases, prevented altogether.

Decision Support

Because intelligent process automation is powered by AI and machine learning, it is inherently capable of analyzing massive amounts of data and extracting value. Furthermore, AI-powered automation can then turn that data into actionable insights that can be utilized by business leaders to make better decisions.

Incorporating advanced business automation technology into the mix enables the analysis of overall organizational performance. With these intelligent analytics, business leaders can more effectively identify and implement the right approaches to achieve improved performance over the long-term.

Could your organization benefit from any of the above? If so, adopting intelligent process automation should be on your list of priorities. Get a jump start by taking Ayehu for a test drive today.

How Artificial Intelligence will Impact IT Careers

August 6, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning /by Gabby Nizri

There’s no question that machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies are making an impact on IT workers, particularly when it comes to entry-level and support type roles. As such, there has been a sweeping concern over the long-term affect AI will have on IT related careers in the future. And for good reason. After all, IT does happen to be the most frequent user of AI. Does that mean technology jobs are about to become obsolete? In a word, no. Instead, IT professionals will need to evolve alongside AI and develop new skills.

A shift has already begun…

This evolution is already happening in many organizations worldwide. Take an international hotels group. Not long ago, the IT service support team was comprised of 35 people working tech support in various levels. One of the biggest challenges at that time was keeping up with the 24/7 needs of end users. In response, the company’s Director of IT initiated a major transition that leveraged AI to offer self-service options and achieve greater scalability.

Humans and machines working in tandem

The company in question deployed an AI-powered intelligent automation platform that could perform common support tasks without the need for human intervention. Further, because the solution featured machine learning capabilities, it could essentially learn from its own experience and improve over time. The most surprising news? The company did not lay off a single staff member. Instead, its headcount actually increased by 80 people.

This real-world example provides a glimpse into the future and how artificial intelligence will impact work in the technology field. Tomorrow’s IT departments will achieve far greater productivity levels thanks to the support of intelligent automation. And along with these newer technologies, additional career opportunities will emerge.

Humans will no longer need to focus on routine, mundane and mind-numbing tasks. Instead, they will be freed up to apply their creativity and cognitive skills accordingly. Instead of fielding requests and responding to tickets, human workers will be focusing on monitoring and training their intelligent technology.

AI opportunities will increase

For IT professionals, AI and machine learning technologies present tremendous opportunity. In fact, according to Gartner, by 2019 more than 10% of IT hires in the support realm will be involved in managing bot interactions. By 2020, 20% of organizations will have dedicated workers responsible for monitoring and guiding neural networks. Furthermore, McKinsey predicts that AI could potentially create 20 to 50 million jobs globally.

And just as organizations can leverage the power of artificial intelligence to differentiate themselves and gain competitive advantages, IT professionals skilled in AI technology will similarly be able to position themselves as frontrunners in their industry. With the current shortage of individuals with this particular skillset, the opportunities that lie ahead cannot be understated. A good place to start? By familiarizing yourself with an easy-to-use intelligent automation platform like Ayehu.

Get your career headed in the right direction with a free product demo today!

Using Intelligent Automation to Reduce Complaints

August 2, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning /by Gabby Nizri

Could software robots help you reduce the amount of complaints for your organization? The answer is yes – through the use of intelligent automation. By implementing automation powered by AI, you can dramatically reduce the number of human errors that occur from manual processes while also improving the speed with which you are able to deliver service. Fewer errors and faster results mean end users and customers alike will be more satisfied. Additionally, with machine learning algorithms, business leaders can use data-driven decision support to deliver better service in the future. Let’s take a look at exactly how this all works.

Firstly, intelligent automation technology delivers productivity levels that are multiple times greater than that of human workers. When’s the last time your IT team was able to work around the clock without ever taking a single break? In fact, the only time an automation platform is inoperable is during system down-time, which is typically planned for and scheduled in advance. Using robots to complete most back-office processing tasks alone can result in an improvement of efficiency levels of upwards of 90%.

