Automation is the future of business: how to stay ahead of the curve

automating, automated processes, accounts payable, automate

There has already been a colossal shift towards digital transformation in the last decade. The ANZ market, however, is lagging in terms of adoption of automated trends. A key reason for this is an abundance of misinformation and anxiety around job losses, most notably in uncertain economic environments like those driven by COVID-19; what we don’t know, we fear.

Automation will create new roles in the future. It has the potential to drive not only new ways of thinking in business but also new, improved ways of working. In fact, automated processes also encourage critical business decision-making, innovation, and seamless customer engagement – future-proofing strategies that every business can get behind.

What is an automation architect?

Gartner predicts that by 2025, more than 90 per cent of enterprises will have an automation architect within their organisation. As such, the role of automation should no longer be treated as ancillary or even as a secondary role within a business; it should be seen as a primary focus and a core go-to-market function.

Automation connects employees with solutions in a more time-efficient way and has the capacity to evolve organisational roles like never before. As these roles and teams become more commonplace, businesses may consider the assistance of a reliable and trusted partner to guide them through automation implementation stages. A partner can, for example, provide automated insights on how a business is performing and offer solutions that enable dismantling barriers that have previously restricted customer engagement.

Automating workflows is key to customer and employee engagement

While automation is far from a new concept and is already integrated within many IT infrastructures, it remains an underutilised tool. There is confusion around different technology jargon, but as one deep-dives into terms like machine learning, artificial intelligence and deep learning, it becomes clear that these all have relevance to automation. Put simply, businesses and their IT teams cannot create sustainable continuous integration or development without it.

Automation also benefits employees in that, businesses are able to minimise mundane or routine tasks and offer greater opportunities for employees to think critically, carve out specialties, and do the higher value work that they enjoy that goes beyond the simple, day-to-day. A business environment such as this encourages more engagement as well as professional and personal fulfilment.

When it comes to customer engagement, automated processes can also quickly identify gaps and pain points throughout the customer journey, providing insights on how businesses can differentiate and leverage competitive advantages previously unseen. Moving forward, automation will be used to connect internal and external operating systems, resulting in more unified communications and overall business transformation.

Now is the time for businesses to be bold

An automation strategy enables businesses to meet their goals and objectives while also giving direction as to how they will be achieved. Seeking guidance from a trusted partner can ensure a cohesive evolution into the future and allow for expert recommendations on what is most beneficial regarding IT infrastructure modernisation, digital development and data exploitation.

Businesses must be bold. Typically, it is large-scale companies with ‘large-scale’ resources that can implement forward-looking, innovative technologies, but any business can take simple steps to create a more transparent and streamlined experience for its employees and customers. Automation is going to drive not only new ways of working but also new ways of thinking and future customer engagement. And in a time of drastic change and business uncertainty, there has never been a better time to look to the future.

Antoine Acklin, Head of Architecture, PreSales, Onboarding & Professional Services – APJ, Rackspace