by Helen Boggs, Marketing & Communications Manager, Agilitas
The words ‘smart’ and ‘agile’ are becoming more intertwined in business operations by the day. As we’ve learned, introducing dynamic measures that keep workforces productive is what aids efficiency across the whole technology Channel. Automation has become an integral part of this and according to the global Business Process Automation (BPA), market size is expected to grow from USD 9.8 billion in 2020 to USD 19.6 billion by 2026.
In a business outcome-led sector, there is now a golden opportunity to identify points of friction or areas that can be streamlined by the provision of technology. This involves the potential implementation of automation in ways that help team members work smarter in a fast-paced world, with enhancements in analytics and automatic remediation capabilities already set to refocus 30% of IT operations efforts until 2024.
This can be achieved by adopting technological solutions that reduce the operational overheads associated with traditional maintenance support. By adopting the correct workplace hardware service, businesses will see the productivity of its team members increase significantly. After years of unpredictable change, workplaces will need to prioritise how they mobilise their workforces as efficiently and effectively as possible, to ensure customer service and loyalty is maintained.
Businesses are now beginning to move away from the friction that COVID-19 imposed on working environments using a more agile and hybrid approach, and the technology Channel is no exception. Despite years of learning to adapt and implement strategies that are consistent with the needs of its workplace, team members need to take heed in how to utilise the measures built to bolster productivity and the support that automation can offer.
Identifying efficient measures
Remote and hybrid working is here to stay, and over the past two years the technology Channel has overcome new obstacles when it comes to efficiency, collaboration, and data security. While productivity has been high in this new working model, so too are employee stress levels, leading to more job openings and not enough people to fill them. This is where automation comes in, helping to ease the UK’s ‘Great Resignation’ which has made the fight for talent amongst organisations even more fierce.
Businesses are always striving to move forward and outpace their competitors, and being in front when it comes to technology is a sure fire way to achieve this. However, when not done correctly, the measures they put in place may have a reverse effect. When implementing new technologies and digital transformation, Channel businesses need to identify these measures effectively and use automation to replace some roles. By doing this, the likes of miscommunication, human error and poor governance are eliminated.
In the technology Channel, companies are starting to mobilise smart and agile working by automating a single part of their Channel. For example, deal registration, followed by the addition of SaaS functionality. This then leads to an end-to-end automated Channel, which significantly improves productivity and accelerates revenue.
Intelligent automation is driving post-pandemic recovery and can effectively eliminate mundane tasks and create new opportunities for workers to perform higher-value and more satisfying roles. AI-powered process automation can make pragmatic decisions without the need for human intervention, allowing the technology Channel to benefit from a reduction in unstructured data and a drive-in competitive advantage.
The influence of automation
Adopting measures in the technology Channel under the influence of automation can help correct the potential issues listed above and make for a more efficient workplace. Nevertheless, it’s important to reinforce that automation shouldn’t be seen as a threat to an individual’s job, but rather to assist them in their workload. In reality, the key to powerful automation lies in finding the right balance between human intervention and digital transformation and freeing up subject matter experts to focus on the more complex tasks at hand.
Upgrading hardware will be costly in the short term, but the long-term benefits outweigh the cost implications as well as removing the risk of human error. In addition to this, automated systems can comfortably deal with high volume requests which, ordinarily, a regular employee couldn’t handle.
Before accelerating Channel strategy and scale, it is recommended that Channel leaders apply basic automation technologies to get their front and back-end systems in order to effectively future-proof their organisations. Partnerships are a key part of this, and a seamless journey can be created through embracing new shared processes and allowing workflows to scale correctly.
Working smarter not harder
Automation is here to make life easier. It helps Channel businesses work smarter so that time and resources can be directed towards strategic thinking and the processes that are weighing employees down. The pressure can then be alleviated as automation changes the way we work for the better.
As a result of a more efficient and automated workplace, employee output on more important tasks will increase. In the instance of a warehouse worker, throughout their labour-intensive and physically demanding day, their marginal output decreases as they become more tired. In a digital environment, automated software completes the same job without affecting its marginal output, therefore increasing overall performance.
Whether you’re looking to ramp up your marketing activity, enhance staff management capabilities or improve collaboration, automation could greatly enhance the performance and productivity of a Channel business in more ways than one.
While human control will always be the most important element within any modern workplace, taking the opportunity to automate what is ‘automatable’ is a vital investment. In the last two years, the decision to do so has become far less of an option and much more a competitive necessity, with those not embracing it falling behind that of their competitors and impeding their own success as digital transformation takes hold.
Helen Boggs is the Marketing and Communication Manager at Agilitas. A marketing professional with a passion for all things digital, Helen joined Agilitas back in 2021 to support the businesses ambitious growth, customer and CSR objectives. Helen has over 15 years of experience in roles within software, marine electronics and hospitality sectors and specialises in executing multi-channel marketing campaigns, working with data, CRM and marketing automation.
Visit Helen’s LinkedIn profile here
