Organisations are under pressure to remain relevant and keep up with the evolving business environment and uncertain economic climate. To remain competitive and profitable, organisations need to find ways to leverage technology and accelerate their automation programs. While automation has changed the way we operate, its full potential remains untapped. In this article, we'll explore six ways to accelerate your automation journey.

1. Define clear goals and objectives for the automation programmes.

Organisations should have clear objectives for their automation programmes and ensure they are aligned with their business goals. Automation programmes can have a significant impact on the way an organisation conducts business. It goes beyond just cost savings and can deliver an enhanced customer experience, enable a faster time to market, and encourage innovation amongst employees by improving process efficiencies. Democratised automation with common and clearly communicated goals can help rally everyone in the organisation, ensuring efforts are focused in the right direction.

 2. Get C-suite sponsorship.

Securing the support of senior executives can be the difference between a failed automation initiative and a successful one. It ensures there is a clear roadmap and the initiative receives all the resources and prioritisation it requires to be successful. With the C-suite backing up the automation plan, it can proceed with confidence and overcome barriers like those related to organisation culture, process fragmentation, and others that may arise along the way.

 3. Create a robust pipeline of automation opportunities.

Identifying processes that are best suited for automation and can deliver the greatest benefits will shield the organisation from wasted efforts and unwanted consequences. A thorough and deep understanding of the process will help identify which areas can be automated and which ones are best left in the hands of a human. Identifying the right candidates for automation and building a strong pipeline can set the tone for an effective automation roadmap that can accelerate the pace of automation adoption.

4. Establish an Intelligent Automation Centre of Excellence (IA CoE).

The single most significant step to accelerating an organisation’s automation journey is to set up an Intelligent Automation Centre of Excellence. It involves bringing together a team of skilled members from various departments to support an automation program. An IA CoE provides a structured approach to automation projects and helps deliver the best results on time. It also enables organisations to discover new automation opportunities, manage costs and resources, and gain a competitive edge over others in the industry. Additionally, the CoE also helps establish best practices and standards for automation that can be scaled throughout the organisation.

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"An IA CoE is the backbone of a successful automation programme." - Hema Gandhi

5. Equip your teams with the right tools and technology.

How easy, adoptable, and scalable the automation programme will be will depend on identifying the appropriate tools and equipping the teams involved. To ensure the plan achieves its objectives, it is necessary to assess the needs of the teams, determine which technology, such as OCR, RPA, or others, might be appropriate for the specific activity, conduct the necessary research, solicit feedback, and select the right tools.

6. Monitor your automation progress.

Tracking and measuring the benefits of an automation initiative in comparison with the original objectives of the automation plan is critical to the scaling of the program. It enables the various functions to measure effectiveness and monitor the use of automation tools to ensure a strong ROI. It not only encourages the adoption of automation but also removes many barriers and enables a smoother digital transformation. Insights from an automation initiative can also help identify areas for improvement and ensure that the automation remains beneficial over time.

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