ShortCut: Intelligent Automation | Page 2

Beyond the obvious potential of
enabling more efficient processes
and decisions, there are further
benefits that intelligent automation
brings to businesses.
Firstly, it helps companies to cope with constantly
growing compliance requirements.
For instance, built-in documentation can
establish a flawless audit trail, while automated
compliance checks prevent and
identify critical issues. Secondly, intelligent
automation creates the basis for new business
models, as it makes unique process
data available and creates digitally steerable
processes.
A PATH TO OWN YOUR
AUTOMATED FUTURE
As discussed before, many companies are
risking their future by not giving sufficient
priority to building a new operating model
centered around intelligent automation
and enabling their employees to strive
within that model. There are three key
factors for business leaders who want to
pave a path for their organizations toward
a sustainable competitive advantage in the
future (see below):
AUTOMATION REQUIRES NEW SKILLS
There are many indications pointing to the
conclusion that automation will not result
in a lower number of jobs overall. Rather, as
has been the case in past industrialization
waves, new opportunities will outweigh
the redundancies. But of course, that is not
necessarily true for any individual sector
or organization. Nonetheless, the interests
of companies and individuals align nicely
when it comes to investing in enabling
employees in the areas of automation
and digitalization. While few jobs will be
replaced completely, most will be augmented
by machines. The skills required
to work effectively with machines and
harness their full power will be critical
for most employees to succeed. Building
the workforce of the future by hiring new
talent and retraining existing staff will be a
key challenge that companies automating
their business should take on now.
In order for automation to have
the far-reaching impact that
companies aspire to, automation
technologies should be seen as
a driver of new business models
rather than just an enabler.
CEOs can no longer
treat intelligent
automation as a side
project. It not only lays
the foundation of tomorrow‘s
competitive
advantage but also has
a tremendous impact
already today.
BJÖRN RÖBER
Partner, goetzpartners
A PATH TO OWN YOUR AUTOMATED FUTURE
STEP 01
CONCERTED PROGRAM
To reap the full potential of intelligent
automation, it is often required
to tackle processes end-to-end or
even to establish new operations
within or outside the existing organization.
Local optimization of functions
or regions needs to be complemented
with overarching answers
to critical questions concerning
data strategy, cybersecurity, impact
measurement or algorithms.
STEP 02
LEARNING JOURNEY
Since digitalization affects nearly
everyone, companies’ digital-enablement
initiatives also have to
address the entire workforce. This
starts with easily accessible tools to
send employees on a learning journey
who are so far rather repelled by
technology jargon. It then continuous
with clearly defined pathways
that enable employees to acquire
essential skills about how to apply
advanced technologies and how to
benefit from new ways of working.
STEP 03
PARTNERING APPROACH
More than ever, make-buy-partner
decisions are a critical success factor
for businesses. Concepts that have
been pioneered in agile software development,
such as micro services
and APIs, make collaboration a
promising proposition where high
transaction costs rendered it inefficient
in the past. Companies that
want to take a leading role in intelligent
automation have to make clever
choices about where to join established
platforms and how to create
a dynamic network of start-ups
operating at the edge of the industry,
as well as which alliances to form.
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