Achieving Efficiency Amid Automation Challenges: Expert Tips

Quixy Editorial Team

December 19, 2024

In the 21st century, the rapid growth of technology has left no option other than technology to accomplish tasks where the input by any human can be minimized. This is how automation came to the scenario. It includes enterprise applications such as IT automation, network automation, industrial automation, and automating integration between the systems and consumer applications.

This execution and planning automation strategy has flawlessly covered up all these spectra of the IT sector. It not only minimizes the input of a human but also maximizes productivity and accuracy. 

Now, in this entire process, you may face automation challenges; that is why we are here to guide you through this article. Our prior focus is to give you a brief idea about automation and its challenges. 

Types of Automation

Basic Automation

Are you tired of doing those repetitive tasks every day? You do not have to worry about it; basic automation technology covers you. Through this technology, you can easily automate these tasks. 

It works by using centralizing routine tasks. It will make your work much easier, as it uses a shared messaging system to centralize these tasks. It is way better than those disconnected silos, where you may spend hours accomplishing these tasks. 

It will accelerate your work’s pace, eliminate errors, and free up your time, which you can use for any other task. Robotic process automation is the best example of the basic automation. 

Process Automation

You should go for process automation to maintain transparency and uniformity between business and IT processes. Process automation is used by integrating complex and repeatable multi-step processes by integrating them with the multistep system.

By using process automation, you can easily increase the efficiency as well as productivity of the business. Using rule-based decision process automation can help you overcome business and IT challenges. 

Intelligent Automation 

Intelligent automation is considered the advanced level, combining machine learning capabilities and artificial intelligence. It means through this technology, machines can learn and enable decision-making capability based on past track records and data. 

For instance, you are working in a company where the prior goal is to accomplish tasks quickly, and the final output must be worth it. You can use intelligent automation like a visual assistant in such a scenario. 

It will empower customer service and make your tasks easier to accomplish. AIOps or digital workers are the best examples of intelligent automation. 

Common Automation Challenges

In the world of Agile and DevOps, automation has become a basic necessity for any industry. If you master the art of automation, then there is no back. You can easily set your data and tasks accordingly and get the results quickly. 

Implementation of this automation requires a lot of preparation and correct strategies. The process is not as easy as it seems, requiring a human factor in each step. 

But here is a catch: if you lag in maintaining certain factors that are quite crucial during automation, then you may have to face challenges, which include:

Employee resistance to Automation

A significant challenge in automation is employees’ resistance. Overcoming their reluctance requires effective communication, involvement, and showcasing the benefits of automation to ensure a smooth transition.

Navigating Integration Issues in Automation

Integration holds the key to successful automation, yet challenges arise. Overcoming legacy system compatibility, data silos, and complexities demands strategic planning. By addressing these issues, businesses can unlock efficiency and data accuracy and pave the path for scalability and innovation.

Lack of Flexibility

In the entire process of automation, you may observe that the automation solutions are partially rigid, and it may take some time to adapt to all the business needs that are changing faster. This lack of flexibility in automation can be a major challenge for the organization. 

Over-Dependency on Technology

Over-reliance on the automation technology can be really problematic. For instance, if a critical system fails, it can disrupt the entire workflow and operation of the organization, leaving it at a vulnerable stage.

Communication and Training in Automation

Lack of collaboration and communication can be a major red flag in successfully executing the automation technology. The prior goal of automation technology is not to give you instant gratification but a long-term return on investment.

All the developers, project managers, and business analysts must discuss and analyze the test cases, which must be automated. 

Executing the planned automation strategies is not the sole responsibility of one person in the team or any industry. It requires clear communication and collaboration among all the team members to make this possible. 

Also Read: Digital Process Automation – Everything You Need to Know

Technical Limitations of Automation

One of the major challenges that industries face is when they do not set realistic expectations of automation. 

Many industries tend to believe that automation technology can solve all problems and deliver the final output within no time, and it has some extraordinary to solve all the issues related to the tasks. It is practically not possible as it has automation has technical limitations. 

Data management

One of the major concerns that come into this automation process is data management. When any test scripts are executed, that has to be in a specific state; otherwise, there are big changes that you may have to face some negative consequences.

To always be in the safer side and avoid any kind of issues related to date reliance, it is better to create an independent and self-contained script in order to deal with these data reliance difficulties. 

Expectations of stakeholders and end users

Irrespective of the quality of the tools or resources you are using, you always have to keep in mind that it can not be executed in a vacuum. 

Without even this thought, whether your tool or automation strategy will pass or fail, you have to give this try, and this is how you will get an idea whether your automation tool will stand out or be a helpful asset for the users or not. 

When you cross-check the automation tools, you will get plenty of important data that will help in making decisions, especially when it comes to system development. By this, you will be able to provide automation benefits to the end users. 

Expectations of the stakeholders and end users are considered one of the major challenges in automation, and you can easily tackle it by making your management, stakeholders, and testing understand the possible outcomes of the automation strategy. 

Also Read: A Realistic Look at Automation Struggles in Manufacturing Industry

Overcoming Automation Challenges

To ensure that automation technology does not create any unnecessary troubles, here are some of the tips and tricks that you can consider in order to overcome the automation challenges:

Prioritise upskilling and training.

