NHS payroll ‘human error’ was avoidable with process automation
The payroll ‘human
error’ which resulted
in 8,500 workers at
South Tees Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust
being paid late could
have been avoided
with the right
automation strategy.
I
t’s time for the public sector to take a fresh look at its
IT processes. The latest news that thousands of staff at
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were not paid
on time because of a payroll ‘human error’ should be an
eye opener.Most organisations rely on their IT processes
more than they realise. However, many still support
important procedures, such as payroll, with manual ‘human’
activities, which as we all know aren’t always perfect.
After all, it only takes one little slip-up to destroy
the whole workflow. Whether it’s the wrong account
data being manually entered or simply the accounts
team triggering payment on the wrong day – any
mistake could have a knock-on effect, which not
only inconveniences the payee, but also damages
the reputation of the organisation in question.
In the case of the South Tees payroll glitch, the board
of directors understands that payment delay may cause
“real hardship” to a number of affected staff and has
promised to honour any bank charges caused by the
delay. Considering the circumstances, this is the best
course of action that the NHS could take to resolve
the situation after it had occurred. However, one of
the best long-term solutions would be to take a step
back and look at how processes can be permanently
improved, so that this situation never happens again.
Of course, the most obvious solution is to remove the
possibility of ‘human error’ altogether. Using process
automation it’s possible to easily eliminate manual tasks,
freeing up staff from repetitive mundane roles, which
inadvertently, but inevitably lead to human errors.
This isn’t about making staff redundant either
- it’s about giving them the time to work more
efficiently across the wider organisation.
20
Accolade
OCTOBER 2013
Automation Facts
I’ll return to the topic of people enablement in
a moment. However, first I wanted to explain
some of the reasons that organisations,
including elements of the public sector,
are turning to process automation.
First and foremost, the automation
of repetitive processes ensures that
organisations have the correct level of
accuracy, speed, efficiency, consistency
and quality they need every time.
For example, instead of using staff to
manually complete payroll data entry,
businesses can now automate the
process so there is no need for human
intervention or risk of ‘human error’.
Automatic, repeatable processes also
ensure that organisations have standard
practices in place, which results in faster,
more reliable and cost-effective workflows.
With the ability to guarantee that the
same processes are conducted in the same
manner and to the desired specification
every time, it becomes possible to ensure
quality and consistency in every step,
regardless of whether you’re collecting
staff data or arranging payments.
Enable rather than
replace a workforce
As promised, I want to discuss one of
the most common myths associated
with automation – its reputation as a
replacement for people. This is particularly
pertinent in the UK public sector today.
With pressure currently on the government
to display greater efficiency and results, but
at a reduced cost, many parts of the public
sector are looking closely at automation.
However, while many are approaching
this from the angle of automating away
the need for staff, from my experience I
know that the long-term value of process
automation depends on how people use it.
Sure, replacing your workforce with
automation can reduce costs in the short
term, but a far greater return on investment
comes from using automaton to drive human
innovation, and this requires coordination
between people and the technology they
use. This is because when highly skilled
and knowledgeable staff are freed from
repetitive, mundane tasks, they can
refocus on more strategic activities.
If the NHS was to empower its staff
with automation, rather than replace
them, it could divert its resources to
updating and improving both human and
IT processes across its entire operation.
The long-term value of automation is to see it
as an enabler—not a replacement—for people.
Automation is the brawn of any enterprise,
and this includes the public sector. However,
human beings should still provide the insight,
leadership and brains behind the operation.
‘Fire-Fighters’ in the NHS?
With automation, the public sector can move
from ‘fire-fighting mode’ and avoid repeats of
serious errors like South Tee’s August payroll
issue. Instead of cleaning up after a glitch,
it becomes possible to avoid it altogether.
However, while reduced manual intervention
eliminates ‘human error’, ensuring
organisations get their steps completed right
first time around, intelligent automation
of payroll, or any other business and IT
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