In addition to creating a more efficient, productive work environment, intelligent automation also provides a much greater degree of flexibility and scalability. Most organizations experience certain peak times during which the workload and subsequent demand on human workers fluctuates upward. In the past, when this occurred, business leaders were faced with the limited options of asking existing employees to work more or hiring additional workers to compensate for the increased need. Intelligent automation has revolutionized how these peaks and valleys are handled, allowing businesses to scale up or down at the veritable click of a button.

Because intelligent automation technology facilitates greater productivity and efficiency and delivers the ability to seamlessly adapt to changing workload demands, it naturally helps to reduce many of the costs associated with the traditional non-automated workplace. Furthermore, by shifting many of the highly repetitive, mundane tasks from humans to robots, morale and employee satisfaction subsequently improves as well. Talented personnel is freed up to focus their skills and attention on other, more worthwhile and fulfilling activities, which benefits employees as well as the company as a whole.

Lastly, by leveraging an intelligent automation platform with sophisticated machine learning algorithms, business leaders can receive decision support via suggestions to optimize workflows and dynamically create rule-based recommendations, insights and correlations. As a result, performance will continuously be honed and improved, which means greater increasingly better service levels moving forward.

Regardless of which industry or sector your organization happens to operate, without question intelligent automation could deliver a whole host of benefits, not just limited to the ones listed above. The better your company operates within, the greater degree of satisfaction you will achieve, both internally as well as with your customers. Happier employees and clients mean fewer incoming complaints, which is music to the ears of almost any executive.

If you haven’t yet begun reaping the benefits of intelligent automation for your company, the time to take action is now. Launch a free, interactive demo of Ayehu to experience for yourself how powerful having an army of robots at your disposal truly can be.

Why Organizations Struggle with Intelligent Automation (and How to Overcome It)

August 1, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning /by Gabby Nizri

Gartner predicts that the total global business value derived from artificial intelligence (AI) is projected to total $1.2 trillion in 2018, an increase of 70 percent from 2017. Further, AI-derived business value is forecast to reach $3.9 trillion in 2022. The driving force behind this trend is that intelligent automation enhances the customer experience, produces new revenue and drives cost reduction. But if this technology is so lucrative, why aren’t more organizations fully on board?

The simple truth is that many companies struggle with what to automate and where to begin. According to Research Vice President at Gartner, Milind Govekar, IT organizations must shift from opportunistic to a more systematic automation of IT processes: “Most current use of automation in IT involves scripting,” said Mr. Govekar. “Scripts are more fragile than agile. What you end up with is disconnected islands of automation, with spaghetti code throughout the organization when what you need is a systematic, enterprise-wide lasagne.”

Why Enterprises Struggle

One of the most common yet critical mistakes IT leaders make is automating the application release while ignoring the components behind it. As a result, things ultimately break down, diminishing automation’s value proposition. Another common error is automating simply for the sake of automating.

When deciding which tasks, workflows and processes to automate, the organization’s objectives should be the first thing considered. From there, one can then identify the specific ways that automation can support those objectives. Furthermore, all objectives and outcomes from the intelligent automation process should be identified and fully understood by all project stakeholders.

To put it simply, project leaders should calculate how much it costs to perform a task manually as well as how costly it will be to automate that effort. This will determine how much money can potentially be saved in the way of time and other resources. (Here’s a strategic framework for measuring ROI of your intelligent automation initiative.)

Another area where organizations struggle is in a lack of strategy. As Mr. Govekar explains, ““The more you standardize the environment before automating it further, the better placed you will be,” said Mr. Govekar. “Don’t automate the mess – get rid of the mess first.”

First and foremost, project managers must identify where intelligent automation might be applicable in their organization and develop a strategy around those areas. Mapping this out will create a framework to keep the project on track.

