Struggling with automation? Time to scale things up with a squad

What would you do if you had more time?

If you could eliminate the endless stream of tasks that consume your day?

And, instead, focus on the work you really enjoy?

Think of the possibilities…

Most of today’s IT teams dream of having more time. More time to prevent outages, more time to innovate, and more time to focus on the future. 

But where can this elusive extra time be found in your day?

Automation, of course.

Automation not only frees teams up to focus on higher-value work but also gives them the space and opportunity to bring new value to their business. 

Frustratingly though, despite the many benefits automation offers—efficiency, velocity, reduced costs, etc.—many businesses still struggle to scale their efforts successfully. In fact, according to Deloitte’s annual automation survey, only 26 per cent of respondents currently piloting automation have an enterprise-wide automation strategy. And, the barriers to success? Deloitte’s respondents say process fragmentation, a lack of IT readiness, and resistance to change continue to hold things back.

So, how can IT teams overcome these hurdles to achieve automation at scale?

When it comes to value: seeing is believing

In our experience, not all automation projects are made equal. Too many projects take too long to deliver results. And, as Roberto Torres, a reporter for CIO Dive warns, it can often be a tick in the box exercise rather than adding any real value “…automation for automation’s sake means sinking resources into making inefficient processes run faster.” When automation projects drag on with no tangible results in sight, momentum vanishes and morale plummets.

The answer? 

E2Tech Automation squads.  

Tackling your automation agenda with a squad has many benefits. But, perhaps the top one is time to value. The squad discovery, analysis, and delivery phases are designed to be short and sharp. With a focus on helping teams realise value as fast as possible. So, instead of 1-3 months of discovery and analysis—typical with traditional approaches—an automation squad can tackle it in 1-3 weeks.

100% focus, 100% dedication, 100% success

Most automation squads consist of between 4-6 highly skilled automation experts. 

Note the emphasis on the word ‘expert’.

If automation falls into the wrong hands it can be disastrous for businesses. We have seen this happen too many times. Where people who don’t really understand automation are put on a short training course and then let loose to build automation. And surprise, surprise, this rarely leads to a happy ending. In fact, poorly constructed automation creates more technical debt to manage and navigate in an already complex landscape. 

To build high-quality automation that will stand the test of time, there are no shortcuts to excellence.

Tapping into untapped opportunities

The goal of the automation squad is to uncover opportunities ripe for automation. So, through the discovery and analysis phase, no stone is left unturned to understand the current landscape, including:

• What works and what could be improved?
• How is automation serving the business today? 
• What problems is the business hoping to solve with automation?
• Do other untapped automation opportunities exist? 
• How will the new processes work after automation? 

At this stage, there’s also a really important checkpoint not to be missed: does this process make sense to automate? Should we go ahead or not?

Once these key questions have been tackled, it’s time to finalise the design and then build the automation.

The dedicated E2Tech automation squad works through every phase of the project with a focus on continuous improvement. Once the first automation opportunity is delivered into production, the squad then circles back and takes the next opportunity, and so the automation journey continues.

Amplifying the automation effect 

Having an E2Tech squad focused on delivering value fast, automation momentum can start to build from the ground up. When a process that used to take 7 or 8 hours, now takes just 15 minutes, it’s not long before others stand up and take notice.

The immediacy of impact is what sets E2Tech automation squads apart from other methods. By starting small and showing value quickly, squads can help the rest of the organisation embrace an automation-first mindset. And, before long, what can be automated, will be automated. 

Winning over the automation naysayers

Like any change initiative, scaling up automation can be met with a level of cynicism and concern from some parts of the organisation. With people reflecting on what it means for them, and whether or not more automation will mean losing their job.

Having a dedicated squad in place with the sole purpose of delivering new value through automation means they will be motivated to bring people along on the journey with them. To challenge assumptions around automation and show people the value it can bring. As well as freeing up their time to focus on the things that matter most.

In today’s rapidly changing market, long delivery cycles will no longer cut it. Having an E2Tech automation squad in place will help speed up processes across the organisation, removing any unnecessary manual steps along the way. Instead of fearing automation, the squad can help people see how important it is in today’s landscape, and the critical role it plays in staying competitive. 

The journey to hands-free operations

For IT teams, automation is part and parcel of a wider move to hands-free operations. It plays a crucial role in helping teams embrace efficiency and remove daily activities that don’t bring value either to them or to their organisation. 

In every organisation, there is a wealth of automation opportunities there for the taking. But you’ve got to act fast. The market is moving too fast and customer expectations are shifting too much to wait around. The time to act is now. 

If you are struggling to get ahead with automation, our E2Tech squad approach can help you scale your efforts with ease. And, most importantly, show value quickly.