Automation and technology have been hugely important in generating efficiencies and, therefore, profitability in businesses for centuries. From the steam engine to the assembly line to robotics, automating tasks traditionally performed by humans can often lead to advantages in quality, consistency, and speed. But automation may not always be the answer!
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An Important Step to Precede Automation
Despite a tendency, in our technology-laden environment, to automatically assume that automation is the best solution for any business issues or inefficiency, there may be good reason to hold off on automating until another important step is taken.
In a Harvard Business Review article that looks at the automation technology of robotic process automation (RPA), Thomas H. Davenport and David Brain argue that companies seeking more efficient processes should first consider improving their existing processes before automating them.
That harkens back to the old IT saying “garbage in; garbage out.” It’s inefficient and costly to simply automate a process before determining whether that process is as efficient as it could be.
Real Value from RPA
Once a process is well understood and optimized, though, much value can come through automation and, specifically, RPA. Davenport and Brain explain in their article that RPA involves a process of using software to automate complex processes in ways that imitate human performance.
“What sets RPA apart from other automation technologies is that its ability to imitate a human user of one or more information systems reduces development time and extends the range of functions that can be automated across a much wider range of business activities,” they write. The ability to do that, of course, raises the potential for obvious concerns among employees: “Will automation take away my job?”
Does RPA Eliminate Jobs?
So, is RPA going to eliminate jobs? Not necessarily. RPA helps evaluate existing processes and provides options for improvement. The end result of an RPA analysis might point to a technological means of automation that eliminates certain steps or makes other steps more efficient to improve the overall process. But, that same overall process can be performed by a human using the insights from the RPA analysis and not necessarily by technology.
“While it is likely that some human functions will be taken over by RPA, in most companies that have implemented the technology, job losses have been relatively minor,” write Davenport and Brain. “Redesigning the process while implementing RPA can help to ensure that human workers are performing tasks that are worthy of their capabilities.”
Technology and automation are attractive and are, admittedly, time-tested strategies to increase the efficiency of a business. But there may be cheaper and simpler improvements that can be implemented simply by updating existing processes that continue to be done by people.