Automation Achieves Automation… and Automation Only — “Set Your Expectations”

Whenever an organization faces a problem, obstacle, challenge, opportunity, or any other reason to pursue improvement, automation is often seen as the first and ideal solution — the path toward overcoming the challenge and reaching safer ground.

But let’s stop for a moment and examine that assumption.

First, let us clarify an important point.

At ODEL, we consider automation one of the most important elements of organizational transformation. We strongly believe that adopting and implementing automation is an effective path toward applying transformational concepts.

Living in an era rich with digital solutions and emerging technologies also gives organizations a greater opportunity to move closer to excellence.

However, this article is, in a way, a defense of automation as an improvement concept — and an attempt to prevent us from expecting it to achieve more than it realistically can.

Let’s begin.

What Does History Tell Us?

In simple terms, automation refers to involving machines and devices powered by processors and software in performing work and supporting people in completing their tasks.

This applies across all sectors without exception.

Automation does more than simply support employees. It can also help ensure that procedures are consistently followed, strengthen business governance, and enable processes to operate automatically and accurately with minimal potential for error.

The concept became particularly prominent in the automotive industry in 1946 and later expanded into other industries.

Eventually, it reached the services and administrative sectors, where companies began adopting the concept and leveraging technology to create solutions that significantly transformed how organizations perform their work.

Today, this evolution has reached what is known as:

Hyperautomation

—or “excessive automation,” as Google might translate it :)—

A topic we will explore in greater detail another time.

What Does Reality Tell Us?

Automation is often expected to carry more than it reasonably can.

It is sometimes treated as a magical cure for every problem an organization encounters.

When organizations face operational challenges, decision-makers may immediately begin searching for technological solutions that could potentially solve them.

This is where an unfortunate overlap can occur.

Technology solutions are marketed in ways that closely match the organization’s immediate needs.

From a distance, the message sounds like:

“Start by addressing the root causes of the problem, then adopt technology to enable, control, and support the transformation.”

But up close, the message can sometimes sound more like:

“Pay us, customize our magical applications, and they will solve all your operational and administrative problems.”

You have probably heard that a significant percentage of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation projects, across their various forms, fail.

There are several reasons behind this.

One of them is simple: users are human.

People naturally consider their own interests and needs. If a technology system is introduced as an additional burden without actually enabling employees to improve or simplify their daily operations, they are unlikely to use it effectively.

It is not always simply a matter of resisting change for the sake of resistance.

We understand that we live in a rapidly changing world that requires flexibility, fast decision-making, and the adoption of different approaches that can lead organizations toward greater institutional excellence.

However, this does not justify overlooking or marginalizing critical stages of digital transformation.

Before automation, organizations need to review and improve the business side and agree on the appropriate solutions for addressing their challenges.

Automation is only one component among several interconnected areas that shape the business environment, including:

• Operational procedures
• Workforce and capabilities
• Corporate governance
• Automation and technology

In Summary

When adopting technology to address organizational challenges and automate operational processes, the following points can have a significant impact on the Return on Investment (ROI):

Address the root causes of business challenges first.

Make sure you have actually addressed them — and then check again.

Properly customize and configure the technology based on the solutions specifically designed to address your business challenges.

And finally:

Never hesitate to seek support from your excellence partner — ODEL.

Thank you.

Knowledge Library Team

ODEL

Riyadh