What to automate and where to begin

According to researchers at McKinsey, there are five distinct factors in determining which activities to automate. These factors are:

Technical feasibility
Costs of automating
Relative scarcity, skill and cost of workers who might otherwise do the activity
Benefits of automation beyond labor-cost substitution
Regulatory and social acceptance considerations

Gartner’s Research VP, Cathy Tornbohm says companies can secure a good return on their investment by automating back-office activities that are too laborious and/or impractical to be performed manually. There are a great number of back-office tasks – such as data entry and processing – that do not require human thought, judgment or cognition.

It’s important to point out, however, that mapping out tasks should involve not just those that can and should be automated, but also those that shouldn’t. The only thing worse than not automating at all is trying to automate too much.

Every project needs a champion

Successful intelligent automation should go far beyond simply removing or reducing human effort. Rather, it focuses on transitioning human capability to higher-skilled areas by eliminating rote, repetitive work and automating manual tasks. While this may seem wise in concept, it is often met with strong resistance, particularly from human workers who view automation as a threat to their livelihood.

As Mr. Govekar points out, “Automation maturity cannot, and will not happen when the team required to implement automation technologies is resistant or reluctant. You need to incent the desired behavior by rewarding automation efforts and efficiency improvements, and instead of reinforcing the ‘hero’ culture, create a culture of the process definition.”

This is why it’s so imperative that organizations identify champions who are proactive about adopting, embracing and evangelizing automation’s features and functionality. These champions become integral in breaking down barriers and gaining buy-in from others across the enterprise.

A world of possibility

In the context of this article, we’re not speaking only of streamlining processes and replicating workflows. We’re talking about leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to support decision-making and solve business problems. Cognitive technologies are revolutionizing the way organizations operate and it all starts with automation.

If you are struggling with what to automate and how to get started, an interactive demo of Ayehu can be the first step in your journey. The future is bright – get on the right path today.

5 Mistakes to Avoid on the Path to Digital Transformation

July 27, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning /by Gabby Nizri

These days the term “digital transformation” is all everyone can talk about, and a simple Google search will reveal countless resources on how to make it happen. What few people are discussing, however, is the other side of the coin – what not to do. The good news is, there are plenty of organizations that have successfully navigated the path and overcome the mistakes they’ve made along the way. This has paved the way to creating a sort of guideline for how to avoid digital disaster. Let’s take a look.

Not defining your process.

Digital transformation is a very broad term and it means different things to different organizations. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, nor is it possible to successful transform without a clear plan and specific goals in place. To create this strategy, you should begin by defining high-level requirements. From there, devise a blueprint for implementing the appropriate technologies to meet those requirements.

Not understanding cultural fit.

Younger generations are digital natives and therefore adapt quickly and easily to new technologies. But if your workforce also includes a number of users from older generations, driving full speed ahead on the digital transformation train without considering this can spell disaster. To prevent this, avoid adopting tools and platforms that aren’t overly complex or feature a steep learning curve. Instead, focus on user-friendliness, out-of-the-box functionality, codeless design, etc.

Not managing expectations.

Change is hard. Add to this the concern that certain technologies, such as intelligent automation, are a threat to human workers and you’ve got a situation that is ripe with resistance. This can be overcome by effectively managing expectations. Communicate openly and often. Demonstrate the tangible benefits that digital transformation will have for your employees. Answer their questions and quell their concerns. This will make them less afraid to embrace new technologies. (If you’re still struggling, check out these five tips to help get your workers onboard.)

Not looking at the big picture.

Digital transformation driven by intelligent automation isn’t something that happens overnight. Furthermore, in order for it to be successful, it cannot be approached as just another project. To the contrary, the focus should be on long-term sustainability. This requires that you not only know where you are presently, but also have a clear picture of where you want your organization to be in the future. While it’s wise to start small and build up (essentially, walk before you run), it’s important not to become too short-sighted in the process. Effective digital transformation is an enterprise-wide initiative.

