The 6 best ways to humanise your business using Intelligent automation

When businesses start using intelligent automation technology, they inevitably get it wrong.

Their initial focus on using intelligent automation and robotic process automation (RPA) software to reduce head count usually falls flat on its face. Why? Businesses need the very people they intend to let go, to explain how they complete their work in order to automate it. Those impacted by automation can see this and passively or overly resist.

The best businesses recognise that their people are their competitive advantage. They have learned that intelligent automation and robotic process automation (RPA) can help augment their teams not replace their teams.

Freeing staff from mundane, monotonous work enables them to complete more varied, innovative and valuable work.

Happier and more productive staff deliver better customer experience. They tend to stay longer, make less mistakes, and often work harder. Ultimately this usually results in a more profitable business.

So what 6 actions can businesses take to humanise their businesses using intelligent automation to get the best from their teams.

1. Focus on introducing technology that augments employees expertise and human creativity.

Technologies exist that can help augment human work, decision and judgement. Combing great people with great technology gives businesses the best of both.

For example; chatbots and interactive digital FAQs can help answer customer and colleague queries 24/7; smart webforms, robotic process automation and workflow technology help data around the business; haptics, Zoom /and VR peripherals can aid communication; AI and ML algorithms that provide decision insights and support make smart decisions and so on.

2. Provide training, mentorship, coaching and ongoing development opportunities for staff to learn digital and intelligent automation technologies.

If you don't now how to drive then you wont get very far in a car. Too often organisations throw the latest technology at people and forget to show people how to use it in order to help them become more productive. Life long learning is essential and so if life long support and training.

Teach your team how to use the intelligent automation technologies on offer and they will become more productive.

3. Paint a bright and shiny picture of the future so staff understand where an intelligently automated going and why.

People often resist change when they don't understand what impact change will have on them. Few are willing to jump into an unknown that might be harmful or dangerous.

Take time to talk and listen to colleagues, engage and involve them. Help them understand what the future will look like when it has been digitally and intelligent automated. Take time to explain how they are integral to the future success of the business.

4. Communicate, communicate and communicate; listen to the team to get more and better ideas as to how to intelligently automate.

If executives want their teams to listen to them, then they have to listen to their teams. Too often decisions are made on the golf course and then teams are expected to implement the unknown.

By continually listening, engaging and involving those involved at the sharp end of the actual business firms can get a much better understand of what is needed for colleagues and customers.

Business should make executives communicate and own the digital change agenda and stay the course until that change has stuck.

5. Listen to the end customer.

Too often businesses believe they know what is best for their customers and colleagues. This results in the roll out of intelligent automation technology that does not work as intended, creates more work for customer or colleague, or prevents the seamless operations of the organisation.

Businesses must take time to truly understand the outcomes their customers and colleagues want and then implement exceptional intelligently enabled customer and colleague experiences. This will deliver results.

6. Bonus and reward calculated risk taking, innovation and digital ways of working.

If you don't measure it, you most likely won't manage it. If you don't incentivise and reward the right behaviours, risk taking and innovation you won't get them.

Not everyone is motivated by money. But rewards and bonuses focus attention on whats important and whats not. Providing the right monetary experience for staff is key to their focus and drive to intelligently automate the business.

Innovation does not just magically happen. The right financial, learning and emotional reward structure can help make change happen faster than a firm where these are missing ingredients.

Conclusion.

Through listening and engaging with customers and colleagues alike before digitally transforming a business, firms can better understand what makes a business tick and humanise the end user experience.

Businesses that focus on augmenting great customer and colleague experiences using brilliant technology usually achieve higher NPS and financial returns.

Business that don't, usually see their transformation programs fail as they very people they want on side, disappear over board never to return.

About the author: 

Kieran is recognized as a digital transformation, intelligent automation, data analytics and social media strategy thought leader. Follow Kieran. Join him monthly on LinkedIn Live on the Third Thursday of each month. Or watch Kieran's YouTube channel or website.

Talk to Kieran if you need intelligent automation, data analytics or LinkedIn social media selling and strategy consulting support.

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