When we utilise automation as part of our business and growth strategy, it can not only help us work smarter but can also actually facilitate increased recruitment and provide opportunities for skilled developers and engineers. Automated solutions can positively impact organisations by managing sales opportunities, increasing productivity, improving HR processes, and increasing profit through smart data management.
Automation provides us with an opportunity.
Decreasing Sales admin
While sales are about relationship building and establishing trust, there is so much admin and management around the sales pipeline and this is where automation can be beneficial. Scheduling emails, reports, and data collection are all necessary but there are mundane and time-consuming tasks that can be carried out through sales automation tools. Automating sales systems mean that salespeople can spend more time on the vital activities that require trust building. People buy people which means sales professionals must allocate valuable time to the conversations and meetings that allow them to demonstrate value and build relationships. Managing the sales admin and reporting through automated systems is a critical part of the pipeline but growth comes when salespeople spend their time on proactive relationship-building and value-driven initiatives.
Production & manufacturing
Automation can dramatically increase production rates by using materials more efficiently, reducing lead times, and improving safety. The physical well-being of workers is infected it was historically an issue. Aside from impacts on health with long working hours, individuals working with power tools and heavy machinery were often exposed to health and safety hazards. Whilst some may argue that workers have become displaced through automation, any transition to an automated process needs to be managed by humans in the first instance. The automation of some production functions also creates an opportunity to remove people from repetitive and dangerous work and open other more people-centred roles.
Smart HR
In a conversation about a people-focused business such as HR and recruitment, there is something of an oxymoron in considering AI and automation to transform and improve human processes. When we dig below the surface, however, organisations know that time-to-hire has historically been costly for businesses. A case study published by Willis Tower Watson provides insight into how this works in practice. The study focussed on Ping An insurance group which is China’s largest insurer and how they used AI and big data to push decision-making and staffing needs onto front-line managers.
This resulted in cutting their time-to-hire stat by two-thirds and the onboarding saving at $17 million. In this example, automated smart HR systems did not reduce the need for people rather they identified the need quicker and increased profitability through faster onboarding.
Data protection & management
With cyber security paramount, ensuring a business or organisation protects itself from cyber-attacks is critical. Implementing automation can identify threats and vulnerabilities through rapid analysis allowing developers to react before threats or malicious programs are deployed. We still need security analysts to make decisions and act but with AI providing curated risk analysis, vital increased time is given to an organisation before reaching a dangerous situation.
Strengthening our cyber security, reducing errors in processing time, organising, and processing our data and managing mundane admin can all be automated. This frees up your team to devote themselves to more powerful activities that require critical thinking, discussion and innovation. Ensuring your business organisation capitalises on the right automation systems may mean utilising consultancy to decide where best to invest and sourcing skilled developers who are engineers to maintain and build the right systems for your organisation. With the right tech in place, organisations can use automation to provide insight and inform the strategy that creates resilience and improves performance.