The one and only way to keep yourself one step ahead in order to overcome automation challenges is to prioritize upskilling and training.

Consider this as one of the major yet essential pointers. Keeping yourself updated about the technology or upskilling will not only help you expand your capabilities but also help in professional development.

To successfully introduce automation technology in the company, some companies focus on recruiting highly skilled employees who are always inquisitive about upskilling. 

By keeping this in mind, you must prioritize in upskilling and training yourself for a better approach to automation technology. 

When there is any doubt, outsource it.

Always make sure to address the skills crisis. Now you must be thinking, how does that work? Well, if you have any doubts regarding the automation process, then make sure to talk it out.

Automation is not going to eliminate the necessity of human intelligence, but it is going to add value to the final output if you take suggestions from partners, colleagues, and industry leaders. 

Your prior motto should be to modernize your day-to-day operation by the use of automation technology, and that can be possible if you reeducate all the employees and seek new ones. 

By clarifying your doubts, you will be able to find the best solution for the business. 

Also Read: How Process Automation Accelerates Digital Transformation

Take one step at a time.

Rather than attempting to take control of the automation technology overnight, it is important to take small steps. Your approach needs to be interactive, pragmatic, and based on thorough research.

You can start implementing workflow automation software in the manual administrative tasks, which will save most of your time and energy. Afterward, you can move to a larger workflow when employees get acquainted with the automation technology.

Acknowledge progress

Always make sure to acknowledge your small progress while executing your strategy. After implementing this technology, you will see your workflow from a different dimension, but what is essential is to acknowledge the small progress you achieved by using the technology.

For instance, you observe a sudden change in the cost savings expansion in your regular task deliverables, allowing the employees to focus on the company’s bigger picture and its success. 

Now you need to acknowledge all this progress that will ignite the workforce in many ways.

Also Read: Workflow Automation in 6 simple steps with No-Code

Key Trends that will transform Automation

Discover the transformative landscape of automation with key trends like low code platforms for simplified creation and the imperative for digital skills development, revolutionizing industries.

Low code or no code becomes the top priority 

Rather than opting for complex programming, industries focus on low-code and no-code systems provided by automation platforms. Here, you must drag and drop visual interfaces to create your own application for your company.

Nowadays, most companies focus on citizen development programs, where they train and reeducate employees from non-technical backgrounds. 

All these automation platforms allow users to create data models and applications they need by following an easy and quick agile methodology. 

Rounding out digital skills

Because of the rapid growth of AI and automation technology, most companies are focusing on upskilling and reskilling across teams and units. 

In the future, it will become a basic requirement for any team member to learn digital-centered skills. 

In such scenarios, IT and HR department needs to collaborate to recruit, train, and upskill new employees who can contribute to transforming automation. 

Also Read: Digital Transformation in HR

Digital CIOs set up automation to achieve new goals.

By that time, the role of CIOs had expanded into areas like ESG, sales and marketing, cybersecurity, cloud, and data. According to them, automation has become the key to executing their plans. 

According to the reports published by Foundry, CIOs are automating IT and business processes to drive revenue. 

Tips to Avoid Automation Pitfalls

1. Clarify Objectives Early: Define clear goals and objectives for automation projects upfront to avoid drifting away from business needs. This clarity ensures that automation efforts are aligned with strategic objectives, facilitating smoother implementation.
2. Engage Stakeholders Actively: Involve key stakeholders from the outset to ensure alignment with organizational goals and address potential resistance. Active engagement fosters a sense of ownership and commitment, leading to smoother adoption of automation solutions.
3. Select the Right Tools: Choose automation tools that match your specific requirements, considering factors like scalability and integration capabilities. Leveraging no-code/low-code platforms can streamline development and deployment, enabling faster time-to-market and reduced complexity.
4. Invest in Training: Provide comprehensive training to users to maximize the effectiveness of automation tools and mitigate resistance to change. Training programs tailored to the capabilities of automation platforms can empower users to build and manage automated processes more efficiently.
5. Monitor Performance Continuously: Establish performance metrics and regularly evaluate automation effectiveness to identify and address any issues promptly. Advanced automation platforms often provide built-in analytics for easy performance monitoring and optimization, facilitating data-driven decision-making.
6. Ensure Data Quality and Security: Prioritize data integrity and security throughout the automation process to prevent errors and breaches. Automation platforms offer built-in security features and data management capabilities, ensuring compliance and protection without compromising efficiency.
7. Embrace Flexibility: Design flexible automation workflows to adapt to evolving business needs and technology advancements. No-code/low-code platforms enable agile development and easy modifications, supporting rapid adjustments as requirements change without extensive coding.
8. Promote Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement by gathering feedback and iterating on automation processes iteratively. No-code/low-code platforms facilitate iterative development and quick iterations, enabling continuous optimization to drive efficiency gains over time.

Conclusion

Keeping the workflow scenario in mind, the requirements for efficiency and productivity automatically increase, which automation can tackle. From high investment input to data reliance, all these challenges can be covered by following certain tips, such as acknowledging your progress, taking small steps, prioritizing, and upskilling. All these steps will keep you one step ahead in overcoming the automation challenges. Scalable automation solutions empower organizations to expand efficiency and productivity while adapting seamlessly to growing demands.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)