Not measuring progress.

Most of the companies that have gone off the rails and down the path to digital disaster have one thing in common: they weren’t tracking their progress. You can’t know whether you’re headed in the right direction if you’re not regularly monitoring and measuring. Furthermore, if you’re not careful, you could discover your missteps so late in the process that it will be extremely difficult to recover. Utilize the technologies that are available to you, like machine learning algorithms, to keep you on track and help you make data-driven decisions that will pave the way for success in the future.

Do you have your eyes set on digital transformation for your organization? A great place to start is with automation and orchestration. Experience Ayehu’s next generation platform (powered by AI) and kick your journey off on the right digital foot.

5 Simple Strategies to Get Employees Onboard with Intelligent Automation

July 25, 2018/0 Comments/in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning /by Gabby Nizri

You’ve worked hard assembling a team of capable individuals, creative thinkers and innovative problem solvers. Unfortunately, they’re spending the majority of their days manually processing routine tasks and compiling reports, leaving little to not time leftover to focus on the innovative work they’re truly capable of producing. Automating routine processes can free them up to apply their talents to more valuable tasks. But if your staff is already insanely busy, how can you convince them to commit any more of their precious time and energy to adopt a new technology?

The good news is, you don’t have to – provided you choose an easy-to-use automation and orchestration platform that empowers users to automate their own tasks and workflows. Once you’ve got that part squared away, use the following five strategies to get your IT team not just on board with but actually excited about adopting intelligent automation.

Ask them what they’re sick of doing.

The initial step in any automation project is determining what tasks to automate first. A great place to begin is with the tasks and workflows that your IT staff members hate doing. These might include repetitive tasks like processing approvals or compiling weekly reports. These things are necessary but they’re not the best use of your employees’ time and talent (and boy, do they know it!) By automating the mundane drudgery that your IT team detests, you’ll make their lives easier immediately, which can be a huge motivator of change.

Build upon your existing foundation.

With the right intelligent automation platform, existing infrastructure doesn’t have to be massively disrupted. In fact, to the contrary, a platform that integrates seamlessly with legacy systems and applications can make adopting IA fast, easy and painless. Take a few moments to go through the tools you already have in place and show your IT team how integrating automation will bring everything together for the greater good.

Look for tools that are all-encompassing and versatile.

If you want your entire IT team to jump onboard with intelligent automation, you have to present them with a solution that works for everyone – not just a select few. Likewise, you want a platform that is versatile enough to cover a broad range of tasks and workflows, from routine and common to complex and unusual. Empower your users with IA rules and tools that anyone can implement without the need for coding or scripting. The easier and more flexible the platform, the greater the adoption will be.

Streamline and optimize communications.

Your IT team is busy enough. The last thing they need is to have their inboxes bombarded with endless messages and lengthy email threads that don’t apply to them. A quality intelligent automation platform should provide a centralized dashboard where everyone can see the status of tasks and workflows. Updates, alerts and notifications should be delivered only to those people to whom they are relevant, such as the individuals who have claimed a certain task. By moving away from email, employees will be able to manage their communications more efficiently.

Keep mobile top-of-mind.

We live in an increasingly mobile world. The ability to manage and oversee automated workflows from anywhere can be an incredibly attractive benefit for your busy IT team. You know – those hard-working individuals who can never seem to get much-needed time away. Reward them with an intelligent automation platform that is not only capable of handling the majority of the workload without the need for human input, but can give them freedom and flexibility through mobile communications.

Intelligent automation should help IT workers to perform their jobs more efficiently, freeing them up to focus on creative thinking and higher-value projects. But gaining buy-in from an already maxed-out staff can be challenging. By implementing the five tips above, you’ll be able to win them over once and for all.

Looking for an intelligent automation solution that features all of the perks and benefits outlined above? Why not give our Next Generation IT automation and orchestration platform a try today? Click here for a free, interactive no-obligation demo to get started.